Written by Guava is one of the super tropical fruits that provide high nutritional value for your health. The sweetness and softness of the guava pulp also makes it easy to fall in love with this fruit. In addition, guava is a better choice throughout the season because it uses fewer chemicals than other nutrient-dense fruits like apples and grapes. Without much ado, let’s explore the shocking health benefits of guava.
Nutritional Value of guava
Although this tropical fruit is not always sweet, it always has a long list of nutrients that your body can absorb depending on how ripe it is because it contains amazing ingredients such as:
Vitamin A
You can find vitamin A in guava to protect your eyesight. Not only is it good for your eyesight, but vitamin A is also good for your bones and white blood cells. Just one cup of guava provides your body with 1030 IU of vitamin A.
Vitamin C
Raw guavas are usually sour, but that’s why they’re loaded with vitamin C, with 377 mg per cup. Vitamin C itself is very important for your body because it facilitates the absorption of iron and can also prevent cancer because it is an antioxidant. As an antioxidant, vitamin C fights free radicals and protects the body’s cells from environmental damage.
Carbohydrates
Guavas are high in carbohydrates and fibre. Although it may not be good to eat carbohydrates in large quantities, fibre helps support the digestive system by being less digestible and controlling appetite. It can help if you follow a diet. The amount of fibre is about 20% of the recommended daily intake. However, the carbohydrates are much higher at 24 grams per serving. cup, while there are about 8 grams of fibre. But this tropical fruit is a great opportunity to replenish your body with important calories.
B Complex vitamins
B vitamins play an important role in energy production by helping your body’s cells carry out chemical reactions. Niacin, a B complex vitamin in guava, supports a healthy nervous system. This type of B complex is about 1.8 mg per cup. Great for balancing hormones in the body, 744 micrograms of B-5 is another B complex found in guava. Another B complex is vitamin B-6, of which your body can get 182 micrograms. Red blood cells are produced with the help of this vitamin.
Minerals
Although guava has a complete nutritional package, as it contains vitamin C, it helps your body better absorb iron. So you don’t have to eat two different fruits, just eat a cup of guava to get vitamin C, iron, and minerals. Along with iron, calcium, which is important for bone health, is another mineral you can find in guava. Other minerals that can be found in guava include potassium, manganese, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, and selenium.
Shocking Health benefits of guava
The health benefits of guava are numerous. They include;
- Treatment of diarrhoea
Guava’s anti-diarrheal benefits have been proven worldwide. This condition can be treated with astringents that can be found in the high guava mountains. Additionally, astringents can keep your gums and mouth fresh and firm. After chewing guava or guava leaves, you will feel refreshed. Astringents have antibacterial properties that can help maintain oral health. These properties also effectively inhibit the growth of dysentery-causing microorganisms. Guava can complement the treatment of diarrhoea, as potassium, vitamin V and carotenoids strengthen the digestive system.
- Losing weight
The excellent health benefits of guava can help you lose weight and prevent obesity. Guava is cholesterol-free, low in digestible carbohydrates, and rich in fibre, minerals, and vitamins, making it a healthy diet snack. Eating guava will provide your body with essential nutrients without adding too many carbohydrates while keeping your stomach full.
To make this fruit healthier, choose raw guava, which has less sugar than other superfruits like apples, grapes, and even oranges. You can take it between meals to maintain energy before lunch or dinner. Unfortunately, guava can not only help you lose weight, but also gain weight, especially for thin people, because its rich nutrient profile can help the body absorb nutrients better, speeding up the metabolism.
- Cancer prevention
Guava is good for cancer prevention because it is rich in lycopene and vitamin C. According to some studies, lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that effectively reduces the risk of prostate cancer due to its anti-cancer properties. Guava is very rich in vitamin C, even richer than oranges, which have long been known as vitamin C powerhouse. This vitamin also acts as an antioxidant that helps strengthen the immune system to better protect against free radicals.
Cancer is often caused by free radicals, so protecting yourself from free radicals means reducing your risk of cancer. More than just the fruit, guava leaves can also reduce the growth of cancer cells. Some studies show that the leaves are more effective than the drugs used in modern cancer treatments. Guava fibre is also useful for colon detoxification, health maintenance and colon cancer prevention.
- Diabetes control
Guava is rich in fibre which is good for treating diabetes. Fibre can help regulate blood sugar levels by reducing the absorption of sugar in the body. In addition, this fruit has a low glycaemic index, so it is perfect for preventing blood sugar from rising. The vitamin C content in guava can also control diabetes as it keeps the body flushed regularly. Diabetics are mostly overweight and eating guava can help them lose weight without increasing fat and calories.
- Get rid of cough and cold
Guava is a natural remedy for coughs and colds. Guava’s astringent properties can relieve coughs, reduce phlegm, and protect against cough and cold-causing bacteria. Because vitamin C is effective in preventing viral infections, it is also important for relieving coughs and colds. For cough and cold, it is not advisable to eat boiled guava, but raw guava. Blending raw guava and allowing the guava to juice can be effective in reducing symptoms.
- Treating constipation
Both guava pulp and seeds can treat constipation because the pulp contains fibre. This combination provides healthy stools while cleansing the excretory system and intestines. Your digestive system primarily controls the health of your body, which is why constipation is believed to cause about 72 other diseases.
By maintaining normal digestion, you can prevent the outbreak of other diseases. Consuming guava can keep your digestive system healthy without much effort. You don’t need to remove the seeds, just eat them with the pulp and get the digestive benefits.
- Regulate blood pressure
Cholesterol-free and high in fibre, guava is an excellent fruit that can be used to regulate high blood pressure (READ: ways to naturally lower blood pressure). Fibre plays an important role in lowering blood pressure because it is quickly converted to sugar. A steady heartbeat also affects normal blood circulation in the body, which can be helped by using guava potassium. It is supported by vitamin C, which maintains blood vessel health, which in turn regulates blood pressure well.
- Improves the immune system
Vitamin C is vital for improving the immune system. The vitamin C content of guavas is four times higher than that of oranges. Therefore, eating a medium-sized guava a day can double your daily recommended amount of vitamin C.
Your body needs vitamin C because it protects against infections. Eating guava every day restores the flow of vitamin C, so it’s easy and natural.
- Support for heart health
Heart disease is closely related to high blood pressure or hypertension. Heart disease can also be prevented if blood pressure is well regulated. The potassium content helps maintain normal blood pressure while increasing the level of good cholesterol in the body.
- Increase brain health
As mentioned, guava contains the vitamins niacin and vitamin B6, and this fruit is great for supporting brain health. The brain needs B6 to improve its function. These vitamins maintain proper blood circulation in the brain, which relaxes the nerves and improves concentration.
- Nervous system relaxation
If you are tired from hard work at the office, drinking a glass of guava juice is a great way to relax your muscles and nerves. The high magnesium content in guava can calm your nerves and relax your mind and body. It can help you boost your energy after feeling tired.
- Improve nutrient absorption
It is very important to get all the good nutrition from the food you eat, because the purpose of eating is not only to keep your stomach full, but to also give your body enough nutrients to keep all your organs and cells functioning. The mineral magnesium helps the body absorb nutrients better and keep it healthy.
Conclusion
Guavas contain a long list of nutrients, including antioxidants. This is why the health benefits of guava are numerous.
