Also known as custard apple, Cherimoya is a heart-shaped green tropical fruit with a sweet taste and creamy texture. Let’s explore the incredible health benefits of cherimoya.
It’s native to the Andes Mountains of South America, though it’s largely grown in Spain. It’s also cultivated in other parts of the world, including the Mediterranean region.
Cherimoya is very similar to soursop, and that’s because they belong to the same family, Annonaceae, but the two are entirely different.
You can easily distinguish them from their appearance, such as Cherimoya is smaller and has no soft spikes while soursop is the opposite.
Otherwise, one can easily be mistaken for the other when it comes to their flesh, creamy texture, sweet taste, and black seeds.
Cherimoya is best known for its incredible phytochemical profile, including polyphenols and alkaloids that have contributed to its use as a traditional remedy for various ailments, including promoting eye health, boosting cardiovascular health, alleviating skin issues, and improving the digestive system.
It’s also rich in fiber, minerals, and vitamins that the body needs to function correctly.
Also read about Dragon Fruit, Finger Limes, Persimmon.
Here is more on the benefits of cherimoya fruit
1. It’s high in antioxidants
Antioxidants are essential for maintaining a strong and healthy body. Although the body can produce a certain amount of antioxidants on its own, boosting your intake will come a long way in fighting and preventing chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer from taking root.
Cherimoya is rich in various antioxidant compounds, including flavonoids, kaurenoic acid, vitamin C, and carotenoids, that have been shown to neutralize free radicles and prevent oxidative stress.
One study found that the Cherimoya peel and pulp contain the highest levels of antioxidants; however, the peel has some health concerns and should never be consumed.
2. May promote eye health
Cherimoya is rich in lutein, one of the major carotenoids found in the eye ( retina and macula). Lutein works as a light filter, protecting the eye from light damage.
Consuming foods high in this nutrient may help prevent eye diseases like cataracts that often lead to age-related macular degeneration (the common cause of vision loss in old age).
In one study, researchers found that high serum lutein reduced the risk of developing cataracts by 27 percent compared to those with low levels.
3. It may put you in a better mood
Cherimoya is an excellent source of vitamin B6, which plays a vital role in maintaining a better mood and increasing focus. This is because B6 is necessary for creating neurotransmitters, including dopamine and serotonin, which help regulate your mood.
A cup of cherimoya fruit (160 grams) offers up to 24 percent of your daily vitamin B6 requirements, clearly improving your intake and promoting the benefits.
Sufficient intake of B6 has also been shown to lower twice the risk of developing depression.
Moreover, B6 may also promote healthy blood vessels, regulate sleep cycles, lower blood pressure, and support brain functions.
4. It may promote digestive health
Cherimoya is high in fiber, with a cup (160 grams) providing5 grams of fiber, equivalent to 27 percent of your daily requirements.
Fiber promotes digestive health in various ways, including bulking up the stool, thus increasing your bowel movement. It also makes your bowels regular and may be excellent at managing diarrhea or preventing constipation.
In addition, fiber feeds the good gut bacteria, which then promotes the release of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), including acetate, butyrate, and propionate, through the process of fermentation.
SCFAs are the primary source of nutrition for your colonic cells. They also play an important role in fighting inflammation, thus protecting against gut inflammatory conditions like chronic disease and ulcerative colitis.
SCFs may also reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other conditions.
So incorporating high dietary fiber foods like Cherimoya can not only boost your digestive health but also lower your risk of developing various chronic conditions.
5. It may lower blood pressure
Cherimoya is rich in blood pressure regulating nutrients like potassium and magnesium.
Each cup of the fruit offers10 percent and 6 percent of your daily potassium and magnesium requirements, respectively.
The body needs both magnesium and potassium to keep your blood vessels dilated and relaxed, which in turn causes blood pressure to fall.
In one study, a high potassium intake was found to reduce blood pressure in people with hypertension while lowering their risk of stroke by 24 percent.
On the other hand, each 100 mg additional magnesium intake was shown to lower the risk of high blood pressure by 5 percent.
6. It may fight against cancer
Cherimoya contains antioxidants like epicatechin, catechin, and epigallocatechin, which have shown the potential to inhibit cancer growth in lab studies.
One study found that catechins stopped breast cancer cell growth, while epicatechin was shown to lower cell growth and replication in bladder cancer treatment.
This is such a promising potential benefit, but more human studies may be necessary.
Risks and Side Effects
Cherimoya offers impressive health benefits, but like soursop and any other fruit of the Annona species; they contain annonacin, a chemical compound with toxic effects, especially to the nervous system.
The good news is, annonacin is high in seeds and peels. So Cherimoya flesh is absolutely safe to consume.
How to Eat It
You can eat ripe Cherimoya by cutting it into two and scooping the flesh with a spoon. Remember to remove the seeds and discard the peel.
You can also enjoy the fruit in sweet-savory dishes. You can also add it to a smoothie bowl, fruit salad, overnight oats, and yogurt parfait.
Final Thoughts
Cherimoya is a heart-shaped sweet tropical fruit with a creamy texture.
It’s rich in a wide range of nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.
Regular consumption of this fruit may promote eye health, enhance your mood, lower blood pressure, and fight cancer.
However, not every part of the fruit is edible. While creamy flesh is safe to consume, seeds and the skin contain high levels of annonacin, a neurotoxic compound. Besides that, Cherimoya is delicious and easy to incorporate into the diet.
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- Soursop Health Benefits
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