17 Best Benefits of Guava Leaves
17 Best Benefits of Guava Leaves
And Health
September 6, 2017 by Saba
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Most of us know about the health benefits of guava fruit. But we are unaware of the fact that
even guava leaves (Amrood ke Patte) in Hindi have several medicinal properties and offer
an array of health benefits. Being packed with antioxidants, antibacterial and anti-
inflammatory agents and beneficial tannins, fresh guava leaves are considered as a natural
pain reliever. The chemicals contained in these leaves such as polyphenols, carotenoids,
flavonoids and tannins can be extremely effective in treating various diseases.
Owing to the side effects resulting from the usage of medicines and drugs, herbal plants are
being increasingly considered for the treatment of various diseases and guava leaf is one of
them. Due to its medicinal properties, guava leaf supplements are nowadays available in
the form of capsules and guava leaf tea.
3. Lower Cholesterol:
Research has proved that drinking guava leaf tea for 3 months can lead to reduction in LDL
or bad cholesterol and triglycerides without any adverse effect on good cholesterol.
Besides, the guava leaves are a great liver tonic.
5. Aids in Digestion:
Guava leaf tea aids in digestion by stimulating digestive enzyme production. The powerful
antibacterial agents kill bacteria in the lining of the gut and stop proliferation of toxic
enzymes by bacteria. Guava leaves are particularly beneficial in case of food poisoning as
well as soothing, vomiting and nausea. To relieve stomach ache, boil 8 pieces of guava
leaves in 1.5 liters of water and drink thrice a day.
6. Treatment of Bronchitis:
Guava leaf tea is effective in treating bronchitis by opening up the lungs, loosening mucus
and soothing coughs.
9. Prostate Cancer:
Guava leaves can be beneficial in case of prostate cancer and enlargement.
Guava is known well as tropical fruit which rich in nutrients throughout the world. People loves to eat it as it has sweet and
juicy flavor. Not only consumed as food, guaya also being used in medicinal purpose. The fruit, leaf and other parts of guava
has been proved may give benefits to human health.
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Guava plant or Psidium guajava is a small tree or a large evergreen shrub member of Myrtaceae family. It can grow until
15m in height. This plant is native in Mexico and other Central America countries. Since it tropical plant, guava can only
adapt to warm climate. Nowadays, after more than 300 years introduced in United State, guava is cultivated in many
countries in Asia and Africa with various varieties.
Many researches have been conducted to found the scientific evidence of guava in medication including guava leaves.
Health benefits of guava leaves have been used by people to treat digestion problem such as diarrhea and thrush. Guava
leaves contains many potential bioactive components such as saponine, tannins, flavonoid, eugenol and tritenoids.
Flavonoids ( more than 1.4 % ) and tannins are dominate the polyphenolic component of guava leave.
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1. Cures Diarrhea
Guava leaf in medicinal purpose is mostly used to treat diarrhea. Diarrhea is a condition where the colon cant absorb water
due to bacterial infection of Staphylococcus aureus. Study reported that guava leaf has strong anti-bacterial compound such
as tannins and essential oil which very effective to fight against S. Aureus infection and inhibit those bacteria growth.
The way to use guava leaves to cure diarrhea is by taking 6 guava leaves, then wash it. Then, boil it through and squeeze
the leaves. Next is you get the leaves extract. Then, just drink it straight once in two days until you feel much better.
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Related: Foods That Lower Cholesterol – Health Risks of High Levels of Saturated Fat and Cholesterol
3. Prevents Obesity
Obesity is being an epidemic nowadays since the change of people lifestyle. Obesity can cause many health problem such
as diabetes and heart disease which are the main cause of mortality in most countries such as United State. Guava leaf
contains compound called quarcetin which can inhibit the fat cell formation and the cathechin that has fat burning effect in
the body.
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6. Prevents Cancer
Many studies have been conducted to found the components and benefits of guava leaf. One of best benefits that you may
found in guava leaf is anti-cancer activity. It has been proved that guava leaf can reduce the risk of several types of cancer
such as gastric, breast, oral and prostate cancer. This benefits performed by the antioxidant contains in guava leaf such as
quercetin, lycopene and Vitamin C. Those components can induce the apoptosis or self-killing activity of cancer cells
according to a study which published in 2011.
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7. Prevents Cholera
According to study by Rahim et al, the extract of guava leaves has strong anti-microbial activity against Vibrio cholera.
Cholera is usually become an epidemic disease in many countries and guava leave is suggested to be given to people who
suffer from cholera.
