Soursop: A Secret Weapon Against Cancer?

It's hard to think of a more intimidating disease than cancer. Each year, 1.4 million Americans are diagnosed with some form of this deadly disease. Despite slowly declining mortality rates, well over half a million people in the US succumb to cancer each year; the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 574,743 cancer-related deaths in 2011. Not only is cancer often life-threatening, it also an all-too-common occurrence; the American Cancer Society estimates that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 2 men will develop cancer in their lifetimes.

One of the most common treatments against cancer is chemotherapy, a process in which certain drugs are given intravenously to the patient. The purpose of such drugs is to seek and destroy cancer cells within the body. Unfortunately, chemotherapy medications are unable to distinguish between normal cells and cancer cells, and consequentially destroy large numbers of both. This "scorched-earth" approach can lead to an endless barrage of side effects, which are detailed in the following list:

• Fatigue


• Nausea & Vomiting


• Pain


• Hair Loss


• Anemia


• Infection


• Blood Clotting


• Problems involving the mouth, gums and throat


• Digestive problems, such as diarrhea and constipation


• Nerve and Muscle issues


• Problems with Skin and Nails


• Radiation Recall


• Kidney and Bladder issues


• Flu-like symptoms


• Fluid retention


• Negative impact on sexual organs

As made abundantly clear by the above symptoms, chemotherapy treatment is hardly a risk-free proposition. Given the large number of distressing side-effects, researchers have spent years looking for alternative treatment methods. A large portion of these efforts have focused on the cancer-fighting properties of certain foods - including a little-known tropical fruit called the soursop.

An Overlooked Cancer Treatment?

Upon first glace, the soursop fruit may not seem especially alluring. Originally hailing from Central and South America, this exotic import features a prickly green exterior covering a heart or oval-shaped body. Such a bizarre appearance certainly doesn't' win the soursop fruit any beauty points.

Though it may not be aesthetically pleasing, the powerful health benefits of the soursop seem to prove the old adage of never judging a book by its cover - or in this case, an obscure tropical fruit by its strange appearance. Soursop has long been valued in various cultures for its medicinal properties, earning a reputation as a potent treatment for high blood pressure, stress and depression. People have also used soursop to help clear infections caused by bacteria and fungi.

These characteristics alone could cement soursop's place as a worthwhile grocery store pickup. However, research has suggested that soursop's true calling card is its immense cancer-fighting abilities. One such groundbreaking study appeared in the February 1996 issue of the Journal of Natural Products. This reportreached an almost unfathomable conclusion: a certain compound extracted from soursop, referred to as "compound 1," was 10,000 times more effective at impeding cancer cell growth than standard chemotherapy medications.

A second study, published the following year in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, reinforced these potentially revolutionary findings. This report noted that extracted soursop compounds were 250 times more effective in killing breast cancer cells than some chemotherapy drugs. As an added bonus, soursop doesn't appear to have the onerous side effects of chemotherapy. According to the Catholic University of Korea, soursop compounds leave healthy cells alone while attacking cancerous tumors. Finally, a Perdue University research team concluded that soursop leaves contain compounds that can help treat lung, prostate, and pancreatic cancers.

Though there is plenty of optimism about soursop's potential, researchers caution that more testing is needed to establish this fruit as a bona fide cancer treatment. As with other foods, soursop carries along its own share of risks. Soursop can disagree with the stomachs of some people, leading to vomiting. People with heart conditions or high blood pressure should avoid soursop, since this fruit has a depressing effect on the cardiovascular system. Pregnant women and antidepressant users are also discouraged from eating soursop. Finally, some research has claimed that some chemicals found in soursop are also present in Parkinson's patients, though a relationship between soursop and this nervous system disorder has yet to be proven.

Despite advances in medical technology, the scourge of cancer still plagues the world's developed nations, striking down millions every year. Though more research must be undertaken, the game-changing weapon against cancer might just reside in a little fruit from the tropics.