Guava, a tropical fruit produced in Venezuela, Mexico and Colombia is usually eaten fresh or made into beverages, while its skin and leaf are used as a home remedy during various conditions. Most people think that guava is associated with a person getting cold and this may be true. Moreover, these fruits also have health benefits. Guava is also helpful during dangerous health problems such as high blood pressure, diarrhea, diabetes, cough and different types of cancer. In fact, it is so good for diabetes that it can be included in your Diabetes Diet Plan.
Well, how does guava do all of this? The answer to this question is that guava has a high source of vitamin C and fibers that act as antioxidants. These antioxidants have the tendency to reduce or stop harmful effects pertaining to oxidation.
Common facts about guava
Guava is a fruit with medicinal properties and helps in many health problems such as diarrhoea, blood pressure and so on. Here are some facts about guava that you need to know.
- Guava usually grows to about 20 feet in height.
- Guava produces white flowers.
- Guava begins producing fruit for only 2 to 8 years after planting and produced fruits only twice a year.
- Guava contains 100 to 500 miniature seeds inside the middle of the fruit. However, there are some varieties that are seedless.
- Guava has a rich source of vitamin C, A and E.
- Guava is called the super fruit because it is said to contain four times more vitamin C than orange and three times more proteins and four times more fibre than pineapple. It is also said to have more potassium than a banana.
- Guava leaves are used as a black pigment in the textile industry
- Guava plant lives for not less than 40 years.
- Guava is the best weight loss aid.
Nutritional facts about guava
If pineapple is called the king of fruits, then guava is called the queen of fruits all because of its medical properties and capabilities. Guava was first sold in the market in Florida in 1847 and between 1948 and 1969, 21 cultivators of guava were introduced in Hawaii. One major threat to the growth of this fruit is that a sudden dip in temperature can cause guava trees to die. Here are some nutritional facts you need to know about guavas.
- Guava contains 21% vitamin A that helps brighten up your skin and maintains mucous membranes.
- This fruit also contains 20% folate that works well for pregnant women and prevents neural tube damage.
- Lycopene, found in pink coloured guavas are good for protecting skin against ultraviolet rays (UV) and also prevents prostate cancer.
- Guavas have potassium more than bananas and this helps regulate high blood pressure.
| Guava contents per 100g | Amount |
| Calories | 68 |
| Carbohydrates | 14.32g |
| Fibre | 5.4g |
| Fats | 0.95g |
| Protein | 2.55g |
| Vitamin C | 275% of the daily recommended intake |
| Folate | 12% of the daily recommended intake |
| Vitamin B5 | 9% of the daily recommended intake |
| Vitamin B6 | 8% of the daily recommended intake |
| Niacin | 7% of the daily recommended intake |
| Magnesium | 6% of the daily recommended intake |
| Potassium | 9% of the daily recommended intake |
| Phosphorus | 6% of the daily recommended intake |
| Manganese | 5% of the daily recommended intake |
Note:
Guava has great medicinal benefits, but it must be consumed within the limit. Guava contains fructose, which may be harmful to your health if consumed in large quantities.
Types of guavas
Most guava trees have similar characteristics, while there are some that grow in colder climates grow to a maximum of 12 feet. Other grown in warmer climates reach up to 20 feet. Guava plants must be well taken care of during winter. However, for all those fitness enthusiasts, guava can be the weight loss agent. Here is a list of the different types of guavas.
1. Pink and red varieties of guavas
These guavas are also called desert guavas and usually taste sweet and appear to be pink in color. This breed of guavas is easily available in the market around you. This is often sold in Hong Kong and has a smooth texture with fewer seeds. This breed is considered high quality.
2. White and yellow Ccloured Guavas
This breed tastes typically acidic and mild with no fragrance. The inside layer appears to be pale white or yellow while the skin looks green when ripe. This variety may also turn pinkish when ripe.
Note: Though there are many different varieties of guavas, all of them are said to be a powerhouse of healthy nutrients.
Health Benefits of Guava
Guava fruits are called the queen of all fruits because of their high level of medicinal value. Any 100 grams serving of guava fruit contains 68 calories and 8.92 grams of sugar. It is also rich in calcium and contains 18 grams of minerals for every 100 grams. This shows that the fruit has the capability to aid in different diseases. However, in order for you to have more insight into the topic, let’s take a peek into the health benefits of guava.
