Have not all of us enjoyed a plateful of guavas sprinkled with chaat masala atop? Nothing else can match up to the luscious jams, jellies and murabbas laced with an intoxicating strong-sweet fragrance. Undeniably, it is one fruit which always got enough lauding from our grandmothers. Guava, popularly known as amrood in Hindi, comes loaded with tiny hard seeds at the center. It is believed to have its genesis in Central America where it is alternatively known as "sand plum". It is round or oval in shape with light green or light yellow skin, and the colour of its flesh varies from white or pink to dark red and has edible seeds.
Besides its unique flavour and fragrance, guava has been hailed as one of the super fruits due to the numerous health benefits it offers. It indeed is a powerhouse of nutrients. “This humble fruit is extraordinarily rich in vitamin C, lycopene and antioxidants that are beneficial for skin. Guavas are also rich in manganese which helps the body to absorb other key nutrients from the food that we eat. Guavas contain folate, a mineral which helps promote fertility. The potassium in guavas helps normalise blood pressure levels as well. In fact, a banana and a guava contain almost the same amount of potassium. Since it contains about 80% of water it helps keep your skin hydrated”, says Dr. Manoj K. Ahuja, Sukhda Hospital.
Here are 31 mind-blowing guava benefits for health and skin you need to know.
1. Rich In Vitamin C
Guava contains Vitamin C and it helps protect cells and lower cancerous damage to them.
2. Lesser Diabetes Risk And Cleaned System
Fiber is important for lowering blood sugar levels. At the same time, it is good for cleansing the digestive system and maintaining free bowel movement. Guavas are rich in fibers. The more your system stays clean, the happier you will be from inside.
3. Eye Health Improvement
Vitamin A or retinol is responsible for good eyesight. Guava is rich in retinol, so if you don’t like carrots, you can try a guava for improving your eyesight.
4. Folate Content
Guavas contain a mineral known as folate. It helps promote fertility in humans.
5. Regulation Of Blood Pressure Levels
Potassium in guavas helps normalize blood pressure levels. A banana and a guava contain almost the same amount of potassium.
6. Trace Element Copper Enriched
Guavas contain the trace element copper which is very good in maintaining good functioning of the thyroid gland. The improper functioning of the thyroid gland can cause a lot of health problems.
7. 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 utilized, we get all the key nutrients like biotin, vitamins, etc.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. Slows Down Sugar Absorption
Guava can aid weight loss as it effectively prevents or slows down the absorption of sugar in the blood. As you know, sugar is a big problem when you are trying to lose weight. It is this ability that makes this fruit great for diabetics (1).
11. Rich In Potassium
Guava is high in potassium content. It is important to up your potassium intake when you are trying to lose weight as it helps in increasing muscle mass and burning more fat. One guava contains 688 mg of this mineral; that is 63% more than what you get from a banana!
12. Rich In Fiber
As you know, fiber plays a very important role in weight loss (2). One guava contains 9 grams of fiber. This nutrient keeps you feeling full for longer, promotes better digestion of food, prevents constipation and also helps in reducing the amount of saturated fat that is absorbed by your body.
13. Cholesterol-Free And Low In Carbs
Another reason that guava is such a great weight loss food is because it is free of cholesterol and very low in digestible carbohydrates (3). It is one of the best fruits to add to your diet when you want it to be low in carbs. Being cholesterol-free, it protects you from many diseases, including heart disease.
14. Cleanses The Body
With its richness in fiber, guava is an excellent natural body cleanser. This is great when you are trying to shed those unwanted pounds. It helps in flushing toxins out of your body as well as eliminating waste properly. This, in turn, helps you burn more fat.
15. Antibacterial Agent
Guava Juice acts as an antibacterial agent. Guava has a capacity to shrink and contract any open tissues in your body. This has anti-bacterial properties that can flush out the harmful toxins and bacteria from your body.
16. Stomach Problem
Guava Juice is a best way to treat constipation and diarrhea. As per the above mentioned point, guava can shrink and contract any open tissues in the body. This helps to shrink the canals of the active intestine and stabilizes it. Constipation can be cured by the consumption of guava juice, as it is filled with fiber. This is useful to excrete impacted feces. Consume guava juice before the breakfast for best results.
17. Cancer
Guava juice can be a useful remedy to decrease the cancer cell development. One of the most vital nutrients is found in guava, known as Lycopene. This is a powerful antioxidant, which helps your body to get rid of the harmful free radicals that lead to cancer.