8. Prevents Inflammation
Guava leaf has identified to have strong anti-inflammatory activity which performed by ethanol extract contained in it based
on study by Dutta and das. While other researcher, Kawakami found that guava leaf has anti-proliferative activity that can
inhibit the catalytic activity of prostaglandin endoperoxide which trigger inflammation. Matsuzake et al reported that
glycosides from guava leaves extract showed significant effect in histamine ( protein which trigger inflammation ) inhibition.
9. Protects Liver
Guava leaves benefits also very important for liver. Liver is an organ which play important role in detoxification process.
Guava leaves have found to have hepatoprotective activity which can cure liver injury induced by paracetamol consumption
according to study by Roy and And. It also has strong effect to protect liver from some enzyme which can damage liver cells
such as aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin.
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Related:
Meanwhile, the recommendation is you need to drink 100 ml guava leaves extract water for once in two days. Also, drinking
it in routine may bring benefits to cover body health. Then, there is also another alternative to consume guava water, which
is making it as tea.
Table of Contents
What is a Guava?
o Prevents Cancer
o Antioxidant Properties
o Controls Diabetes
o Improves Eyesight
o Treats Scurvy
o Relieves Constipation
o Weight Loss
o Skin Care
o Dental Care
Uses of Guava
Guava FAQs
What Is A Guava?
Guava is a sweet and delicious fruit cultivated in tropical climates. This seasonal fruit,
scientifically known as Psidium guajava, is round or pear-shaped and is light green,
yellow or maroon in color when it ripens. It has a white or maroon flesh, depending on
its type, and has small hard seeds enveloped in its soft, sweet pulp. The common types
of guava include apple guava, yellow-fruited cherry guava,strawberry guava, and red
apple guava. It is mostly eaten raw (ripe or semi-ripe) or consumed in the form of juice,
jams, and jellies.
Guava’s believed to have originated from Mexico or Central America. It is now very
popular in Asian countries and is also increasingly available in American countries,
particularly after its health benefits have been revealed.
What makes guava special is that increasing the shelf life of this fruit does not require
excessive use of chemicals or pesticides as in the case of grapes, apple, and other
“exotic” fruits. It is one of the least chemically treated and sprayed fruits.
Prevents Cancer
One of the most important benefits of adding guava to your diet is its ability to inhibit
the growth and metastasis of cancerous cells. There have been numerous studies done
in recent years on guava’s effects primarily on prostate, breast, and oral cancers. Guava
leaf oil acts as an antiproliferative and has actually proven to be more effective than
some leading modern medicines in reducing cancer cell growth. Guavas are also rich in
lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that can reduce prostate cancer risk. The same
antioxidant has also shown its efficacy in inhibiting the growth of breast cancer cells,
though more tests are to be done to support this finding.
Antioxidant Properties
The naturally high content of vitamin C in guavas, which is four times higher than the
content found in oranges (the traditional vitamin C powerhouse), helps boost the
immune system. Antioxidants are the major lines of defense against the proliferation
of free radicals in the body, which are one of the main causes of serious conditions like
cancer and heart diseases. Therefore, adding guava to your diet helps you stay healthy.
Controls Diabetes
The intake of guava can also help patients suffering fromdiabetes. High level of dietary
fiber in it helps lower blood glucose levels in the body. Studies have shown that
consuming it can help prevent the appearance of type-2 diabetes.
Improves Eyesight
Guava is an extremely good source of vitamin A, which is well known as a booster for
vision health. It can help slow down the appearance of cataracts, macular
degeneration, and improve the overall health of the eyes. It helps protect the cells in
your eyes and can also prevent deterioration of eyesight.
Relieves Constipation
Guava is one of the richest sources of dietary fiber among fruits and its seeds serve as
excellent laxatives. These two properties of guava help the formation of healthy bowel
movements, aid in retaining water in the body, and thoroughly clean your intestines. It
is said that constipation alone can lead to 72 different types of ailments, so any help for
constipation is beneficial. Your overall health is affected undeniably by
proper digestion, and more importantly, by proper excretion. Frequent consumption of
guava can ensure both.
Skin Care
Guavas can improve the texture of your skin. They can help you avoid skin problems
better than beauty creams and skin toning gels. This is chiefly due to the abundance of
astringents available in the fruit (with more astringents present in immature guavas)
and in its leaves. Your skin can benefit from either eating the fruits (this helps tighten
your muscles apart from your skin) or by rinsing your skin with a decoction of its
immature fruit and leaves. It will tone up and tighten the area of loosened skin where it
is applied. Guava’s rich antioxidants and detoxifying properties help keep your skin
glowing and free from signs of premature aging, wrinkles, and other dermal disorders.