1. Guava helps boost your immunity
Guava is rich in vitamin C and is said to contain four times the content of vitamin C found in oranges. Vitamin C helps boost immunity levels that prepare your body to fight common infections and pathogens. Also, more vitamin C helps in good eyesight.
2. May reduce the risk of developing Cancer
Vitamin C, lycopene and other types of polyphenols act as antioxidants that help in neutralizing infections in the body that prevent the growth of cancerous cells. Guava fruit has been shown to prevent prostate cancer and also prevents the growth of breast cancer cells.
3. Helps to manage blood sugar levels
Guava has a high content of fiber and glycemic index that helps prevent the development of diabetes. You may refer to Glycemic Index Food Chart to find out the GIs of other foods and modify your diet accordingly. Fiber content regulates blood sugar levels from spiking, while glycemic index also restricts your blood sugar to rise at a short.
4. Guavas help in keeping your heart healthy
Guava contains high amounts of sodium and potassium that helps the body to balance and regulate high blood pressure in patients suffering from hypertension. Guavas help in reducing cholesterol that is one of the primary reasons for heart diseases. However, this fruit increases the levels of good cholesterol and substitutes this with bad cholesterol.
5. Helps during constipation
Guavas contain high amounts of good dietary fiber when compared to other fruits. One guava a day contains 12 per cent of fiber intake that makes it highly beneficial for digestive health. It also helps in healthy bowel movements. This reduces your risk of constipation.
6. Helps in better eyesight
Guava fruit contains vitamin A that helps boost an individual’s eyesight. Eating guava not only prevents bad eyesight but also prevents you from developing cataracts and macular degeneration.
7. Guava is an anti-stress agent
Guava contains magnesium in the fruit that helps relax your muscles and nerves. So, this means that after a hard workout or a long day at the office, you need just one guava to get you relaxed. This fruit helps you combat stress and provides a good energy boost to your system.
8. Guava helps women during pregnancy
Guavas benefit pregnant women such that it contains folic acid and vitamin B-9 which is recommended to be given for women since it helps in developing the baby’s nervous system and protects the baby from neurological disorders.
9. One of the best solutions for toothaches
Guava leaves have anti-inflammatory action and antibacterial ability that fights infections and kills germs and people consuming guava leaves at home will help curb toothaches. The juice from the guava leaves is also said to provide relief from swollen gums and oral ulcers.
10. Aids in weight loss
If you are a fitness enthusiast, or if you feel that you are on the heavier side, then you need to eat guava that aids in weight loss. Guava regulates your body’s metabolism. Raw guava is said to have less sugar when compared to apples, grapes and oranges.
11. Helps in cold & cough
Guava has a very high content of vitamin C and iron when compared to other fruits. However, guava is proven to prevent you from getting a bad cold or any viral infection. The juice from raw guavas is very beneficial in curing cough and cold. It gets rid of the mucus and disinfects the respiratory tract, throat and lungs.
12. May help with menstruation pain
Many women experience bad and painful cramps as period symptoms. There is a study that suggests guava leaf extract can help reduce the pain during menstruation. This study involved 197 women consuming the guava leaf extract (6 mg) and found that it greatly helped in reducing the pain and that it works better than many painkillers as well!
13. Brain Health
Circulation of blood to the brain is aided by vitamins B6 (pyridoxine) and B3 (niacin) found in guava thereby stimulating cognitive function and relaxing the nerves.
Immune Booster
Guava leaves’ tea helps in boosting the immune systems and reduce the risk of many diseases.
14. Libido (Sexual Desire)
Guava leaves tea will boost libido in both sexes. Work better when honey is added (in non-diabetics).
15. Sperm Production
Guava leaves will boost sperm production thereby increasing fertility. Hence, it’s highly recommended for men battling with fertility problems.
16. Pain Reducer
Guava leaf contains quercetin which makes it effective in reducing pain and eliminating infections.
17. Stomach Ulcer
Guava leaf contains Methanol extract that’s composed of volatile oil, flavonoid, and saponin which works against stomach ulcers and also promote healing effect.
