Whenever we took a trip to our extended and widespread family, inevitably, I’d beg my parent to visit my oldest aunt. She grew (and still grows) guava trees in her backyard and I could just reach (or climb) up and grab one of those succulent, delightful fruits.
Some people though turn their noses up at guavas. They look unappealing, are hard and full of seeds. But those who persist are rewarded richly. The guava fruit possesses a unique flavour and fragrance: It tastes a delicious blend of strawberry and pineapple and offers a whole lot of vitamin C to boot.
Guava
You may be hard-pressed to find fresh guava in your typical local or mainstream grocers, yet you may be lucky in Asian or Latin American food stores.
Now you surely got the drift: Guava is the fruit of a tropical tree. The most frequently eaten type, commonly referred to as “the guava” or also apple guava (Psidium guajava) is part of the myrtle (Myrtaceae) family. It’s related to famous clove and eucalyptus and the lesser known cajeput.
Originally, guava came from hot and humid areas in Mexico, Central America, and throughout the Caribbean region. Today, guava is cultivated in many tropical areas. The apple guava looks like a large lime. The skin is hard and can be rough guarding the soft fruit flesh (that looks similar to a pear) and the many hard seeds.
Other often eaten types are cattley, or strawberry, guava (Psidium cattleianum) and pineapple guava (Acca sellowiana), although the latter is an unrelated plant.
It’s the most common guava that tastes like strawberry and pear had a baby. In truth, each type has its distinct flavour but they all boast high levels of vitamin C and are great sources of dietary fibre. Each type also has a pronounced and distinct scent, reminiscent of lemon rind.
The whole fruit can be eaten. This includes the fruit flesh, seeds, and rind. Depending on the fruit type, the rind can be thicker or thinner. It’s usually green before maturity. When it’s ripe it can be yellow, burgundy, or green.
Content and properties
You can eat the whole fruit – just as you’d eat an apple. Some people choose only to dine on the fruit flesh but guava is far more nutritious when the seeds and rind are also eaten.
The skin is so tough thanks to pectin. In essence, guava with the rind is an excellent source of fibre. Eating fibre has a big payoff. It’ll boost your immunity and it promotes better digestion.
If you want to have clear and healthy skin, you want both. Having a strong immune system is clear. Having a strong digestive system contributes to healthy skin. It’s your digestive system that gives your body the elements it needs to repair and grow new skin cells.
Oranges got their fame for being great sources of vitamin C because during the Age of Discovery, European sailors brought the fruits with them on their long trade routes to prevent scurvy – it was also because they didn’t spoil easily. It’s not that oranges don’t provide you with vitamin C, it’s just that guava covers your daily recommended intake (DV) almost 3 times over.
Just for you to compare: An orange contains 53.2 mg per 100 g fruit and that makes about 64 % DV. A guava fruit contains 228.3 mg per 100g fruit. That means covers your DV 275 %.
Other vitamins in considerable amounts are vitamin B1 (thiamin), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), vitamin B6, and vitamin B9 (folate). You can also find vitamins A and K in smaller amounts.
Guava fruit is also a good source of minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. Smaller amounts of other minerals such as calcium and zinc are also present.
Other bioactive substances are polyphenols and carotenoids, which act as antioxidants. If you only look at the seeds, they’re a great source of carotenoids and fatty acids. It has a high linoleic acid content, 65 – 75 %. This means, if oil were pressed from it, the guava seed oil would feel light and non-greasy and has the added benefit of being anti-inflammatory but non-comedogenic (won’t block up your pores).
In general, people just eat the fruit and disregard the leaves. In many parts of the world, the leaves are revered as an herbal remedy. Primarily just for that, they shouldn’t be eaten raw as the fruit.
The leaves contain bioactive substances like antioxidants, flavonoids, polyphenols, and tannins. Thanks to these substances, the leaves have a lot of “anti” properties:
- Anti-bacterial
- Anti-inflammatory
- Anti-microbial
- Anti-oxidant
Uses
In many parts of the world, the fruit is eaten raw, cut into quarters. In Latin American countries, guava fruit juice is often used in sauces, ales, dried snacks, and dessert.
Because it’s a good source of pectin, guavas are beloved because they can be made into jellies, candies, and jams.
The leaves are considered medicinal but they were also used in barbecues.
For your skin
Thanks to the high levels of vitamin C, guava is great in your arsenal to stop signs of ageing appearing.
Stop the clock
Vitamin C and the carotenoids in the guava fruit act as antioxidants. An antioxidant main task is to destroy free radicals. When it neutralises free radicals, it prevents changes in the skin and brings its natural skin texture back.
Firming
Collagen is not only an antioxidant, it’s also needed in wound repair and when your skin makes collagen. Guava with its amazing levels of vitamin C helps your skin grow collagen which gives your skin its firmness.
Lift dark spots
Another sign that time marches on and your skin changes are dark spots. Vitamin C is the classic ingredient when it comes to evening out discolouration. That’s because vitamin C blocks a substance your body needs when it makes the pigment melanin.
Protect from the sun
Research has shown that guava fruit has the potential to boost the effectiveness of your SPF.
Beat blemishes and spots
Are you tired of waking up and finding spots popping up on your skin? Try using guava leaves. They’re known to have anti-bacterial properties and so can kill the bacteria that is the root cause of spots.
Since the leaves are also anti-inflammatory, they’ll also reduce redness and swellings if your skin is prone to spots.
Closing words
The most powerful substance in the guava fruit is vitamin C and it has plenty of it. It helps firm and brighten your skin, controls redness, and provides anti-inflammatory properties. Meaning, guava boosts your health, stops signs of ageing appearing, and improves your skin texture.
If you’d rather eat the fruit, go ahead because you can use the leaves. They too are brimming with antioxidants and various nutrients such as tannins and flavonoids. Since they’re thrown out by your grocers, you could ask them to just hand them to you.
When you have the fresh guava leaves, take 6 fresh guava leaves and wash them thoroughly. Bring 1 l of water to boil and add the washed leaves. Let it steep for 10 minutes then strain. When the decoction has cooled down, you can use it like a toner – no need to wash it off.
