Guanabana is an odd- looking tropical fruit; it has an oval or heart-shape; the sizes range from 4 to 12-inch log and up to 6 inches wide. The weight could be from 10 to 15 lb. The skin is covered with curved, soft, pliable spines; it is bright green when is still immature and turns yellowish as it ripens.
The ripe fruit has a snow-white flesh beneath the skin; it is like a compound of juicy segment that separate easily from the soft-pithy core, and some of them harbor a dark-brown seed. The flavor is a unique, sub-acid, sweet, and the texture is custard like.
The guanabana tree is a tropical tree that grows in Mexico and in the rain forests of Central and South America.
The guanabana is known by different names like Graviola and Soursop. The scientific name is annona muricata, and it is in the Annonaceae family. The apple custard, fruit that might sound more familiar to you, belongs to the same group. The guanabana apparently was first found from Mexico to South America by the Spaniards; they introduced it in Europe, and by now, the fruit grows in Asia and the Pacific Islands. This fruit is extremely abundant in the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Bahamas, Colombia, and Brazil.
Costa Rica is also blessed with the abundant presence of this delicious fruit. It is easily recognized on the market or fruit stands with their heart-shaped form, green, spiny skin and a white, creamy pulp with oval black seeds.
The guanabana tree is a relatively small, growing up to 10 meter. It can be a good candidate for a home garden. Its yellow flowers and its glossy evergreen leaves have a peculiar odor and have proven to be valuable as natural medicine.
http://www.thenewdawncenter.info/2/post/2012/06/guanabana-a-tree-for-all-reasons.htmlYou can start your own trees, simply saving the seeds of the guanabana after you eat it. Plant one seed per pot filled with fertile soil. Germination takes over two weeks. After few years, some people say between 3 and five years, you will be able to eat the guanabanas from your own trees.
The pulp of the guanabana can be described as custard-like, with a taste similar to strawberry and pineapple.
Guanabana tree is one of those tropical trees from which each part of it can be consumed, and each part has specific medicinal-like properties.
Some of the medicinal benefits are:
Part of the tree | usage | |
Seeds | Emetic properties | To stop vomiting |
Leaves | In infusion -3 cups a day. In tincture -8 ml a day In capsules -6 grams a day | To kill bacteria and viruses To kill parasites To reduce blood pressure, lower heart rate, stimulate digestion |
Leaves | Crushed | To apply on skin rashes, eczema, and helps to on rheumatism pain. |
Fruit | Juice form | To help liver problems |
Flesh | As a balm | To speed healing of wounds |
Young shoots or leaves. | In infusion | To help with gall bladder troubles, coughs, dysentery, fever, and indigestion. |
Root bark | Extract | As an antidote for poisoning |
In general, Guanabana has been used by ancestral central and southern American groups, acknowledging several health properties:
It has antimicrobial properties, for bacterial and fungal infections.
It is effective against internal parasites and worms.
It helps to lower high blood pressure.
It has been used in the treatment of depression, stress, and nervous disorders.
It protects the immune system, and helps to avoid infections.
It boosts your energy, improving outlook on life.
Most recently, research has been conducted by National Institute of Health, the National Cancer Institute, Purdue University, and the Catholic University of South Korea. The Outcome of the research shows that a compound extracted from the leaves and stems of the guanabana tree were found effective in attacking and destroying malignant cells. It only kills the cancerous cells without harming the healthy ones. It can actually be compared with some chemotherapy drugs because it attacks cancer effectively without causing extreme nausea, weight loss, and hair loss.
The National Institute of Health created in 1998 the National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine has studied the healing properties of natural supplements like herbs and fruits.
John Hopkins University has one of the five top medical schools in the U.S., apparently they have treated and cured their students with herbs and other natural food supplies, under the argument that they do not have the side effect pharmaceutical drugs do. Apparently they tested over 20,000 different plants, and found that the leaves from the guanabana tree can kill cancer cells. Some people say that the institutions researching the Guanabana determined it to be the best cure for cancer.
If that is true, then why that information is not widely available to the public?
If that is true, then why that information is not widely available to the public?
Good question, it could be for a number of reasons, the one I prefer to consider is the fact that it considered an “unproven therapy.” Being “unproven" does not mean it has been disapproved; therefore, I like to think about the following points: 1. It works
2. It is in-expensive
3. No negative side effects
4. It is non-patentable.
Guanabana has not been considered more seriously by any drug company. Maybe that is the good news!
That assures us that this delicious fruit tree will always be out there for the world, to provide us with its God given benefits while we enjoy the wonderful flavor of its fruit.
