Guavas are a versatile tropical fruit that tastes great when stewed and added to salads, preserved as jams, baked into cakes, churned into ice cream, grilled alongside cheese in sandwiches, or even packed into french toast. It has been dubbed a "superfood" in most nutritional circles due to its nutritious value. This beloved fruit has a long list of health benefits.
1. Helps In Weight Loss
Guavas may become your new best friend if you're on a diet. One medium-sized fruit contains only 37 calories and provides 12 percent (2.97 g) dietary fiber. Dietary fiber slows digestion and keeps you feeling full for longer, preventing overeating. Guavas are also an excellent snacking option because of their low-calorie content, which provides nutrients without causing weight gain.
2. Enhances Skin Health
Guavas should be a part of your skincare routine. They are high in vitamins and antioxidants, which may help skin health. Their antioxidant concentration has been shown to protect skin from damage and reduce the aging process, reducing wrinkle formation. Furthermore, when applied directly to the skin, guava extract has been shown to alleviate acne and reduce inflammation. Another study demonstrated that guava extract successfully destroyed acne-causing bacteria in test tubes. Its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory capabilities could be to blame. More research is needed, however, to establish this benefit ultimately.
3. Aids Digestion
Guavas might help keep your digestive system in order if you eat them regularly. They are a good source of dietary fiber, with 70% of them insoluble. This fiber does not dissolve in water and can aid in food movement through your digestive tract, improving regularity and preventing constipation. In addition, guava extract has been shown to lower the severity and length of diarrhea. Aside from that, multiple studies have discovered that guava extract's antibacterial qualities destroy dangerous germs in your gut that can induce diarrhea.
4. Improves the Immune System.
If you get ill every time, the weather changes, including guava in your diet may help keep the sniffles at bay. One medium-sized fruit has 126 milligrams of vitamin C, 140 percent of the daily recommended allowance. This is nearly double the amount you'd get from one orange. It has been discovered that vitamin C helps shorten the duration of a cold. It may also eliminate harmful germs and viruses that might cause infections. Because vitamin C is rapidly drained out of the body, it's critical to regularly receive enough through your diet.
5. Relieves Menstrual Cramps
If you're having a hard time with your period, stock up on guava. Guava extract has been reported to reduce the severity of menstrual cramps, which are common in dysmenorrhea sufferers. In a research of 197 women with painful symptoms, it was discovered that taking 6 mg of guava leaf extract daily reduced pain intensity more efficiently than using various medicines. Uterine cramps have also been reported to be relieved by guava extract.
6. Keeps Blood Sugar Levels in Check
If you've been struggling to control your blood sugar levels, guava could be the answer. In several test-tube and animal experiments, guava extract improved blood sugar levels, promoted long-term blood sugar control, and raised insulin resistance. Human studies have also revealed similar advantages. You were drinking guava leaf tea after a meal decreased blood sugar levels for up to 2 hours, according to one research of 19 persons. Another study found that drinking this specific tea lowers blood sugar levels by more than 10%.
7. It Promotes Heart Health.
Guava can help you avoid heart disease by adding it to your diet. Guava's high antioxidant and vitamin content may help protect your heart from free radical damage. Furthermore, a medium-sized guava fruit contains 229 mg of potassium, which is 6.54 percent of the daily required requirement and has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease. Furthermore, guava fiber may reduce the incidence of coronary heart disease by 40%.
Guava extract has also been shown to reduce blood pressure, lower "bad" LDL cholesterol, and raise "good" cholesterol. Because high blood pressure and LDL cholesterol are connected to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, eating guavas regularly may help protect your heart. Furthermore, a 12-week study involving 120 patients discovered that consuming ripe guava before meals reduced blood pressure by 8–9 points. It also decreased total cholesterol by 9.9% while raising "good" HDL cholesterol by 8%. Other studies have discovered similar benefits as well.
8. Helps to Prevent Cancer
The guava is ripe when it quickly passes through the skin. However, if it meets resistance, the guava isn't mature enough. Stick your fingernail through the skin of guava to see if it's ripe or not.
Guava's antioxidants may help to prevent cancer and its progression. However, adding them to your diet is sure to keep you healthy. Guava extract has been shown to slow or stop the growth of cancer cells in test tubes and animals. This could be because its antioxidant concentration protects cells from free radical damage, one of the leading causes of cancer. Guava leaf oil was four times more efficient than certain cancer medications in preventing cancer cell growth in a test tube research. And while preliminary data appears promising, more research is needed to validate this guava advantage thoroughly.