14 Health Benefits Of Guava - A Super Fruit

Winter has set in and it’s the season for some delicious guavas. There are various species of guavas which differ in terms of fragrance, taste and appearance. Generally it has a strong, sweet and pungent fragrance. It is widely available in India. In fact, it is quite cheap so everyone can afford it.

Besides its unique flavour and fragrance, guava is one of the super fruits because of its numerous health promoting qualities. This humble fruit is known for its medicinal properties, thanks to the sugars, vitamins and minerals present in it. 

In addition, 1 cup of the stuff provides 688 milligrams of potassium, which is 63 percent more than you'll find in a medium banana. And guava may be the ultimate high-fiber food: There's almost 9 grams of fiber in every cup.

Guavas are a very common type of fruit but are often neglected because of their hardness & presence of seeds. But it is what I call as super food! It contains goodness that will make you definitely want to eat this fruit but we are not talking about having sugar rich guava jams or jellies. For getting these super benefits of guava, you need to grab a fresh one and bite on it.

Take a look at Guava health benefits!

1.Eyesight: 

Guavas are extremely good sources of vitamin-A, which is well known as a booster for vision health.  It can not only prevent degradation of eyesight, but even an improvement in eyesight once it has begun to degrade.Vit A or retinol is responsible for good eye sight. Guava is rich in retinol, so if you don’t like carrots, you can try a guava for improving your eyesight.

2.Cancer Prevention: 

One of the most celebrated and important benefits of adding guava to your diet is its ability to inhibit the growth and metastasis of cancerous cells. There have been numerous studies done in recent years on guava’s effects primarily on prostate cancer, breast cancer, and oral cancers. Guavas are also rich in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that has been shown to be wildly successful in reducing prostate cancer risk. That same antioxidant has also shown to inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells.

3.Diarrhea & Dysentery: 

Guava is very rich in astringents and the astringent qualities add substance to loose bowels and reduce symptoms of diarrhea. These astringents are alkaline in nature and have disinfectant and anti-bacterial properties, thus helping to cure dysentery by inhibiting microbial growth and removing extra mucus from the intestines.

4.Constipation: 

Guava is one of the richest sources of dietary fiber in terms of fruit. Its seeds, if ingested whole or chewed, serve as excellent laxatives. These two properties of guava help the formation of healthy bowel movements, and aid the body in retaining water and thoroughly cleaning your intestines and excretory system. It is said that constipation alone can lead to 72 different types of ailments, so any help with constipation is beneficial. 

5.Cough & Cold: 

Juice of raw and immature guavas or a decoction of guava-leaves is very helpful in relieving coughs and colds by reducing mucus, disinfecting the respiratory tract, throat and lungs, and inhibiting microbial activity with its astringent properties. Guava has one of the highest quantities of vitamin-C and iron among fruits, and both are proven to be preventive against colds and viral infections. 

In some areas of India, roasted ripe guava is used as a remedy against extreme cases of cough, cold, and congestion.

6.Lesser Diabetes Risk:

Guavas are rich in fibres.Fibre is important for lowering blood sugar levels.  

7.Folate Content:

Guavas contain a mineral known as folate. It helps promote fertility in humans.

8.Regulation Of Blood Pressure Levels:

Potassium in guavas helps normalise blood pressure levels. A banana and a guava contains almost the same amount of potassium.

9.Rich In Vit C:

Guava contains Vit C and it helps protect cells and lower cancerous damage to them.

10.Copper Enriched:

Guavas contain the trace element copper which is very good in maintaining good functioning of the thyroid gland. Improper functioning of thyroid gland can cause a lot of health problems.

11.Manganese Richness:

Guavas are rich in manganese which helps the body to absorb other key nutrients from the food that we eat. When our food gets properly utilised, we get all the key nutrients like biotin, vitamins, etc.

12.Nervous Relaxant:

Guava is rich in magnesium which acts as a nervous relaxant. It helps to relax muscles and nerves of the body. So after a hard work out, a guava is certainly what you need to relax your muscles and give your system a nice energy boost.

13.Healthy Mind:

It helps to keep your brain functions positive by maintaining good blood flow and also by infusing it with Vit B3 and Vit B6. Vit B6 is pyridoxine which is good for nerves. It keeps your nerves relaxed.

14.Good For Pregnant Mothers:

Guavas contain Folic acid, or Vitamin B-9, which is recommended for pregnant mothers since it can help in developing the baby’s nervous system and protect the newborn from neurological disorders.

Note: Ripe guava should be avoided by people who are suffering from cough and cold, as it can exacerbate the problem, and one should also avoid drinking water immediately after eating guava as it can lead to a soar throat.

All of these qualities make guava a super-fruit which you should certainly enjoy this winter season!

Stay Healthy.