Guava with white flesh
The Top Ten Health Benefits of Guava:
Guava can be considered super fruit due to its unique flavor, fragrance, and the numerous health benefits it offers. It is a tropical fruit that belongs to the myrtle family. Psidium guajava is native to Mexico, Central America, and South America.
It indeed is a powerhouse of nutrients. It has an abundant amount of vitamin C, lycopene, and antioxidants that you need for good health. Guava helps in the treatment of diarrhea, constipation, dysentery, cough, cold, skin problems, high blood pressure, overweight, and scurvy.
This humble fruit has a mild and pleasant flavor that everyone loves. You can see plenty of these fruits in the Asian markets. It has either round or pear-shape. When ripe, they have either light green, yellow or pink-colored outer skin. There are two varieties of guava. One variety has white flesh inside when ripe and the other variety has pink flesh inside. However, both varieties contain numerous tiny and hard seeds inside.
People make jams and jellies using guava fruits. You can eat guava raw or semi-ripe or ripe. You have to sprinkle salt and pepper powder on the guava fruit slices for enhancing the taste. Eating it this way helps to prevent the throat itching allergy associated with semi-ripe or ripe guava. Elderly people eat guava daily for preventing constipation and promoting easy bowel movements.
Guava is the only fruit that is least chemically treated compared to the other exotic fruits like apple, sapota, and grapes.
My family was consuming guava since my childhood. I still remember how we children in the house enjoyed eating guava slices by applying on them a mixture of salt and red chili powder. I want to share a simple recipe that my mother used to prepare with guava.
Guava Leaf Drink: When I was young, my mother used to pluck tender leaves from the guava plants. She sauteed them in butter or ghee with some cumin seeds and pepper. Further, she ground it with a teaspoon of grated coconut and buttermilk. She added a few pinches of salt for taste. She added some water or buttermilk to get the flowing consistency. We used to drink a cup of this soup-like beverage which was considered to have many medicinal benefits. Normally my mother used to make this drink during summer to beat the heat.
Health Benefits of Guava:
There are many surprising health benefits of guava that are listed below.
1. Weight Loss:
Guava is considered very helpful to those who want to lose weight and at the same time, don?t want to compromise their intake of proteins, vitamins, and fiber. The raw guava has less sugar content than the ripe one. It is less sweet compared to fruits like apple, grapes, and other similar fruits. Eating guava makes you feel filled and satisfied. If you eat one medium-sized guava during lunch, you will not feel hungry until the evening. This way you can cut down eating junk foods. Ironically, it is good for weight gain also. As this fruit has many nutrients, it helps in keeping a good metabolism and absorption of nutrients. For this reason, people who are lean and thin can also consider eating this fruit for weight gain purposes.
2. Diabetes:
As guava is packed with a high level of dietary fiber, it helps to regulate the absorption of sugar by the body. This, in turn, decreases the risk of changes in the variation of blood sugar levels in the body. Studies have shown that guava can help to prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes.
3. Vision care:
It is a well-known fact that vitamin A is good for your vision. Guava is an excellent source of vitamin A. It promotes vision health and helps to prevent cataract, macular degeneration and it promotes the general health of the eyes.
4. Prevents Cancer growth:
One of the most celebrated and important benefits of including guava in your diet is its ability to inhibit the cancer growth and metastasis of cancer cells. Guava has been considered most effective on the prostate, breast, and oral cancers. It is rich in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that is known to be successful in reducing prostate cancer risk. The same antioxidant is believed to be responsible for inhibiting the growth of breast cancer cells. Guava leaf oil is proved to be more successful than certain leading modern medicines in reducing cancer growth.
One more advantage is that guava contains a high level of vitamin C which is about six times higher than the vitamin C found in oranges. Vitamin C boosts antioxidants and it, in turn, provides a boost to the whole immune system. Antioxidants play a major role in defending against the proliferation of free radicals in the body which are the main causes of serious issues like heart disease and cancer growth.
