Guavas are a very common type of fruit but are often neglected because of their hardness & presence of seeds. But it is what I call as super food! It contains goodness that will make you definitely want to eat this fruit but we are not talking about having sugar rich guava jams or jellies. For getting these super benefits of guava, you need to grab a fresh one and bite on it.
Take a look at 10 Guava benefits and you will never overlook this fruit again!
1. Rich in Vit C:
Guava contains Vit C and it helps protect cells and lower cancerous damage to them.
2. Lesser Diabetes Risk and Cleaned System:
Fibre is important for lowering blood sugar levels. At the same time, it is good in cleansing digestive system and maintaining free bowel movement. Guavas are rich in fibres. The more your system stays clean, the happier you will be from inside.
3. Eye Health Improvement:
Vit A or retinol is responsible for good eye sight. 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 normalise blood pressure levels. A banana and a guava contains 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. Improper functioning of 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 utilised, 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.
Winter has set in and it’s the season for some delicious guavas. We all love to eat this fruit and several varieties are available. Guava is basically a tropical fruit that is believed to have its origin in Central America where it is also known as “sand plum”. Guava tree is a tropical evergreen shrub. In fact, guava is a large berry which is round or oval in shape with light green or light yellow skin. The colour of its flesh varies from white or pink to dark red and has edible seeds.
There are various species of guavas which differ in terms of fragrance, taste and appearance. Generally it has a strong, sweet and pungent fragrance and its flavour ranges from strawberry or lemon to tropical. It is widely available in India and is locally known as “peru”. In fact, it is quite cheap so everyone can afford it. In India, roadside vendors are often seen selling guavas.
Besides its unique flavour and fragrance, guava has been hailed has one of the super fruits because of its numerous health promoting qualities. This humble fruit is known for its medicinal properties, thanks to the sugars, vitamins and minerals present in it. It is extraordinarily rich in vitamin C and also contains carotene and antioxidants that are beneficial for skin health. Guavas are consumed in varying degrees of ripeness. They are also used in cooking as an ingredient in both sweet and savoury dishes. Guava juice is also a refreshing drink.
Guava: Skin Benefits
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.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. 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 ageing 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 pre mature ageing by damaging the DNA in charge of growth and development.
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. 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.
17. 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, rosaceae, acne irritation and splotchiness of skin.
18. 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.
Guava: Hair Benefits
Guava is a powerhouse of nutrients including Vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid, potassium, copper, manganese, fibre, flavonoids and other phytochemicals. Thus, it is beneficial for healthy hair growth and maintenance.
19. 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.
How to Select and Store?
Selection: Guavas are available in different varieties such as the Chinese Guava, Strawberry, Lemon,Apple and Mountain Guava. In tropical regions, they are available all the year round. Guavas with red flesh such as Thai maroon flesh are more nutritious than Green Apple guavas. On ripening, the skin of the guavas generally turns from green to yellow, their flesh softens and they develop a fragrant fruity aroma. While purchasing guavas, make sure that you choose fresh fruits with their skins intact without any cuts, bruises or patches. Your choice of guava also depends upon the variety that you are buying. If you are buying pink guavas, choose the ones that are firm and devoid of soft spots. Their skin should be green with a yellow tinge. While buying white Thai guavas, make sure that they are free from blemishes or soft spots and their skin should be bright green in colour, like a Granny Smith apple. Overly soft guavas or the ones with soft spots or discolouration should be avoided.
When the guavas are picked from the tree, they are mature but not ripe. In other words, though the fruit has reached its optimum size and shape, the starches present in it have not been converted into sugar. These starches will get converted into sugar after a few days which will cause the fruit to soften and emit a wonderful guava fragrance. Ripe guavas generally have a characteristic colour and aroma.
Storage: Guavas can be stored at room temperature for a few days. Mature but green guavas can last for 2 to 5 weeks when kept at a regulated temperature between 46F and 55F and relative humidity of 85% to 95%. To hasten ripening, the guava can be kept wrapped in a paper with a banana or apple. Fully ripe guavas can be refrigerated for a few days. Pink and white guavas yield to gentle pressure if they are ripe. Ripe guavas can be kept in plastic bag or container and refrigerated for a few days. It is advisable to use them within a day or two. Unripe guavas can be stored in a plastic container or bag and can last for about two weeks. Freezing the guavas can make them last longer, even up to a year. To freeze a guava, cut it and place it in a freezer container. Cover it with light simple syrup and provide a little extra space in the container for expansion.
