Guava

Guava is another tropical fruit rich in high-profile nutrients. With its unique flavor, taste, and health-promoting qualities, the fruit easily fits in the new functional foods category, often called asuper-fruits.a.

It is an evergreen, tropical shrub or low-growing small tree probably originated in the central americas. Guavas actually thrive in both humid and dry climates and can tolerate brief periods of cold spells, but can survive only a few degrees of frost. Adaptability makes it a favorite commercial crop in some tropical areas.a botanically, this wonderful fruit belongs within the family of myrtaceae, in the genus: psidium.

During each season, the guava tree bears numerous round, ovoid or pear-shaped fruits that are about 5-10 cm long and weigh around 50a200 g. Different cultivar types of guava grown all over the world which, vary widely in flavor, pulp color, and seeds. The fruit is soft when ripe with sweet musky aroma and creamy in texture. Internally, its flesh varies in color depending up on the cultivar and may be white, pink, yellow, or red. Ripe fruits have rich flavor with sweet-tart taste. Each fruit contains numerous tiny, semi-hard edible seeds, concentrated especially at its center.

As shown by many research studies, almost all of the parts of this plant have medicinal qualities and value, and thus, making it as one of the most popular therapeutic plants in the philippines. Psidium guajava is a small tree that can grow up to 3 meters tall with greenish-brownish smooth bark. The round globular psidium guajava fruit starts as a flower and is usually harvested and eaten while still green.

The fruit turns yellowish-green and soft when ripe. The psidium guajava fruit bark and leaves are used as herbal medicine. Its leaves decoction is recognized for its effectiveness to cure several ailments, including the treatment of uterine hemorrhage, swollenness of the legs and other parts of the body, of chronic diarrhea, and gastroenteritis, among others.

The most common use of the leaves is for cleaning and disinfecting wounds by rinsing the afflicted area with a decoction of the leaves. In the same way, such leaves are being used to aid in the treatment of dysentery and the inflammation of the kidneys. The bark and leaves can be used as astringent.

It can also be used as a wash for uterine and vaginal problems, and is good for ulcers.

The medicinal uses of psidium guajava appear infinite, as it is also a suggested natural cure for fevers, diabetes, epilepsy, worms, and spasms. The fruit, aside from being delicious, contains nutritional values with a very high concentration of vitamin a and vitamin c.

Guava is low in calories and fats but contain several vital vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant poly-phenolic and flavonoid compounds that play a pivotal role in prevention of cancers, anti-aging, etc.

The fruit is very rich source of soluble dietary fiber (5.4 g per 100 g of fruit, about 14% of dra), which makes it a good bulk laxative. The fiber content helps protect the colon mucous membrane by decreasing exposure time to toxins as well as binding to cancer-causing chemicals in the colon.

Guava-fruit is an excellent source of antioxidant vitamin-c. 100 g fresh fruit provides 228 mg of this vitamin, more than three times the dri (daily-recommended intake). The flesh just underneath its outer thick rind contains exceptionally higher levels of vitamin c than its inner creamy pulp.

Scientific studies shown that regular consumption of fruits rich in vitamin c helps human body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge cancer causing harmful free radicals from the body. Further, it is required for collagen synthesis within the body. Collagen is the main structural protein in the human body required for maintaining integrity of blood vessels, skin, organs, and bones.

The fruit is a very good source of vitamin-a, and flavonoids like beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein and cryptoxanthin. The compounds are known to have antioxidant properties and therefore essential for optimum health. Further, vitamin-a is also required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural fruits rich in carotene is known to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.

100 g of pink guava fruit provides 5204 ag of lycopene, nearly twice the amount than in tomatoes. (100 g tomato contains 2573 ag of lycopene). Studies suggest that lycopene in pink guavas prevents skin damage from uv rays and offers protection from prostate cancer.

Fresh fruit is a very rich source of potassium. It contains more potassium than other fruits like banana weight per weight. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure.

Further, the fruit is also a moderate source of b-complex vitamins such as pantothenic acid, niacin, vitamin-b6 (pyridoxine), vitamin e and k, as well as minerals like magnesium, copper, and manganese. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Copper is required for the production of red blood cells.

Antiseptic, astringent & anthelminthic .

Kills bacteria, fungi and ameba.

Used to treat diarrhea, nosebleeding.

For hypertension, diabetes and asthma.

Promotes menstruation