5. A remedy for Scurvy:
Guava has an abundant amount of vitamin C, about six times more vitamin C than oranges. Scurvy is caused by vitamin C deficiency. The only powerful and effective remedy for this dangerous disease is guava.
6. Diarrhea and dysentery:
Guava is a rich source of astringents. Astringent is the compound that makes your gums feel fresher and tighter. Chewing a few tender guava leaves or using a brush made of guava leaves or eating raw guava gives a similar effect. This quality of guava is also helpful to reduce diarrhea and induce loose bowels. Nutrients in guava, such as vitamin C, carotenoids, and potassium strengthen and tone the digestive system. It also disinfects the digestive system from the microbial growth and helps to remove extra mucus from the intestines.
7. Thyroid Health:
It is also a good source of copper that is important for regulating thyroid metabolism by controlling hormone production and absorption. The thyroid gland is considered one of the main glands that control the functioning of the organ system and hormones in the body. This way, guava can help to balance your health in many ways.
8. Excellent for easy bowel movements:
Guava fruit contains plenty of dietary fiber, mainly in the seeds. If you chew or ingest the seeds, it serves as excellent laxatives. It helps for healthy bowel movements and also helps with retaining water in the body. It helps to cleanse the intestines as well as the whole excretory system. Constipation is bad for health. It is said that constipation alone can lead to 72 different varieties of illnesses. Hence, any help for reducing constipation can aid in good health. Overall health gets improved due to proper digestion and excretion. Eating guava regularly provides these benefits to you.
9. Brain Health:
Another wonderful benefit of consuming guava comes from the presence of vitamin B3 (niacin) and vitamin B6 in it. Niacin can increase blood flow and stimulate brain function. B6 is known to aid good nourishment for brain health and nerve health. Hence, eating guava improves your brain functions and also boosts attention span.
10. A remedy for a cough and cold:
A decoction made of raw guava leaves is very helpful in relieving common cold and cough. It reduces the mucus and clears the respiratory tract, throat, and lungs. It also prevents microbial activity. The iron and vitamin C in guava help in preventing viral infection.
People suffering from cold and cough should avoid ripe guava or should apply salt on the slices of guava to avoid throat itching allergy. Also, it is advised not to drink water immediately after eating a guava, as it can lead to a sore throat.
Other benefits: There are plenty of other benefits of eating guavas, such as skin health, hair care, reduction of blood pressure, lowering cholesterol, etc.
Hair health: If you rinse hair with a paste made of raw guava or guava leaves, it strengthens your hair and gives silky and shiny hair.
As a skin toner: Skin can benefit by eating guava fruits regularly or by rinsing the skin with a decoction made from immature fruits and leaves. It tones up and tightens the loosened skin where you apply it.
As it contains vitamins A, B, C, and potassium which are good antioxidants and detoxifiers that keep your skin glowing and free from signs of premature aging, wrinkles, and other dermal disorders.
Reduces high blood pressure: Guava being rich in fiber and hypoglycemic in nature, helps in reducing blood pressure. It makes the blood flow freely in the vessels and prevents cholesterol formation.
There are numerous health benefits to eating guavas. It helps to protect the prostate. The juice of guava leaves helps to cure toothaches, oral ulcers, and swollen gums. If externally applied, it heals the wounds fast. Regular eating reduces the frequency of epilepsy, bacterial infections, and convulsions. There is no harm in eating them in natural form, as they are natures? gift to humankind. However, while eating it in medicinal form, take a due care to know about the dosage and the possible effects of consuming it.
Reference: www.organicfacts.net
Nutritional Information of Guava Fruit
Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 100 g
Calories: 68
Calories from Fat: 9%
Daily Value
Fat: 1 g
Carbohydrates: 14 g
Sugar: 9 g
Fiber 5 g
Protein 3 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 2 mg
The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. So, your values may change depending on your calorie needs.
