Health Benefits of Guava, Benefits of Guavas, How are Guavas Helpful to Health?

Guavas are another tropical fruit very rich in nutrition. In Europe and America when we say “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” , it must be “A few guavas in the season keeps the doctor away for the whole year” in the Indian Subcontinent and places where guavas grow. The scientific name of this fruit is Psidium Guava.

Nutritional Facts of Guavas

• Fresh guava-fruit is an excellent source of antioxidant vitamin-C. Infact they have a much higher Vitamin C content than oranges.
• Guavas are also a rich source of potassium, much more than even bananas.
• Guavas are rich in dietary fiber, vitamins A and folic acid.
• They are also rich in dietary minerals, potassium, copper and manganese.

Guavas

How are Guavas Helpful to Health? Health Benefits of Guava

• Diarrhea & Dysentery: Guava is very rich in astringents which binds up loose bowels in diarrhea. These astringents are alkaline in nature and have anti-bacterial and disinfectant properties, which help cure dysentery by preventing microbial growth and removing extra mucus from the intestines.
• Constipation: As guava is one of the riches sources of dietary fiber, the seed of this fruit when ingested whole or chewed, serve as excellent laxatives. These two properties of guava help in curing constipation. 
• Cough and Cold: Guava is one of richest in vitamin-C and iron which are proven to be preventive against cold and viral infections. 
• Skin Care: Guavas can help improve your skin texture due to the abundance of astringents in its fruits and in leaves.
• High Blood Pressure: Guava helps reduce cholesterol in blood and prevents it from thickening, thereby maintaining fluidity of blood and reducing blood pressure. A medium guava (165 gm) provides you with 20 percent of the recommended daily value for potassium. Studies have shown that people who consume more potassium have lower blood pressures than those who consume less. 
• Weight Loss: Guava is very helpful for those who want to lose weight. Guava, being very high in roughage and very rich in vitamins, proteins and minerals, but with no cholesterol and less digestible carbohydrates, is very filling and satisfies appetite very easily. 
• Weight Gain: This might sound weird but just as it helps in losing weight, guava also helps in gaining weight in lean and thin people. This is probably due to its richness in nutrients, which keeps your metabolism right helping proper absorption of nutrients.
• Scurvy: Guava is much more beneficial than other vitamin c rich fruits including orange when it comes to concentration of vitamin-C. Deficiency in vitamin C causes scurv. Hence guavas can cure survy as it contains five times the vitamin-C in oranges.
• Cancer Prevention: Guava is an excellent source of the cancer-fighting antioxidant, lycopene. Lycopene in guava is more easily absorbed by our body. Lycopene consumption is associated with significantly lower rates of prostate cancer, and it has also been found to inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells.  
• Teeth Problems: The juice of the leaves cures toothache, swollen gums & oral ulcers
• Diabetes: According to a study, both the guava fruit and its leaves can help diabetic patients by lowering their blood glucose levels. However, if consumed along with its skin, it can be bad for your blood sugar.

How to prepare Guava tea for dysentery?

Wash guava leaves, put it in a pan filled with water and heat it. Let the leaves boil in water. Do not add sugar. Now strain the liquid, cool it and drink this a number of times during the day. You will be cured of diarrhea.

Guava juice or roasted guava for cough

Juice of raw guavas or decoction of guava-leaves is very helpful in giving relief in cough and cold. Having guava juice or guava decoction helps in loosening cough, reducing mucus, disinfecting the respiratory tract, throat and lungs.  In some areas in India, roasted ripe guava is used as a cure against extreme cases of cough and cold and congestion.

Skin Care using Guava Leaves

For skin care you can see the desired results either by eating the fruits or by washing your skin with the decoction of its immature fruits and leaves. It will tone up and tighten the loosened skin. In addition, guavas are very-very rich in vitamin-A, B, C and potassium which are very good anti oxidants and detoxifiers and keep your skin glowing and free from wrinkles and other skin disorders.