Dental Care
Apart from guava fruit, the leaves also have many benefits. The juice of guava leaves
has been known to cure toothaches, swollen gums and oral ulcers, and it speeds up
the healing process of wounds when applied topically. Finally, it reduces the frequency
of convulsions, epilepsy, and bacterial infections.
When consuming guava for medicinal purposes, you must perform your due diligence,
and be cautious while adding any new medicinal form of guava to your diet. It is better
to stick to eating guava in its natural form as a raw fruit.
Uses Of Guava
Guava leaves are used in the preparation of herbal medicines to treat several diseases
like diarrhea, diabetes, infections, and obesity. The leaves of guava have been an
important constituent in folk medicines as these contain palmitic acid and palmitoleic
acid. Intake of guava seeds also helps treat common problems like constipation and
other gastrointestinal issues. It works as laxatives as it contains a lot of dietary fiber. It
can help bulk up your stool and will pass through your system without any problem.
Guava FAQs
What is a Guava?
A guava is a tropical fruit that is found most often in tropical and subtropical areas and
is rarely grown in temperate climates. With the scientific name of Psidium guajava, this
fruit is one of many similar species in the same genus, but “apple guava” is the
common form found in most markets around the world. They are roughly the size of
apples, or are slightly smaller, and some variations are similar to plums in size and
shape.
Pick a fresh, ripe guava that does not have any blemishes.
Wash the fruit under running water.
Cut the guava into small pieces. If you want you can scoop it out using a teaspoon.
There are plenty of ways to consume a guava, ranging from juicing the fruit and
drinking it as a beverage, slicing it, and putting it on top of ice cream to jams and jellies,
or including it in your next veggie or fruit smoothie. Adding sliced guava-cubes to your
salad can make a healthy breakfast.
Yes, you can eat guava seeds without any negative effects. In fact, people intentionally
eat the seeds because they help with gastrointestinal issues, such as constipation,
because there is a lot of dietary fiber in these seeds. They can help bulk up your stool
and will pass through your system without any problem.
Guava helps to protect the immune system, regulate blood pressure, and lower the risk
of diabetes. It further helps strengthen the digestive system. Due to the unique and
high concentrations of minerals and vitamins, guava can also help increase energy,
relax the nerves, and decrease the number of stress hormones in the body.
If you live in a tropical or subtropical region, growing your own guava tree actually isn’t
that tough. Guava trees respond very well to mulch, so clear out a 2-3 inch space in the
soil where you can plant the tree. Then, water the tree once a week and fertilize the
tree once a month. Adding more mulch is required, but the tree should grow rather
quickly. Thinning out excess branches can also promote more growth.
Guava should be halved and then the fibrous center and the seeds can be removed.
The seeds can be saved and used later as a stomach cleanser. The fruit can then be
used as a topping or eaten raw, made into candies or jellies, or blended in a
fruit/vegetable smoothie. Alternatively, guava can be juiced, making a delicious and
healthy beverage.
Guava comes from the guava tree, a species native to Central America and Mexico.
These fruiting trees actually come in many different species, but all of them do best in
tropical or subtropical regions. Since guavas have been found to not only be delicious,
but also highly beneficial to human health, these fruits have been exported all over the
world, but guava cultivation and consumption is still centered in the tropics
Vitamin K
Treat skin discoloration, such as dark circles, spider veins, rosacea, acne irritation and overall
splotchiness, with vitamin K. It heals because it improves blood coagulation, which is impaired in
cases of skin redness and irritation. A guava provides 1.4 micrograms of vitamin K, which is about 2
percent of the 80 micrograms Food and Drug Administration daily value.
Vitamin C
The amount of vitamin C in a guava is more than twice the 60 milligrams of the FDA daily value,
which is good news for skin healing because it contributes to generation of collagen, the substance
that gives skin its firmness. Include more vitamin C-rich foods like guava in your diet to improve the
tautness of your skin and reduce the impact of aging.
Lycopene
A guava provides 2.9 grams of lycopene, an antioxidant that protects healthy cells from toxins that
accumulate in the body due to metabolism and environmental pollution. The damaging effect of
toxins includes premature aging, because they damage DNA in charge of growth and development.
