Page 68 - South Mississippi Living - November, 2026

HEALTHY LIVING
Soursop Bitters Soursop Bitters and Your Health
story by Dr. Nickie Harris-Ray
Soursop is a native South American fruit that looks like a
large avocado with spikes. Naturally, it’s a good source of fiber
and antioxidants, which may help reduce inflammation and
support digestion. With soursop recently popular on social
media, you might wonder whether this super fruit can truly
work wonders—especially in the form of bitters.
For centuries, native healers have used soursop for medicinal
purposes. You might find them using the fruit, leaves, and
stems to treat a variety of illnesses. According to the Cleveland
Clinic, you may benefit from soursop’s potential to reduce
inflammation, fight bacteria, lower blood sugar, and more.
But right now, you might be hearing a lot about soursop
bitters, which have gone viral this past year. When you try
soursop bitters, you’re getting a concentrated liquid extract—
usually made from the leaves and sometimes combined with
stem or root bark. Unlike the sweet fruit, the leaves taste
distinctly bitter, which, in traditional herbalism, is thought to
regulate digestion.
One of the most common claims is that soursop may help
68 | November 2026 you manage high blood pressure. For example, a 2020 study
in the Journal of Human Hypertension found that people who
drank seven ounces of soursop juice daily for three months
had lower blood pressure than those who didn’t. Some even
claim they were able to stop all hypertensive medication.
Another viral claim is that extracts from soursop leaves could
kill cancer cells. However, these findings come from laboratory
studies and often involve extremely high doses of soursop leaf
extract.
Because soursop bitters are considered herbal medicine
and aren’t regulated by the FDA, be aware of possible side
effects. If you consume large amounts of soursop, you could
experience toxicity, with symptoms that resemble Parkinson’s
disease—rigid muscles, slow movement, and problems
with balance or walking. Soursop can also interfere with
medications you might use for high blood pressure or diabetes.
As with any new supplement or medicine, you should always
talk to your trusted health professional before adding soursop
bitters or any other supplements to your routine.
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