18. It contains anti-aging properties.
This fruit is also getting affluent in vitamins A and C, as well as antioxidants, such as carotene and lycopene that helps with protecting your skin from accomplished lines and wrinkles. While old-age is a natural stage that we reach in life, we can prolong the process by consuming guava on a regular basis.
19. It is good for those suffering from diabetes.
Guavas are believed to have anti-diabetic properties, which have been mentioned way aback in Chinese medicine. An abstraction actually shows that the fruit can lower sugar levels in diabetic patients. Aside from this, the insulin-like action that guavas possess makes such fruits acutely acceptable for diabetic patients.
Benefits of guava leaves
We all depend on western medicine for simple problems like fever, cold, cough etc. But, don’t forget that guava leaves are very healthy too. If guava fruit is healthy, then its leaves are super healthy. Here are some of the benefits of guava leaves that you need to know.
- Helps in stopping diarrhoea
- Hells reduce cholesterol levels
- Helps in losing weight
- helps to manage blood sugar levels
- Helps to fights cancer
- Helps in good vision
- Used for healing acne
- Helps in improving your skin texture
Note: Guava leaves can either be boiled in hot water and consumed or made tea using them. Either of these will benefit you in many ways.
Guava leaves for healthy hair
Hair fall is a result of an unhealthy scalp. Guava leaves can help stop hair fall and strengthen your scalp because of their anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. It is also being used in scalp related problems and dandruff.
It is also rich in vitamin B & C that helps in nourishing and aids in hair growth. So if you have a guava tree in your garden, then don’t pile up those leaves or burn it, instead make it a point to make a paste out of it and gently apply it on your scalp. This will fight hair fall and help strengthen your scalp.
Benefits of guava leaves tea
If green tea is considered healthy and ayurvedic, then guava leaf tea is even healthier and this can be consumed if you are having abdominal pain, watery stools etc. All you need to do is to add guava leaves to boiling water and boil for 20 minutes. Then strain the water and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Make sure it is at least lukewarm when you are consuming it. Also, this must be consumed on an empty stomach and you may find instant relief once you’ve followed the steps carefully.
Side Effects of Guava
There are no serious side effects of guava fruits and leaves for those who take it in moderate amounts. However, eating too much can lead to digestive issues like constipation. Though the chances are low, studies show that it’s also possible to develop an allergy to some of the chemicals in guava.
Apart from the fruit, the chemicals used to store it could also pose some health risks for you. These chemicals have the potential to cause different types of infections. This is why you should thoroughly wash guavas before eating them.
1. It can make you feeling frequently bloated.
Like other fruits, guavas are a classic trigger for bloating, as it is rich in a type of sugar, known as fructose. Unfortunately, our body is not well equipped to digest and absorb huge amounts of fructose. In fact, researchers believe that up to 40% of people are suffering from a condition referred to as fructose malabsorption, where this sugar is inefficiently absorbed in the small intestine. So, overconsumption of this fruit will make it just sitting in our stomach and cause bloating, which is caused by the gas produced by bacteria feasting on the fructose.
2. It can cause diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome.
Due to fructose malabsorption, you would also experience diarrhea or messed-up digestion issues. As guavas carry seeds to make new plants, it is natural for them not to be fully digested by humans, as seeds are designed to survive transit and get deposited in new locations to grow new plants or trees.
3. It will cause you to always crave for sugar.
Overconsumption of this fruit will not only spike your blood sugar, but it will also make you unable to sustain it for very long. As you may have notice, your stomach would start growling again not long after you get a fill of this fruit. The reason for this is that it is not packed with much fat or protein that keeps us sated. While it helps us with fiber, it is not sufficient to prevent a crash in our blood sugar after eating it.
4. It is prone to bacterial contamination.
Like other fruits on display, guavas could be exposed to a plethora of bacteria, such as listeria, E. coli and salmonella, which can attach to the fruits from the wind, water and soil. While they may have a tough exterior to keep bacteria out, it can be penetrated and contaminated if the skin is broken. And for the case of the guava, you would eat it raw with the skin, so your chance of ingesting bacteria can be high.
