How to make soursop leaves tea and why you should drink it
Many people around the world know the soursop leaves tea but only in the form of a flavored beverage on the base of green or black tea. Its refreshing scent and a strong taste are a great means to kill thirst and give a moment of pure pleasure. However, what about the tea made with true soursop leaves? What is it and how is it made?
Source: UGC
Make soursop leaves tea with this guide
Making such a tea is extremely simple. The only complication here is the access to the soursop (graviola) tree where you can pluck fresh leaves. If you have one in your vicinity or know where to get fresh leaves in a certain condition, the things will become even simpler to you. So, everything you need to do is the following:
Source: UGC
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- Get 2 to 3 leaves immediately from the tree. You need the leaves that are still quite young. These are not the youngest and not the mature ones, just something in between. The older a leaf is, the darker green it will be. You need the ones that are slightly lighter than the others
- Take 1 cup of clean water and pour it into a small pot. Set the pot on your stove and let the water boil
- In the meanwhile, prepare the leaves. Wash them accurately and then tear each leaf into three pieces. There’s no need to chop the leaves or so. Just do as ancient people used to do and tear the leaves into three pieces each
- Put the torn leaves into a cup or a glass, it doesn’t matter but it’s important that the vessel can endure the temperature of the boiling water. Then, pour the boiling water over the leaves so that the water covers them completely
- Cover the vessel and leave it for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. This is the process, which is known as drawing the tea
- The tea is ready! Now you can drink it in whichever way you prefer: hot or cold, with sugar or with honey, with or without milk, and so on
People who have been drinking this tea for centuries know the traditions better and sometimes old people recommend not to pluck the soursop leaves after the sun goes down. Probably, there’s a scientific explanation to this precaution but they just know it from their own experience.
Source: UGC
Another recipe says the following:
- Take 1 liter of clean water and get it boiling
- Take 15 dried leaves of the soursop tree (if you have only fresh ones, it’s also great because the usefulness of dried and fresh leaves is nearly the same)
- Take 1 small soursop stem, cut it into pieces together with the leaves and put it all into the boiling water
- Keep the water boiling for 30 minutes without covering the pot. It’s supposed that the water will evaporate and eventually there will remain about 500ml of the liquid
- Filter the tea and drink 1 cup (about 165ml) three times a day. If you want some taste, add ½ teaspoon of lime juice to each cup and a little honey if you prefer sweetness
It’s better to drink the soursop tea 30 minutes prior to a meal. The first positive effects are expected after three weeks of drinking this tea.
Why do people drink soursop tea against cancer?
Source: UGC
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There’s a word that soursop tea has some powerful elements in it, which are able to cure the existing cancer and prevent the possible one. There’s no scientific proof of this fact but if you are willing to try this tea as one of the possible cancer prevention means, you are welcome. There will definitely be no harm if you take advantage of this refreshing drink with a pleasant aroma.
Regarding the cancer treatment, If a person who suffers from cancer wants to add the soursop tea to his or her daily menu, it’s not a problem. The only thing that should never be done is replacing your treatments with it.
Benefits of soursop tea
Source: UGC
Now, when you know how to cook the soursop tea, you need to know which benefits you can receive from it.
- Cancer prevention
The phytochemicals that can be found in graviola leaves are reported to be able to help treat cancer. There has been a study conducted on pancreatic cancer, during which the patient received supplements containing the graviola extracts. Some malignant cells stopped propagating and others were killed. This gave the researchers grounds to speak about the cancer-fighting properties of graviola.
However, as it was mentioned above, it’s still impossible to replace the traditional chemotherapy and other cancer treatment methods with soursop teas only. They can be an effective supplement but nothing more yet.
Source: UGC
- Pain reduction
Studies conducted with the participation of mice have shown that they endure burns easier if they are treated with soursop supplements. They develop less swelling and endure pain better. However, research on humans is only to come, so it’s still not possible to say that soursop teas or other remedies can completely kill strong pains.
- Viral infections treatment
The authentic medicine of the regions where soursop leaves are easily accessible uses these leaves to treat viral infections, including the widely spread virus of herpes. This virus is easily transmitted via bodily fluids. There’s data that remedies based on soursop leaves are able to reduce the number of herpes outbreaks. This is a significant positive effect that can be observed on other viruses as well.
Side effects of graviola soursop tea
Source: UGC
Side effects can happen whatever you eat or drink. This is why you need to keep in mind possible side effects of soursop leaf tea, too. Overdosing can cause a health condition that’s like the Parkinson’s disease – nerve disorders, movement misbalance, and others. This happens also if a person eats the soursop fruit. The alkaloids these fruits and leaves contain are to blame for the side effects.
However, if you drink only soursop leaves tea and never forget to drink enough water during the day, you will hardly experience any side effects. The only unusual feeling that some people notice after drinking this tea is the feeling of heat in the body. It vanishes soon after you drink a portion and causes no further unpleasant reactions.
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Source: Legit.ng