Water
A substance that provides health benefits, including hydrated skin, is water. While drinking water
helps you meet the eight glasses each day the body requires, an additional source that provides the
remaining requirement is food. A guava provides 81 percent of its composition as water. Slice the
juicy fruit and serve it in a tropical fruit salad with coconut, pineapple, papaya or mango, or juice it
and benefit from its nutrients served over ice.
Unless you're a high-schooler building a nuclear fusion reactor , the hardest part of a science
investigatory project often is coming up with a good idea. You want it to be cool yet feasible,
novel but still useful.
That's why Ai-ni Bautista's science project on making liquid soap infused with guava leaf
extract is so perfect — it's fun, easy, and fresh with a very practical outcome. This do-it-
yourself soap will smell of lavender (and guava, of course) and even has health benefits for
your skin.
Guava leaves contain phytochemicals that are astringent , allowing them to tone and tighten
your skin. Guava leaves can also protect against ultraviolet radiation , a "major environmental
factor" in "skin wrinkle formation and hyperpigmentation." The American Journal of Chinese
Medicine even found that guava leaves' anti-inflammatory properties can be helpful in treating
acne.
Don't Miss: Build a Simple Paper Bridge as a Science Experiment
To make it even easier to ace your science investigatory project, we've deconstructed this
chemistry experiment into step-by-step instructions. For the full video tutorial, be sure to check
out the end of this article. Since the video has been made publicly available online, you can
go right ahead and use it for your science fair or project — no need to ask permission!
Safety First!
This experiment will involve working with both sodium hydroxide and extremely high
temperatures, so it will require safety precautions and definitely adult supervision. This guide
will cover the important safety measures, but you can alsoread more about sodium hydroxide
safety.
What You'll Need
If the below information seems a little intimidating to you, you can try making hard
soap instead of liquid soap. It's a little less involved, requires fewer ingredients and
equipment, and is just as good as a science investigatory project. For details on that, check
our full guide.
Ingredients:
about 50 guava leaves
16 oz. water
4 oz. sodium hydroxide (NaOH), also known as lye or caustic soda
20 oz. olive oil
8 oz. coconut oil
a few spoonfuls of lavender-scented oil (or any other scent you prefer)
a few drops of food coloring , any color you like
vinegar (in case the lye comes in contact with skin)
Equipment:
stove or other strong heat source, preferably an outdoor stove
large pot
three small containers (make sure they can all withstand boiling water!)
gloves
safety mask
safety goggles
whisk or stick blender
strainer
kitchen scale
funnel
empty bottle or soap dispenser
Make sure that none of the equipment you use contains aluminum, tin, or zinc because lye will
corrode all of those metals — and potentially produce highly flammable (read: dangerous)
hydrogen gas. Stainless steel would be ideal. The sodium hydroxide may also produce fumes,
so as much as possible, this experiment should take place outdoors or under a fume hood. If
that isn't an option, make sure the room you use is well-ventilated (switch on the kitchen fan
and open every window you can).
The following guide will make enough soap to fill a bottle of hand soap, so adjust your
proportions accordingly if you want to make more.
Step 4Saponification
Saponification is a chemical reaction between an ester and an alkali, producing a carboxylate
ion and an alcohol. It's also what we're about to do next! That's because saponification, in less
scientific terms, is soap-making (the linguistic root of "saponification" is sapo, the Latin word
for soap). The coconut and olive oil we're using contain esters, and the sodium hydroxide is
an alkali. These react to form a carboxylate salt compound — soap!
Ready, Set, Saponify
Put on your goggles, gloves, and mask. Adding the sodium hydroxide to the mixture will cause
the temperature of your mixture to skyrocket to temperatures of up to 200º F, according to the
Soap Queen's safety guide.
It's not just the sheer heat of your mixture that's now dangerous. That spike in temperature
means some water particles are going to reach boiling temperature, and that rising steam will
carry with it trace amounts of unreacted sodium hydroxide, which is poisonous . If any sodium
hydroxide makes contact with skin, pour vinegar over the affected area to neutralize the
burning alkali.
Using your kitchen scale, weigh out 4 oz. of sodium hydroxide. Slowly and carefully add it to
your mixture in very small amounts. Keep your face away from the mouth of the pot as you
add the sodium hydroxide to avoid inhaling the fumes.
If you're inspired by the success of your soap and enjoyed the excitement of working with heat
and sodium hydroxide, why not try other "explosive" scienceprojects, like cooking up your own
rocket fuel?