Health Benefits of Guava

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Guava is a tropical fruit. The guava is said to have originated in Central America and Mexico. Spanish and Portuguese explorers brought the guava to the East Indies and it shortly became a popular crop in Asia. These days the guava is a common fruit all over tropical America, Asia and in the warmer parts of Africa, and is one of the biggest fruit crops in Mexico.

The guava shape is quite similar to pear and the skin color is green but turns to yellow when it becomes overripe. The skin is can consume along with the fruit without peeled. Inside the skin there is flesh that is either white or reddish in color. Usually you can see a lot of small hard seeds enveloping the soft pulp of the fruit. Keep on reading to know about the health benefits of eating guavas.


- Guava Nutritional Value

Basically, apart from iron and folic acid, amount of nutrients present in 1 cup (165 gram) of guava is given below:

Vitamin A - 412 IU
Vitamin B - 1.15 mg
Vitamin C - 498 mg
Calcium - 50 mg
Calories - 84
Carbohydrates - 19.6 gm
Fiber - 8.9 gm
Niacin - 2 mg
Phosphorus - 48 mg
Protein - 1.35 gm
Total Fat - 0.9 gm


- Antioxidants

The skin and the pulp of the guava are an amazing source of natural antioxidants. The antioxidant properties contained in the skin are 10 times higher than in the pulp. Guava leaf extracts also have been revealed to contain high levels of antioxidants, and has been initiate to enhance male fertility in a study.


- Skin Care

Guava can improve the health and texture of the skin. It is a good source of vitamin A, B, C and the mineral potassium that maintain the skin fresh, glowing and wrinkle-free.
The fruit is also a superb source of astringents, especially unripe guava and leaves. Astringents help shrinking skin tissues, tightening loosened skin and dissolve the oil in the skin.


- Anti Inflammatory

Preliminary studies of guava leaf extract on the anti inflammatory properties indicated that the extract is mixed up with the inhibition of inflammatory agents. It is speculated that the chemical compounds in the plant of the leaf extract are responsible for the anti inflammatory effects.


- Antibacterial

The astringents in guava also help removing bacterial infections. Astringents are powerful fighters against bacteria because they are alkaline in nature. Besides, the astringents in guava consist of disinfectant properties, which help fighting against dysentery and diarrhea.


- Cancer Prevention

Guava is a very good source of a carotene called lycopene that helps preventing cancer. There is a study carried out by Harvard University researchers of a group of 48 000 persons, those who had lycopene into their diets had a 45 percent lower risk of developing prostate cancer than those who did not.


- Healthy Colon

Guava is a very good source of fiber. It has an estimated 9 grams of fiber per cup and as a result it cleaning out the intestine, supporting in digestion and reducing the risk of developing colon cancer.


- Lowering Cholesterol and Blood Pressure

Fiber inside the guava also helps in lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. It assists to reduce cholesterol in the blood while increasing lipoprotein, good cholesterol. By lowering cholesterol in the blood sequentially reduces blood pressure.


- Teeth

Compounds present in guavas inhibit the growth of Streptococcus mutants, which is measured to be a pathogen for dental caries.


The guava is a super nutritious fruit that not only supplies a lot of health benefits to those who consume it, but also is a light fruit you can bring around as a healthy snack.