The guava is a highly scented tropical fruit exceptionally high in Vitamin C and rich in other beneficial nutrients and phytochemicals, and boasts many health benefits for the heart, digestive system and immune system.

The guava belongs to the myrtle family, which includes spices such as clove, cinnamon, allspice and eucalyptus. Guava comes in a range of shapes and sizes, and is for the most part, sweet and fragrant. The inside flesh is juicy and ranges in color from white to yellow to pink and red. Depending on the variety, the center may be filled with hard yellow seeds or no seeds at all, which are also edible.

Pound for pound, guava is higher in Vitamin C than citrus and contains good amounts of Vitamin A as well. Guava fruits are also a good source of pectin, a dietary fiber, and rich in potassium and phosphorus. Guava contains an amazing amount of phytochemicals including tannins, phenols, triterpenes, flavonoids, essential oils, saponins, carotenoids, and lectins. The antioxidant properties of the skin of the fruit are ten times higher than that of the pulp. The leaves of guava are also rich in flavonoids, in particular quercetin, which has demonstrated antibacterial activity and is thought to contribute to the antidiarrheal effect of guava.

Guava and guava leaves are rich in astringents (substances that constrict or tighten body tissues), and these are beneficial for gum health and have antimicrobial properties that improve bowel, digestive and intestinal health. Guava is also used to control blood pressure naturally.

Studies on the health Benefits of Guava

Diarrhea Essential oil guava leaf extracts have been tested and shown to inhibit the diarrhea causing bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli.

diabetes Diabetic mice who received guava juice for four weeks experienced a reduction in glucose of nearly twenty-five percent as compared with the diabetic control group. Guava leaf has also been used successfully in experiments for controlling blood glucose.

heart health Participants who consumed guava experienced a reduction of total cholesterol, triglycerides and improved blood pressure.

antibacterial Guava leaves have antibacterial properties and have been shown to have a highly lethal effect on salmonella and other harmful bacteria.

Guava Juice

To make a delicious and detoxifying guava juice drink, blend together a ripe guava with one orange and two green apples.

References

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• Abdelrahim, S. I., et al. Antimicrobial activity of Psidium guajava L. Fitoterapia 2002; 73(7-8): 713-5. Morales, M. A., et al. Calcium-antagonist effect of quercetin and its relation with the spasmolytic properties of Psidium guajava L. Arch. Med. Res. 1994; 25(1): 17-21.

• Lozoya, X., et al. Quercetin glycosides in Psidium guajava L. leaves and determination of a spasmolytic principle. Arch. Med. Res. 1994; 25(1): 11-5.

• Lozoya, X., et al. Intestinal anti-spasmodic effect of a phytodrug of Psidium guajava folia in the treatment of acute diarrheic disease. J. Ethnopharmacol. 2002; 83(1-2): 19-24.

• Wei, L., et al. Clinical study on treatment of infantile rotaviral enteritis with Psidium guajava L. Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi 2000; 20(12): 893-5.

• Lutterodt, G. D. Inhibition of gastrointestinal release of acetylcholine by quercetin as a possible mode of action of Psidium guajava leaf extracts in the treatment of acute diarrhoeal disease. J. Ethnopharmcol. 1989; 25(3): 235-47.

• Oh WK et al. Antidiabetic effects of extracts from Psidium guajava. J Ethnopharmacol. 2005 Jan 15;96(3):411-5.

• Cheng, J. T., et al. Hypoglycemic effect of guava juice in mice and human subjects. Am. J. Clin. Med. 1983; 11(1-4): 74-6.

• Yamashiro, S., et al. Cardioprotective effects of extracts from Psidium guajava L. and Limonium wrigth II, Okinawan medicinal plants, against ischemia-reperfusion injury in perfused rat hearts. Pharmacology 2003; 67(3): 128-35.

• Singh, R. B., et al. Effects of guava intake on serum total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and on systemic blood pressure. Am. J. Cardiol. 1992; 70(15): 1287-91.

• Singh, R. B., et al. Can guava fruit intake decrease blood pressure and blood lipids? J. Hum Hypertens.1993; 7(1): 33-8.

• Arima, H., et al. Isolation of antimicrobial compounds from guava (Psidium guajava L.) and their structural elucidation. Biosci. Biotechnol. Biochem. 2002; 66(8): 1727-30.

• Hoque M, et al. Antibacterial activity of guava (Psidium guajava L.) and Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) extracts against foodborne pathogens and spoilage bacteria. Foodborne Pathogens and disease 4(4): 481488.