Although sometimes taken for granted in its homeland, the Jamaican guava fruit it known as a “superfood” in other areas of the world.
So what is it about the guava that everyone thinks is so great that we Jamaican fail to acknowledge?
In a Jamaica we have a variety of fruits, from mangos, to papayas, to June plums to star apples, including the Jamaican fruit guava, to us they are just another fruit. But do we know how much these fruits contribute to our health?
Related: Sorrel Fruit, Papaya Fruit, Guinep Fruit,
Since a guava is about the size of a golf ball (some slightly bigger) and grow on small trees with skinny copper coloured bark and can be found growing wildly in practically every bushy area in all corners of Jamaican, you would not have guess that one guava contain four time more fibre than that in a single pineapple, an apple or a bunch of grapes.
Guava Fruit Health Benefits
The fibre in the guava can help prevent heart disease and colon cancer. Studies have shown how eating guava lower blood glucose level in people with diabetes and researchers believe that making the guava as part of your daily diet can help prevent diabetes.
Thinks orange is the best for the vitamins needed to build your immune system and prevent cold/flu and other serious infections? Think again!
The guava is excellent source for vitamin C, with a lot more vitamin C than orange, twenty-five times more than that in a bunch of grape and thirteen times more that that in a single apple.
According to studies, this makes the guava one of the fruits with the highest concentration of antioxidants. Antioxidants help protect against free radicals that causes serious disease, such as heart disease.
The Jamaican fruit guava is also good for people with high blood pressure. The potassium in guava helps to regulate high blood pressure.
And there is a lot more to this simple little fruit. Instead of lime and honey the next time you are suffering from a cold or flu, try the guava leave tea.
If you are feeling stress or feeling discomfort from a tooth ache, have a cup of guava tea.
So instead of an apple a day, have a guava a day because according to research, it is more likely to keep the doctor away.
Disclaimer: The author makes no guarantees as to the curative effect of any herb or tonic on this website, and no visitor should attempt to use any of the information herein provided as treatment for any illness, weakness, or disease without first consulting a physician or health care provider. Pregnant women should always consult first with a health care professional before taking any treatment.