The sweetsop, also known as sugar-apple or chermoyas, are native to the West Indies and South America.
Soft and chewy with a hard exterior, the fruit is considered a delicacy and is rated highly among fruit lovers in Jamaica. With its high calories and natural sugars, sweetsops are great as a dessert and as a nutritious snack.
Sweetsop contains a high volume of vitamin A, which is great for healthy skin, healthy hair and better eyesight. It also helps in moisturisation and anti-aging. The creamy flesh or pulp can be used as a balm to treat boils and ulcers. The outer skin of sweet sop has been known to be used to treat tooth decay and gum pain.
The fruit is also very good for pregnant women as it helps develop the brain, nervous system and immune system of a fetus effectively. Regular consumption of the sweet sop also reduces the risk of miscarriage during pregnancy and minimises the extent of labor pain during childbirth. The tasty fruit also assists an expectant mother to bear out morning sickness, fight nausea, numbness and mood swings. Regular consumption during pregnancy also aids in the production of breast milk.
A high vitamin B6 content in the sweetsop makes it an excellent candidate in the reduction of bronchial inflammation and helps prevent asthmatic attacks.
The fruit is also known to ward off heart attacks due to its magnesium content which can also help relax the muscles. Moreover, vitamin B6 in sweetsop helps prevent homocystein collection which also minimizes the risk of heart diseases.
Sweetsop is rich in copper and dietary fibre, which helps assist digestion, helps ease bowel movements and relieves constipation.
The high content volume of dietary fibre in sweetsop helps slow down the absorption of sugar and reduces the risk of developing type-2 diabetes.
Sweetsops are good sources of potassium and magnesium, which help keep the blood pressure levels in control. For those with fluctuating blood pressure levels, a sweetsop a day will help in stabilising the blood pressure.
