It's not just the fresh soursop fruit which is harvested for its taste and health benefits. The soursop leaves are popular too as they are believed to offer various valuable nutrients and properties. They are oblong to oval, 8 cm to 16 cm long and 3 cm to 7 cm wide. Young leaves are light green and become glossy dark green as they mature.

The leaves can be used whole and unprocessed to make tea and also made into a powder which can be added to other food and drinks.

The leaves of the soursop tree cannot be harvested continuously all year round as this negatively affects the fruit production. Instead, they are harvested in small quantities at regular intervals. The fresh leaves are quickly picked and packed, then sent by air-freight to ensure they arrive at the destination in good condition. We currently receive our fresh soursop leaves from suppliers in Indonesia and various countries in West Africa. If the leaves are being dried, they are washed and then left to air-dry completely over the course of a few weeks. Air-dried leaves are usually preferred to sun-dried leaves as the harsh topical sun can cause the leaves to lose nutrients and deteriorate.

Soursop leaf powder is made by grinding down the dried leaves. It's sold as a pure powder but also used to make soursop teabags.

In 2018 following a study carried out over one month using 60 five-week-old female rats, scientists from the University of Seville indicated that extracts from soursop leaves could prevent the symptoms associated with fibromyalgia. Scientists will next carry out clinical tests with patients, to corroborate the extract's activity and establish a safe and effective dose in humans. (Source: eurekalert.org, 28/11/18)

In recent years, through many research projects and studies, more exciting developments have been made regarding the potential beneficial uses of soursop leaves. However, we await the results of clinical trials in humans.

The video above and the claims made within are produced by a third party, not by www.soursopuk.com

Check back on our blog soon for advice on how to make soursop tea from the leaves or powder. In the meantime, a simple search on google or youtube for 'soursop tea' will provide you with many useful articles and videos.

If you’re looking to buy soursop leaves, fresh or dried, please click here to visit our online shop or get in touch with us here at Soursop UK if you need any further advice.

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