Guava

GUAVA

Guava is one of the super fruits being rich in dietary fibre, vitamin A and C, folic acid and the dietary minerals, potassium, copper and manganese.

Recently a study by the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) in Hyderabad has revealed that fruits like guava and apple are rich in antioxidants. The anti-oxidant activity in guava was a highest around 496 mg/100 grams, these findings were an eye-opener for us. We usually believe that expensive fruits are the richest source of nutrition. A single guava is somewhere around Rs 3 to RS 5, I think cheapest n best.

So here goes a few health benefits of guava :

1. Lowering blood pressure. cholesterol and triglycerides level which is due to the high content of a soluble fiber pectin.

2. Vitamin C -The amount of vitamin C in a guava is about four times the amount of vitamin C as an orange, which is good news for skin healing because it contributes to generation of collagen, the substance that gives skin its firmness and reduce the impact of aging.

^{The vitamin C content in guavas are a preventive measure against cold and viral infections. The astringents in guava help in clearing the respiratory tract, throat and lungs.}

                            

3. Anti cancer properties - One of the amazing things about guava is that it contains Lycopene, antioxidant to fight cancer. Lycopene can keep our body healthy and keep it away from free radicals that can cause all kinds of damage, including blocked arteries, joint degeneration, nervous system problems, or even cancer.

4. Constipation:Is beneficial for the treatment of constipation. Guava, along with their seeds, provides roughage to the diet and provides for the normal evacuation of bowels. A medium guava provides you with 36 percent of the recommended daily value for dietary fiber.

5.Provides for healthier gums: The astringents in guava also result in healthier gums. Therefore, after chewing on a guava, your gums feel tighter and fresh.

So now you know some benefits of guava, I recommend you to have it everyday. Buy them whenever you see them on the stores or your local supermarkets. Daily consume is much recommended for you. But do not consume guava juice in the package, the ones that you also find on the stores, as it contains sweetened and the nutrition is not equivalent to the whole fruit itself.

And a little tip from me, pick up the red-fleshed ones as it contains more nutrition and have more antioxidants.

The best part about it is that(as mentioned earlier also), as compared to the other fruits, it is really affordable in most parts of the world. That’s the reason why it is very correctly called as the ‘Poor man’s apple.