5. It is not always available.
According to experts, many people eat sufficient amounts of fruits in their daily diets to reduce their risk of developing certain health conditions, with the help of their healthy contents. Unfortunately, fresh fruits, including guavas, are not always available in many places, and if they are, they would be expensive to buy. This is especially true for guavas, considering that they are only grown in tropical and sub-tropical regions, making them scarce in other parts of the world.
As with many other fruits, eating guava fruit in its natural form is very healthy, though it also comes with some risks. With these lists, you will be able to build a well-informed opinion whether the fruit is entirely good for you, or not.
Who should not eat guavas?
Studies have shown guava to be a nutritious fruit that can be safely eaten by most healthy adults. However, there are certain groups of people who should be careful about adding guavas or their products to their diet. These include:
Pregnant and breastfeeding women.
While guavas are mostly considered safe, the same can’t be said for the supplements containing guava leaf extract. Since these are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), expecting and breastfeeding mothers should first talk to their doctor before taking them.
People with skin conditions.
The chemicals in guava fruit and leaf can irritate the skin in some cases. This occurs mostly in people who already have some skin condition like eczema, so those with skin disorders should be careful or completely avoid eating guavas, as it can worsen their condition.
Pre-diabetic or diabetic patients.
Since guava leaves have the ability to decrease blood sugar, they can add to the effect of prescribed diabetes medications. Those with pre-diabetes or diabetes should be careful about taking their leaf extract, as it can cause their blood sugar levels to fall below the healthy range.
FAQs
Guava fruit including its leaves has medical properties that can benefit you with developing any side effects. However, it is better than you consume in moderation. Here are some frequently asked questions that will help you have an insight into the topic of guava fruits and their other health benefits.
1. Is guava fruit recommended for people with diabetes?
Most diabetics have been advised to eat apples, but guava can also be consumed as a snack for diabetics. It is rich in dietary fibres and can help ease constipation and help lower the risks of developing type 2 diabetes. It contains high levels of vitamin C that can be helpful for many health-related problems. Guava, the queen of fruits can be consumed once a day and this can be added to your fitness diet as a diabetic.
2. eating boiled eggs with guava fruit dangerous?
Guava is a healthy fruit that can be consumed, but it may be an allergy for some. Similarly, eggs may also be an allergy for some people. If you have read this article and that you would want to consume both boiled egg and guava together, then it is advised that you consult a doctor and seek medical advice on the same.
3. What is the difference between white guava and pink guava?
Logically speaking, both are the same, but what draws a distinctive line between the two is their colour and taste. Both breeds of guavas have similar benefits as the other. These two breeds are found in different countries of the world. Guava as fruit or its leaves has healing properties and the best part is that they do not have any side effects. While these fruits may seem allergic to some, there are others who may love eating them. However, the difference between the two is their colour and taste, but their healing properties remain the same.
4. What is the best time to eat guava?
Guava must be eaten at any time except on an empty stomach. This goes for bananas too. This is because, if your body needs to reap the benefits of these fruits, there must be some food in your stomach for it to digest and mix along with. Also, keep in mind that this must be consumed 30 minutes after you finish eating.
Guava fruit, as well as its leaves, have medicinal properties that can heal certain health problems. However, make sure that you do not consume it in excess. Just like the old-fashioned saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”, similarly guavas have better healing properties than an apple. But, if you’re allergic to guavas, then you need to consult a doctor and ask him/her for a solution.
5. Can guava spike my blood sugar?
While the fibre content and low glycemic index typically make guava safe for diabetics, if you consume too much guava too quickly you can spike your blood sugar. This is especially true if you consume a particularly sweet breed of guava. For most people, however, moderate consumption of guava is an exceptionally healthy dietary choice.
6. Can guava cause diarrhea?
Yes, when consumed in large amounts or if you already have a digestive issue then guava may contribute to diarrhoea. One factor that may contribute to this is that guava contains indigestible seeds, another factor is that it may possibly result in insufficient absorption of fructose.
7. Can guava be eaten raw?
Yes, guava is perfectly consumable raw and it is mostly consumed in this form. Make sure to check whether the guava you have purchased is ripe before you consume it.
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