Guava is the summer superfruit that you should be loading up on right now. Native to Central America, guavas are now available in most tropical countries, ours included. Popularly known as ‘amrood’, guavas are squashed into natural fruit juices, boiled, diced and used in fruit salads, or even just eaten in their natural state. Putting aside it’s heavenly smell, guavas are a rich source of vitamins and minerals, not to mention fiber—and should definitely be in your fruit bowl this summer. Here’s why.
Guavas have a moderate supply of Vitamin A, albeit not as much as carrots. Despite that, they still give you enough to keep your eyes nice and healthy, and your vision as crystal clear as your genetics will allow. It also goes a long way in preventing night blindness.
Your grandmother probably already told you this but guavas are great for clearing out the digestive system. That’s because one guava contains 12 percentage of your daily recommended fiber intake. This not only helps relieve blockage in your intestines that might contribute to constipation, but it’s also known to mitigate the duration and intensity of diarrhea.
They are also a rich source of folic acid and Vitamin B9, making them valuable for Pregnant Women. Folic acid is recommended for expecting mothers, because it helps decrease the chance of neurological deficits, such as spina bifida. Let’s not forget the magnesium present in guavas. It is known to soothe your nerves and help you destress. Guava is also a great source of Vitamins B3 and B6. These are referred to as Niacin and Pyridoxine, and both foster healthy brain function and facilitate strong blood supply, keeping your most important organ at a peak performance.
The effects on guava extract and guava leaf extract require further investigation, but pre-existing studies have shown them to have magical properties already. We already knew that guavas were loaded with anti-oxidants, and these anti-oxidants help prevent the growth of cancer cells by inhibiting free radicals. But what’s new to the scientific community is that, according to a study in Cancer Lett, guava leaf extract has been proven to be four times more effective at battling cancer than mainstream anti-cancer drugs. Go figure.
Guavas have been used at home as a remedy for toothaches and that’s because of the strong anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory qualities that they possess.
This small, pink superfruit does more favors to your heart than we can count. To begin with, the anti-oxidant nature knocks out the dangerous free radicals, but beyond that, high supply of potassium helps maintain an adequate blood pressure mechanism. This conclusion, propounded by the Journal of Human hypertension, means that eating guavas with regularity can be a huge factor in stabilizing your BP and keeping it within a safe range. Your heart is further protected, because regular consumption is known to bring down your LDL (the bad kind of cholesterol) and raise Levels of HDL (the good cholesterol).
Guava extract is also believed to have a spasmolytic effect on the uterus during menstrual cramps. What this simply means is that it can be taken as an adjunct to pain killers, or even in lieu of, to help manage the discomfort.