Guava is known as the king of fruits because of its health benefits and delicious taste. It has been used in traditional medicine to promote health, cure several diseases, and maintain an overall sense of well-being. In this article, we’ll discuss the top 10 health benefits of guava fruit and leaves. We’ll also include many recipes that you can use to benefit from this fruit or leave in your daily diet.
10. Guava Improves Digestion
With high fiber content, guava fruit is an excellent source of fiber. Dietary fiber has been linked to improved digestion and helps maintain proper bowel movement. Fiber also slows down carbohydrate absorption in your gut, which regulates blood sugar levels.
This means a steady stream of energy throughout your day and prevents spikes in insulin that contribute to chronic disease. The soluble fiber found in these leaves may be especially good for your digestive system as it absorbs toxins and excess cholesterol in your intestines.
9. Fights Cancer
Research has shown that these leaves can be effective in fighting certain cancers including colon, prostate, breast, leukemia and cervical cancer. The benefits are attributed to polyphenols present in its leaves.
There are studies going on to determine what kind of anti-cancer effects it provides. Along with guava’s anti-cancer benefits, researchers believe it has antioxidant properties that help combat free radicals that damage cells causing cancer or other diseases.
8. Prevents Kidney Stones
Guava fruit contains a substance known as citric acid. It is said that citric acid can prevent or reduce kidney stones. When taken regularly, it inhibits stone formation by preventing excessive levels of calcium in urine from crystallizing into stones.
A glassful of guava juice with lime can provide adequate amount of citric acid for preventing kidney stones. The recommended daily intake for adults is one glass per day after every meal. Also, having plenty to eat more water-rich fruits daily helps flush out your kidneys and thereby prevents renal disorders.
Remember: always drink plenty of water along with any amount of juice. Water helps your body get rid of excess salt, which may lead to fluid retention problems due to accumulation in kidneys.
7. Protects From Oxidative Damage
One way guavas help fight oxidative damage is by protecting from oxidative damage. Oxidative damage comes from free radicals, unstable atoms that actively seek out other molecules in your body to attack them. When free radicals damage your cells, they can lead to chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease.
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The health benefits includes protection from free radical attacks by quenching their thirst for electrons, keeping your cells safe and healthy. A diet rich in fruits like guavas have been linked to a lower risk of many degenerative diseases including cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and more!
6. Reduces Risk Of Osteoporosis
While it’s true that calcium is necessary for strong bones, it’s also true that adequate amounts of vitamin D are needed to absorb calcium. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a number of bone diseases, including osteoporosis.
One 100-gram serving of guava leaves contains 1,220 IU vitamin D—far more than you would get from a glass milk or fortified orange juice (providing 400 IU). The recommended daily allowance for adults is 600 IU per day, so these leaves alone will provide almost 40 percent of your recommended daily value!
5. Reduces Risk Of Heart Diseases
Eating guava leaves reduces your risk of heart diseases, including stroke, hypertension and high cholesterol levels. The phytochemicals found in guava leaves are thought to stop harmful cholesterol from forming in arteries by blocking an enzyme known as HMG-CoA reductase that is responsible for producing cholesterol.
Further studies have also revealed that guavas can be used to treat chronic cough, bronchitis and asthma. It is rich in Vitamin C which helps boost immune system function. They also contain antioxidants such as lycopene, caffeic acid, quercetin chlorogenic acid which aid digestion and help fight off diseases associated with oxidative stress like cancer or cardiovascular diseases.
4. Boosts Immune System Functioning
The vitamin C, A, E, and K present in guava help to boost our immune system functioning. It protects us from severe diseases such as pneumonia. This also enhances our defense mechanism against harmful germs such as bacteria. It even boosts our level of antibodies that fight against diseases causing microorganisms like viruses. Consequently, our body is able to absorb less virus or any microorganism causing diseases within our body through contact or exposure.
Moreover, it maintains a protective layer by creating anti-allergic compounds that block microbial invasion. Furthermore, it prevents blood clotting which has effects on platelets so they will not adhere together thereby reducing chances for stroke while increasing hemoglobin level which benefits faster recovery when suffering from a disease because it prevents anemia symptoms caused by disease conditions.
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3. Has Anti-Inflammatory Properties
The effective, non-toxic, anti-inflammatory effect on mammals is due to certain phenolic components present in guava leaves. These include rosmarinic acid, flavonoids and anthocyanins. A study on rats showed that extracts from guava leaves were as effective as ibuprofen at reducing inflammation in joints.
This powerful effect can be further boosted by consuming whole guavas or even drinking its juice. The best way to incorporate guavas into your diet is fresh rather than juiced or cooked; heat will destroy many of their beneficial antioxidants. Try them raw in salads or desserts for best results!
2. Helps Control Diabetes
Study has found that guava leaves have anti–diabetic properties, making it a good natural remedy for type 2 diabetes. The leaves also contain soluble fiber which is known to lower glucose levels in blood. The soluble fiber lowers glucose levels in two ways: by slowing down its absorption from food in gut into bloodstream and by increasing metabolism of glucose (its conversion into glycogen) in liver.
All these processes improve overall blood sugar control, preventing rapid rises and falls that can lead to episodes of hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia. In short, guava leaves may help you to prevent further complications due to diabetes by keeping your blood sugar under control while providing other health benefits as well!
1. Controls Blood Pressure
In addition to fighting cancer, guava fruit helps your body reduce its blood pressure. A study published in Clinical Nutrition found that participants who were given 30 grams (approximately one ounce) of dried guava extract every day showed a slight decrease in their blood pressure levels.
Participants’ systolic blood pressure was reduced by an average of four points and their diastolic blood pressure was reduced by two points on average. Eat some fresh guava or drink a glass of fresh-squeezed juice to reap these benefits! Be sure to check out more great benefits you can receive from guavas here.
Guava Side Effects
As with any food or drink, guavas do have a few side effects. Among them are mild diarrhea, indigestion, abdominal cramps, flatulence and some skin irritation. Allergic reactions to guavas include hives, swelling of the lips or tongue and difficulty breathing.
In most cases, these side effects only last for several minutes or hours after consuming guavas; if they don’t go away on their own, you should contact your doctor right away to rule out other possible health issues. Pregnant women should also avoid eating guavas because they may cause uterine contractions.
If you’re breastfeeding, it’s also best to avoid eating too many guavas because they can pass through breast milk and make babies sick. Finally, since fruit flies love guavas so much, there is a possibility that insects will infest your fruit bowl after it sits out for too long. To prevent that from happening, keep your bowl covered when not in use.
Conclusion
The guava fruit is one of those super fruits that we all need to add to our diet. Not only is it delicious, but it also has many health benefits. Because they’re so packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and other nutrients you need to stay healthy. So give them a try! They are so tasty, how can you say no?
