The healing power of cherimoya

Cherimoya is a newcomer in the Netherlands and Belgium. It is a tropical fruit that originates only in Colombia and other countries of South America such as Peru. Ecuador and Bolivia is growing. Today it is grown in Spain, where it is widely available on the market. For the time being you will encounter this fruit sporadically in the Netherlands and Belgium. The cherimoya originally grows in the Andes at an altitude of 1000 to 2000 meters. In principle, it is an evergreen tree, but with too little rainfall it loses its leaves for preservation. The cherimoya tree dies in areas where it gets colder than -3 degrees. The tree cannot live in the Netherlands.

History cherimoya

In ancient Peru the cherimoya was described, painted on pots and archaeological evidence has been found that the fruit was eaten. Cherimoya was a crucial fruit in the Inca Empire. The first cherimoya came to Spain in 1757. The explorers of the 17th century were particularly interested in fruits from other countries. In 1797 the first cherimoya arrived in Italy. Cherimoya is cultivated on a fairly large scale in Andalusia, Spain. The Spaniards not only eat the fruit as a healthy snack, but they also make a liqueur from it. Philip Miller was an 18th century English gardener and botanist who first wrote a comprehensive scientific description of the cheriomoya in his book Gardeners Dictionary.

The cherimoya is called Annona cherimola in Latin. It is also called Jamaica apple. The type of fruit falls into the category of tropical cream apples, which also includes the soursop. In English they say custard apple instead of cream apple. The name cherimoya is most likely a Spanish corruption of an Indian name for this fruit. The Peruvian language Quecha is said to be the basis for the name. 'Chiri' in this language means cold and 'Muyu' means wheel. Cherimoya is referred to as a fresh, round fruit. In the U.S. the fruit is called sugar apple, but it is best known by its Spanish name, as we also know it in the Netherlands.

The cherimoya tastes very sweet while still containing few calories. It contains a fair amount of fiber, 3 grams per 100 grams of fruit. These fibers bind heavy metals and other toxins in the gut so that they cannot cause damage or lead to diseases such as cancer. The cherimoya has a good MRF.

In folk medicine, an unripe cherimoya is dried, powdered and sprinkled into the hair as a means to kill lice. In addition, a tea is made from the leaves of the cherimoya tree. This tea helps to lower blood pressure.

The cherimoya has many nutrients. Most fruits and vegetables have a number of nutrients that are missing from their offer. But the cherimoya can offer almost all different minerals and vitamins, albeit not in very large quantities. Yet it contains a lot of vitamin C. One ounce of this fruit contains 21% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamin C. In addition, it contains many vitamins from the B complex. Vitamin B6 is the most represented; 100 grams of cherimoya contain 20% of the RDI of B6. Other vitamin percentages in this fruit are: vitamin B2 (10% RDA), vitamin B1 (8% RDA), vitamin B5 (7% RDA) and vitamin B11 (6% RDA). There are more vitamins in it but all with percentages of 4% or lower. Furthermore, this tropical cream apple variety contains 8% of the RDI of copper and 6% of the RDI of potassium. One ounce of cherimoya contains 4% of the RDI of magnesium, manganese and phosphorus. As far as the apparently lower percentages are concerned, you should be aware that the vitamins and other phytonutrients enhance each other in effect; not only is a large amount of vitamins required, but a wide variety also serves good health.

The seeds of the cherimoya contain many alkaloids, so much so that the seeds are poisonous to eat. They are used as a natural insecticide. Furthermore, the seed is the basis for a medicine that can help with a parasitic skin disease. In folk medicine, the seeds are also used as an emetic and stool. Toxins leave the body faster due to ingestion of cherimoya seeds.

The cherimoya fruit itself has a good ratio of potassium and sodium. This lowers blood pressure.

Because cherimoya contains an extensive range of vitamins of the B complex, this fruit is good for the brain. Vitamin B6 is extra good for this, but it makes no sense to take synthetic variants of it. It is much better to take vitamin B6 in natural form along with other vitamins. The synergetic effect increases the effectiveness and health effect of the vitamins. Synenergetic means: supporting each other.

In a 2013 study, avocado and cherimoya leaves were tested for their cancer-fighting properties. An extract was made from these leaves. It was found that both extracts show promising anti-cancer effects but that cherimoya leaves are more likely to have fewer side effects. A 2010 study shows that the fruit itself also works well against a number of cancers. There are many substances that increase the absorption of antioxidants in cells. These substances have not been found in other plant species so far.

Make your own salsa sauce from cherimoya, peppers, mango, red onions and coriander. Briefly fry or roast cherimoya slices and serve with cinnamon. For a smoothie, use cherimoya along with pineapple, mango and strawberry. Eat the cherimoya raw as a fruit snack. Put pieces of cherimoya over your homemade muesli or oatmeal.