34
&
FOOD
July 2015 | Read this issue and more at www.healthandwellnessmagazine.net |
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GET A SWEET
TASTE OF
THE TROPICS
By Tanya Tyler,
Editor/Writer
Guavas may be
found mainly in the
tropics, but there’s
no reason you
can’t enjoy them right here in the
untropical Bluegrass. You may have
to search a bit to find a guava, but it
will be worth it.
Guavas are native to Mexico,
Central America and northern
South America. They are also found
in Asia, Africa, India and along the
Mediterranean coast. They were
brought to Florida in 1847 and
are cultivated there now. They are
related to the myrtle and eucalyptus
family. The fruit is round, ovoid or
pear shaped.
The most common type is
the apple guava. According to
California Rare Fruit Growers
There are claims
that adding guava
to your diet can
inhibit the growth
and metastasis of
cancerous cells.
Guava
(www.crfg.org), guava varieties differ widely in flavor and seediness
(the seeds are edible). Depending
on the species, the fruit’s outer skin
is light green, maroon or yellow
when it is ripe. (Placing the fruit in
a brown paper bag with a banana
or an apple hastens ripening.) The
inner pulp may be sweet or sour
with an off-white, red or deep pink
color. It is used in salads, drinks,
jams and jellies and even in certain
alcoholic beverages.
Guava has been used to treat
a variety of illnesses, including
diarrhea, dysentery, constipation
and scurvy. The juice of guava
leaves has been known to cure
toothaches, swollen gums and oral
ulcers and speed up the healing
process of wounds when applied
externally. The high level of dietary
fiber in guava helps regulate the
absorption of sugar, decreasing the
chances of major spikes and drops
in insulin and glucose in the body.
That makes it a good choice for
people with diabetes.
Guava is low in calories but rich
in vitamins, proteins and minerals
and has no cholesterol. It has less
sugar than apples, oranges, grapes
and some other fruit. It’s a good
source of vitamin A, which boosts
eye health. It has four times the
level of vitamin C than oranges,
which are always championed as
the best source of this essential vitamin. A guava-and-orange fruit salad
could pack quite a wallop for your
immune system. Guava also has
more potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure, than a banana.
It can give your brain a boost, since
it’s full of vitamins B3 (niacin) and
B6, which can stimulate cognitive
function.
There are claims that adding
guava to your diet can inhibit the
growth and metastasis of cancerous
cells. Guava is rich in lycopene, a
powerful antioxidant that has been
shown to inhibit the growth of
breast cancer cells, although further
human trials need to be done. Some
studies show guava leaf oil may
reduce cancer growth. Guava’s fiber
content helps protect the colon’s
mucous membrane by decreasing
exposure time to toxins as well as
binding to cancer-causing chemicals
in the colon.
You can incorporate guava in
your beauty treatment regimen. In
addition to eating the fruit to keep
your skin looking and feeling young
and bright, you can rinse your skin
with a decoction of its leaves. Guava
is good for you, inside and out.