Graviola fruit is a green, pear-shaped fruit covered with soft spines. Matured Graviola or soursop fruit weighs about 2 to 5 kilograms. Graviola fruit is ovoid and large, up to 18 centimeters long, with thin skin and the soft edible whitish pulp that is fleshy and fibrous. Graviola has inedible black seeds. Graviola fruit or soursop fruit has distinct sweet-sour flavor that tastes like pineapple and strawberry with a tang of sour citrus taste. Graviola leaves are oval shaped with smooth, shiny texture. Graviola leaves are 7 to 20 centimeters in length, pointed on both ends, with petioles about 5 mm long. Graviola flowers bloom all year round but its peak is from May to June. Graviola has a solitary flower that is large, yellow or greenish-yellow in color. The three outer petals are broadly ovate with a heart-shaped base, up to 5 centimeters long, and 3 centimeters wide; and the inner three are also large, elliptic to obviate, and rounded..Graviola fruits are harvested in its maturity – when the skin is shiny green or yellowish green in color. Graviola fruit is used as vegetable and made into sweet meat, while the ripe Graviola fruit can be eaten raw or prepared as dessert.
Graviola's fruit or juice has long been used to help reduce fever. Aside from this, consuming the fruit has been known to relieve diarrhea, dysentery and even kill parasites and worms in your digestive tract. Graviola may only have recently become popular in the West but it has a long history in ancient herbal remedies. Also known by other names such as soursop, guanabana and cherimoya, this small tree (no more than 10 meters tall) grows in tropical America. The soursop fruit is very tasty (sort of like custardy apple) and has been used to add flavor to jams, ice cream, juices and nectars. The root of sour sop or graviola has been classified as antiparasitic. In the Amazon, locals use the leaves and roots of the plant to help regulate blood sugar. Even in the West Indies, people drink tea made of Graviola leaves to help with cough, flu. Even breastfeeding mothers eat the fruit to increase the supply of their breast milk.
Graviola, also known as guanaba, Brazilina pawpaw and soursop, is the green, heart-shaped fruit from a tree found in the rain forests of South America and Southeast Asia. It is reputed to have a number of health benefits. Soursop has a lot of excellent properties that are necessary to keep your immune system strong. These properties kill free radicals and ensure your immune system is at optimum health so it can effectively perform its functions. Graviola is rich in fiber which means that when you consume it regularly, you can expect regular bowel movements. With graviola, you don't have to worry about constipation and hemorrhoids. Soursop has properties that keep your body active and energized so you won't feel lethargic all day. Soursop is rich in calcium and phosphorous to help strengthen the bones and prevent bone and joint problem. Although there has not been enough scientific evidence to back up some claims, it's been widely believed that sour sop leaves can also help to gout by lowering the uric acid in the body.
Graviola is helpful in nourishing skin. It is rich in Vitamin-C which helps in removing toxins from the body and helps in providing supple and smooth skin. It also has anti-inflammatory properties and can help reduce acne and boils. Because of soursop's anti-bacterial properties, it can be applied on cuts and wounds too. This fruit is also rich in polyphenols, saponins and bioflavonoids, which are antioxidants. These antioxidants inhibit free radical damages and early signs of aging, wrinkles and pigmentation. Graviola has anti-inflammatory properties and thus is helpful against swelling and arthritis. Joint and back pain can be reduced by its intake.
Graviola, is widely used by many indigenous cultures for a variety of physical ailments. Many parts of the tree are used, including the leaves, fruit, bark and seeds, and each provides its own set of healing properties. The Soursop tree (Annona Muricata), indigenous to the rainforest regions, is a broadleaf, evergreen tree that produces flowers and fruit. The trees grow in areas with high humidity and warm temperate winters, including Cuba, Mexico, South America, Central America and the Caribbean. The Graviola belongs to the muricata species of trees which is classified in the Annona subdivision of the Annonaceae tree family. Soursop fruit contains a high level of carbohydrates and fructose, which is a natural sugar. Significant levels of vitamins B1, B2 and C are also found in Soursop. In areas native to the Soursop, the fruit, leaves and seeds serve a variety of medicinal purposes for the people in these regions.
In a report that was published in “International Journal of Molecular Sciences” dated 2010, Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of the ethanol extract from Graviola leaves (Annona muricata Linn) were investigated in animal models.. In a chemically induced edema to the paw of rats showed that the Graviola ethanol extract has significantly reduced the exudate volume. These results suggest that Annona muricata can be an active source of substances with antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Supplement Facts:
Graviola (leaf powder) 650 mg
Serving Size: 1 Capsule
Servings Per Container: 100
SUGGESTED USE: 1 capsule taken 1 to 2 times daily preferably with meals or as directed by a healthcare professional.
