Guanabana, or the fruit of a graviola tree , ripens in Mexico, Cuba, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America (Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, and Venezuela). This plant is also found in parts of Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific coast. From a biological point of view, it belongs to the same genus as papaya.
Graviola is suitable for growth in areas with high humidity and relatively warm winters, temperatures below 5 ° C can cause damage to leaves and small branches, below 3 ° C - can be fatal. Under inappropriate climatic conditions, guanabana (fruit) becomes dry and hard.
What it is?
The aroma of this fruit is most often described as a combination of strawberries and pineapple, with sour citrus notes and interspersed with a sweet smell of banana or coconut. Sometimes you can find such a fruit name as "sour cream", although in appearance it looks more like a melon. Guanabana, or the fruit of a graviola tree, is often referred to as an alternative cancer treatment. However, to date, there is no medical evidence for this.
The inside of the fruit consists of edible white pulp containing fiber and a core of hard black seeds. The soft part of guanabana is used to make fruit nectars, cocktails, drinks, and also as a flavoring for sweets, sorbets and ice cream.
How to eat it?
Due to the widespread cultivation of fruit and its popularity in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and Southeast Asia, guanabana (or the fruit of a graviola tree) and its derivatives are used all over the world, including as ingredients of branded products and drinks.
In Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela and Ethiopia, these fruits are often used for dessert as the only ingredient (in pieces or as mashed potatoes). In addition, in Colombia and Venezuela, this fruit is widely distributed for the production of juices mixed with milk. Guanabana ice cream and fruit bars are also very popular.
In Indonesia, these fruits are made into national sweets by boiling the pulp in water and adding sugar until the mixture hardens.
What are its properties?
Guanabana, or the fruit of a graviola tree, contains a significant amount of vitamins C, B1 and B2. Laboratory studies show that the active ingredients in fruits can have cytotoxic, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and anti-tumor effects. However, large-scale studies in humans have not been conducted.
In addition, it was established that the health risks may be caused by the bones contained in the fruits of the graviola tree. Their properties are such that their use in large quantities can lead to neural dysfunction and the appearance of symptoms of Parkinson's disease. However, in 2010, French scientists attempted to refute these assumptions. Based on their own research results, they stated that it is impossible to prove any connection between the use of guanabana with bones and Parkinson's disease.