Tips for Usage (Cooking/ Eating)
As stated earlier, guava is a nutritious fruit with edible seeds and skin. Several varieties are available with each variety having a unique flavour and aroma. Before proceeding to eat guavas, it is necessary to wash them in cold running water to remove any dust and insecticide residues. The floral ends and remnants i.e. sepals should be removed and the tips ends should be cut with a sharp knife. Guavas can then be cubed or sliced like an apple. Guavas should be eaten with their skin on as the edible rind contains abundant amounts of vitamin C. Even the seeds can be eaten; and are very tasty and crunchy. Besides being eaten raw, guavas are often cooked to eliminate their strong odour as some people do not like it. Given below are some tips and recipes to enjoy this exotic fruit.
1. Guava juice and nectar are refreshing drinks and are often used as an ingredient in cold or frozen drinks or in mixed liquor beverages.
2. Due to its unique flavour, guavas are often used to make jelly. They have a high content of pectin, a chemical substance that helps jelly to set. The juice from half ripe guavas can be combined with hibiscus flowers or low pectin fruits to make jelly. Guavas are also used in butters, jams, marmalades and preserves.
3. Fresh guavas can be simply sliced and topped with a little sugar and cream. Guava cubes can be added to other tropical fruits in a salad. Guavas can also be used with cheeses or in apple dishes or as sauces for meat and poultry. Another way to eat a guava is to simply cut it in half and sprinkle with a little lemon juice; and eat flesh and seeds with a spoon, discarding the skin.
4. Freshly extracted juice of pinkish or reddish fleshed guava is not only sweet and yummy but also rich in vitamins. In fact, it can give a tough competition to any refreshment. You can easily prepare it at home. Wash and peel a guava. Add some sugar, ½ inch ginger (optional) and cold water; and blend it in a blender or juicer. Filter out the hard seeds and add some ice cubes while serving. This juice is quite tasty and refreshing especially in hot weather.
5. You can prepare a cool and refreshing drink by combining guava pulp and lemonade with a dash of lemon juice and sugar syrup. For this purpose, take about 8 large guavas, peel and cut them into big pieces and blend them in a blender with very little water. After removing and straining, add 4 teaspoons lemon juice, sugar syrup and a few drops of light pink colour. Mix well and keep it in a bottle. While serving, add 1 teaspoon of this mixture and 3 ice cubes to ½ a bottle of lemonade.
6. You can prepare a delicious salad by combining roasted guava with feta cheese. For this purpose, cut the guavas into thin round slices and marinate them with some chopped parsley, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, black pepper powder and salt. Roast the slices till they turn golden brown and caramelize the pine nuts with honey. Mix the roasted slices of guava with caramelized pine nuts, lettuce leaves and cubes of feta cheese. Pour this dressing on the salad and garnish with chopped parsley and feta cheese. It can be served cold.
7. Guava can be combined with apple to prepare a delicious curry. For this purpose, take two apples and two guavas; and cut them into big pieces. Melt two tablespoons ghee in a pot and put 3 cloves and 3 cinnamon pieces. Roast 10 to 12 raisins and 4 to 5 cashew nuts for two minutes and then add the guavas and apples. Cook for some time and add 2 tablespoons red chilli powder, 1 ½ tablespoons turmeric powder, 1 tablespoon coriander seeds powder and cumin seeds powder; and some salt and sugar. Remove and stir the mixture.
8. The sweet taste and strong fragrance of Florida pink guava make it suitable for dessert type dishes. Guava kheer is one such dessert that is quiet simple to prepare. All you need to do is pressure cook the guava and remove the seeds. Sieve it through a strainer. Adding sugar and milk to the pulp, bring it to a boil. When the sugar gets dissolved, add cardamom powder and garnish with roasted dry fruits.
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