The Nutritional Value of Soursop or Guyabano
Guyabano and soursop are but two of the many names for the same fruit. Perhaps because the fruit from the Annona muricata tree flourishes in warm regions throughout the world – and is exported to countless countries – soursop has spawned more than two dozen common names.
Guyabano and soursop are but two of the many names for the same fruit. Perhaps because the fruit from the Annona muricata tree flourishes in warm regions throughout the world – and is exported to countless countries – soursop has spawned more than two dozen common names. Among them are the Dutch-derived soursop (for sour sack), as well as names like guyabano in Pilippino, guanabana in Spanish, prickly custard apple in English, mundla in Hindustani and thurian-khaek in Thai.
Description and Uses
The fruit, which grows on 30-foot-high tropical trees, somewhat resemble prickly, overgrown kosher pickles. Inside the spiky green fruit the custard-like flesh has a pineapple scent but somewhat tart flavor. According to the University of Hawaii, commercial uses of soursop include canned juice and fruit, while home recipes range from inclusion in fruit salads to processing for ice cream, cake, candy and pudding.
Calories, Fat and Carbohydrates
According to the nutrition facts database Healthaliciousness, a 100-gram serving of soursop contains 66 calories and less than 1 gram of fat. Its concentration of natural sugars gives guyabano a slightly higher carbohydrate count that that recommended for people watching their carbs. Soursop has almost 17 grams of carbohydrates per serving, compared to the 15 grams suggested for people on low-carb diets. In comparison, an orange has 46 calories and 11.5 grams of carbohydrates.
Protein and Fiber
The guyabano, or soursop, fruit provides 1 gram of protein and 3.3 grams of dietary fiber in a serving. The fruit's fiber content compares favorably to some other tropical fruits like oranges and cherimoya. Soursop provides 13 percent of the daily value (DV) for fiber, compared to the 9-10 percent of the other two fruits.
Vitamins
With a vitamin C content of 20.6 milligrams, a serving of guyabano provides more than one-third of the DV for vitamin C. While this is still about half of the vitamin C of well-known sources like oranges, kiwi and mango, soursop provides at least twice as much of the vitamin C contained in other fruits such as bananas, pears, peaches, apricots, rhubarb, nectarines, plums, apples, grapes, cherries and pineapple. Soursop is also a good source of B vitamins, including folate, niacin and thiamin.
Minerals
A serving of soursop contributes 8 percent of your DV of potassium and 5 percent of your DV for magnesium. It is also a good source of iron, phosphorus and copper. On average, the guyabano or soursop is higher in these minerals than oranges and cherimoyas.