How to Make Great Organic Soursop Leaf Tea In 10 Minutes

Soursop leaf tea is an herbal infusion made from the leaves of the soursop tree. 

You may know the soursop plant as graviola, guanabana, paw-paw, or some other name based on where you live.

In the Caribbean soursop leaf tea is well known in folk medicine. Islanders drink the tea for its potential health benefits.

Soursop tea is made by boiling the fresh or dried leaves in water to release the flavors.

Many tea drinkers often sweeten the beverage with honey or brown sugar and drink it white it’s hot.

To make a cup of Soursop leaf tea you will need 3 whole leaves, or 2 tablespoons of crushed soursop leaves. You also need a cup and a half of water and your favorite sweetener (optional).

Follow these simple steps:

• Rinse soursop leaves under running tap water and pat dry them
• Pour 1 and a half cup of water into a small saucepan
• Add the leaves
• Let it boil 6 or 7 minutes to release the flavors
• Strain into a cup and sweeten to taste (1 serving)

Soursop Tea Benefits

Just like other sections of the plant, soursop leaves are packed with beneficial nutrients. Soursop tea is widely consumed because of these benefits.

Here are five reported soursop leaf tea health benefits.

• Help Insomnia:  Jamaican soursop leaf tea is a go to home remedy for people who have difficulty falling asleep. Studies confirm that compounds in soursop leaves can act on the central nervous system to block signals to the brain.

• Relieve Headaches:  A cup of soursop leaf tea is widely used in many cultures to relieve headaches. A study was conducted to determine whether soursop does have pain relieving (antinociceptive) features. The results confirm that soursop leaves used to make tea may have the power to relieve headaches.

• Lower Blood Glucose:  Several studies confirm that bioactive compounds in the soursop plant have potential for lowering blood levels. The supports the traditional folk medicine use of soursop leaf tea as a natural remedy for managing diabetes.

• Control High Pressure: Research shows that different sections of the Soursop plant contains compounds that can dilate blood vessels. Dilated blood vessels allow for freer blood flow which results in lower blood pressure. So consuming soursop leaf tea may potentially lower blood pressure. 

• Treat Gastric ulcers:  In one animal study Reasearchers examined the potential effectiveness of soursop leaves as a treatment for gastric ulcers. The report concluded that because of the significant antioxidant and anti inflammatory features of the leaves, they maybe a promising candidate for use as antiulcer agents.

What Is Soursop?

Soursop is the English name of the Annona muricata plant. Soursop plant grows in tropical and sub-tropical areas. The trees can reach 40 feet tall.

Health Benefits of Soursop Leaves

Soursop leaf tea is filled with beneficial compounds and nutrients. These contribute to the the health benefits of soursop leaf tea. Here are a few benefits of soursop leaves:

Nutrients	Why We Need Them
Vitamin C	Enhances the body’s immune system
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)	Contributes to Lowering blood pressure
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)	Converts food we eat into energy
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)	Reduces the risks of hardening of the arteries
Calcium	Helps with building strong teeth and bones
Iron	Transports oxygen around the body
Magnesium	Assists with fighting off depression
Potassium	Flushes excess sodium from the boy
Phosphorus	Regulates nerves function

Some bioactive compounds isolated from soursop leaves are listed below:

Serotonin is a hormone that calms and relaxes the body. Therefore, Soursop tea may be good for relieving stress, and anxiety and improving sleep quality.

Rutin is a plant pregment. It is the most plentiful flavonoid isolated from soursop leaves. Rutin is believed to aid blood flow by making blood vessels more flexible.

Potassium: This is one mineral that is found in many foods. Your body needs potassium for a number of things. For example, Potassium helps with proper heart and kidney function, as well as muscle contraction.

kaempferol: It one of the most abundand flavanoids identified in soursop leaves. Researchers reported a connection between consuming foods rich in kaempferol and the prevention of some cancers.

Reticuline: This is a prominent alkaloids found in Soursop leaves. Animal studies suggest that the chemical is a Central nervous System (CNS) depressant.

The presence of Reticuline in soursop leaves may explain the relaxation effect that is reported by people who drink soursop leaf tea for sleep.

Jamaican Soursop Tea

Jamaican soursop tea is a popular bedtime ritual in many Jamaican households. Here are some reasons for drinking Jamaican soursop leaf tea:

Soursop Leaf Tea Side Effects

Consuming soursop leaf tea may not be the best thing for everyone.  Some users of reported a number of side effect with prolonged use of the tea Reported side effects include:

Kidney problems: Potassium in soursop leaves may affect people with kidney issues who drink an excessive amount of soursop leaf tea.

Drop in blood glucose levels: Persons who take medication to control their diabetes should exercise caution when drinking soursop leaf tea as the beverage could lower their blood glucose to dangerous levels.

Medications Interaction: Soursop tea may interact with certain medications. This includes medicines taken to control blood pressure and blood thinners..

Allergic Reactions: Some users have reported.Allergic reactions to soursop products. These reactions can vary in severity and cause symptoms like itching, rash, or swelling.

Low Blood Pressure: Drinking too much soursop leaf tea may cause a problem for some people who take medication to lower their blood pressure because of certain compounds in the leaves

May be toxic: In one animal study researchers identified two potentially toxic compounds in both Soursop fruit and leaves. Those toxic compounds are annonacin and acetogenin. 

Please Note: Pregnant or breastfeeding individuals should exercise caution with soursop tea consumption. The reason there is limited data on its safety for these groups of people.

So, consuming excessive amounts of tea made from Soursop leaves can have serious side effects.

Therefore, individuals who take medication to control diabetes and blood pressure should also limit the amount of Soursop leaves tea they drink. That is because the tea could interact with their medication.

The tea can also lower blood sugar to abnormal levels (hypoglycemia). In addition, continued use of soursop may cause liver damage.

More importantly the most active compound isolated from soursop is acetogenins. And while they show promise as cancer treatment, very little scientific data is available about their safety. 

Therefore they are not advocated to be used in treating human diseases.

Where to Buy Soursop Leaves

You may be able to find organic soursop leaves quite easily. Here are some places whey you can by soursop leaves for making tea:

• Local Grocery Stores: Some larger grocery stores, especially those with a diverse selection of finternational foods may carry soursop leaves and teabags.

• Specialty or Ethnic Stores: Stores that cater to specific ethnic communities or offer a wide variety of international foods might stock soursop products including dried soursop leaves.

• Health Food Stores: Some health food stores or natural markets might carry soursop tea in the ethnic foods aisle.

• Online Retailers: Online retailers and marketplaces such as Amazon and Etsy carry a wide range of organic soursop leaf tea that is shipped from various locations. around the world

Dried Soursop leaves tea is available in many local health food stores.  Soursop tea is available online as well.

Conclusion

So what is soursop tea? It is tea made from dried or fresh leaves of the Soursop tree.

Is soursop leaf tea good for you? Yes, soursop leaf tea offers a number of benefits. I can help you relax, and get a good night’s sleep.

What is Soursop tea good for? One well known benefits of Soursop leaves tea its ability to lower your blood pressure. Soursop tea is able to ccontol blood glucose levels too. The tea can also help relieve some digestive problems. 

However, you need to be cautious if you take medication to control blood pressure or diabetes and the tea can interact with those medications.

Although many benefits of soursop leaves tea are proven, there are still a lot of unknowns. Therefore, you should always exercise caution like you would with any other herbal product.

Disclaimer: This website is for informational purposes only. Nothing stated on the site should be viewed as medical advice. Please talk to a qualified Healthcare Professional about matters relating to your medical care.