18. Flu
Guava juice is proven to be a good remedy to cure Flu. Frequent weather condition change, low immunity can cause air-borne diseases like flu. Flu cases always rise during the rainy season. Flu can easily be cured by your own body’s immune system. Vitamin C is the most essential nutrient that can fight off flu-causing viruses and boost the immune system. Guava juice is the best way to get vitamin C from the natural source.
19. Scurvy
Scurvy is caused due to deficiency of vitamin C. this can be easily cured by drinking guava juice. Guava juice contains high amounts of vitamin C.
20. Dengue Fever
Guava juice is an effective remedy to treat dengue fever. It is recommended to drink the guava juice at least three times in a day for effective results.
21. Toothache
Guava fruit juice is an astringent that can give you instant relief from toothache and mouth and gum sores.
22. Improves Circulation
Guava can improve brain function because it improves circulation in your body. Because it contains high levels of potassium, it helps in regulating blood pressure. It has been reported that this mineral can help in reversing the effects of excessive sodium in the body.
Benefits Of Guava For Skin
Guava has an important role to play in skincare since it is abound in vitamin C, antioxidants and carotene, all of which are beneficial for your skin. Thus, guava pulp is often used in the manufacture of cosmetic care lotions for the face and body. The benefits of guava for skin are as follows.
23. Improves Complexion
Pink guava helps in beautifying your skin, thus enabling it to regain its radiance and freshness. To improve your complexion, you can prepare a simple guava scrub at home. For this purpose, mash some guava flesh with an egg yolk and apply it on your face. Rinse off after 20 minutes with warm water. When used once or twice a week, this scrub will remove dead cells from your skin and lighten your complexion. It will also remove impurities, thus providing your skin a fresh and invigorated feeling.
24. UV Protection
Pink guavas contain twice the amount of lycopene present in tomatoes. Lycopene is an antioxidant that protects your skin from being damaged by UV rays and environmental pollution. A guava provides about 2.9 grams of lycopene.
25. Anti-ageing Properties
Guava is a rich source of vitamins A, B, C and potassium which are good antioxidants and detoxifiers. They fight free radicals, thus keeping your skin glowing and free from premature signs of aging like wrinkles and fine lines. Besides, lycopene protects the healthy cells from toxins that accumulate in the body due to metabolism and environmental pollution. These toxins also cause premature aging by damaging the DNA in charge of growth and development.
26. Natural Skin Toner
The high concentration of vitamins, minerals and nutrients in guava helps in keeping your skin toned, fresh and wrinkle free. Guava is effective in enhancing skin texture, tightening the loosened skin and reviving the lost elasticity of the skin. The astringent qualities of guavas keep your skin free from blemishes, acne, wrinkles and pimples. Washing your face with the decoction of immature guava fruit and its leaves beautifies your skin.
27. Treatment Of Acne And Dark Spots
If you are suffering from acne and dark spots, you can take some guava leaves and mash them to make a smooth paste. Clean your face and apply it on the acne and dark spots. Doing this daily will heal your acne.
28. Skin Hydration
Proper hydration is vital for healthy skin. Water plays an important role in keeping your skin hydrated. Thus, it is recommended to have 8 glasses of water in a day. Guava is an excellent source of water with 81% of the fruit comprising of water. In this way, it plays an important role in skin hydration.
29. Treatment Of Skin Problems
A guava provides more than twice the recommended daily value of vitamin C which is excellent for skin healing as it contributes to generation of collagen, the substance that imparts firmness to the skin. Besides, it provides about 1.4 micrograms of vitamin K which is 2% of the recommended daily value. This vitamin improves blood coagulation, impairment of which causes skin redness and irritation. This makes it beneficial in treating dark circles, spider veins, rosacea, acne irritation, and splotchiness of skin.
30. Treatment Of Blackheads And Skin Itchiness
In case of blackheads, you can blend the leaves of the guava fruit with little water and apply it as a scrub on your nose to remove blackheads. Guava leaves can also rid you of skin itchiness as they contain allergy blocking compounds.
Benefits Of Guava For Hair
Guava is a powerhouse of nutrients including Vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid, potassium, copper, manganese, fiber, flavonoids and other phytochemicals. Thus, it is beneficial for healthy hair growth and maintenance.
31. Combats Hair Loss
Being extremely rich in vitamin C, guava is one of those fruits that promote healthy hair growth. It also helps in combating hair loss problems.
Nutrition Chart For Guava
For one fruit, guava has a wide range of advantages that affect everything from your triglyceride and cholesterol levels to your digestive system. So, it does not only help you lose weight effectively but also benefits your health in many ways.
Sources:
