The guava is a delicious and nutritious addition to any fruit salad. But there’s more to the guava tree than just the fruit. What are the benefits of guava leaves, and how can they be used?
Read on to learn the many health benefits guava leaves might provide.
What Are The Health Benefits of Guava?
The guava leaf is a small but mighty sidekick to the delicious guava fruit, or Psidium guajava. It has been used in Japan, East Asia, Africa, and South America as a powerful natural remedy because it contains many beneficial vitamins. It’s slowly gaining popularity in the United States for its purported skin care and health benefits.
Eating fresh guava may have soothing effects on your stomach. In fact, the medicinal properties of guava leaves far surpass the fruit.
1. Guava Leaves for Blood Sugar Support
Studies show that guava leaves can be effective in helping to maintain balanced blood sugar levels. Adding guava leaf to your diet should NOT be a substitute for regular medical care, but it may be a helpful part of your routine.1
In one medical study, a guava leaf tea was made by pouring hot water over dried guava leaves. This tea was consumed by people with both healthy and unhealthy blood sugar levels after a carbohydrate-heavy meal.2
After 12 weeks, the guava leaf tea showed to provide participants a reduction in blood glucose levels.
2. Natural Support for Healthy Cholesterol and Blood Pressure Levels
Healthy cholesterol levels can be maintained through healthy diet choices and moderate exercise. If you have concerns about your cholesterol levels, see a doctor immediately. There are two kinds of cholesterol you should know: the ‘good’ kind and the ‘bad’ kind.
Low-Density Lipoprotein: a.k.a. bad cholesterol.
This type of cholesterol at high levels contributes to fatty artery build-up. It could happen in your body because of your genetics, or from poor diet choices. It can also lead to complications with blood pressure and heart issues later in life.3
High-Density Lipoprotein: a.k.a good cholesterol.
This type of cholesterol helps your body break down and remove the LDL levels from the heart and arteries. Having high levels of High-Density Lipoprotein can help you maintain good heart health.4
Can guava help manage cholesterol levels? Well, along with proper medical care, perhaps. In one study, those who consumed a drink of water combined with guava leaves showed lower low-density lipoprotein levels.5
3. Guava Leaves for Dental Care
Although there is little research supporting this folk remedy, chewing guava leaves is a popular natural remedy in many countries for oral issues including sores and gum discomfort.
This use is connected to the antibacterial properties of the guava leaf. When the leaves are chewed, they give off a guava juice that is resistant to many strains of bacteria. This guava extract, which coats your gums and teeth, may help provide protection from these bacteria.
This antibacterial property is also why guava leaves are used as a natural remedy against sore throats.6
Again, this remedy is not backed by scientific research, and should not be used instead of regular dental care.
4. Can Guava Help With Diarrhea?
Now, lots of people experience occasional bouts of diarrhea for lots of different reasons. You could simply have consumed too much dietary fiber, or your microbial levels in your intestines are unbalanced.7
One of the properties that guava leaves serve is to soothe the gut and support healthy digestion. This is because of the antimicrobial properties that exist in the guava plant.
Research shows that the antimicrobial qualities of guava leaves extract and guava leaves tea has powerful health benefits that can help boost your digestive tract’s ‘good bacteria’ levels. As always, when experiencing diarrhea for more than three days, be sure to hydrate with water and consult your doctor.8
5. Are Antioxidants Present in Guava Leaves?
The short answer? Yes.
The long answer: Guava leaves contain quercetin, vitamin C, vitamin B, lycopene, and many other flavonoids, among others. And flavonoids are compounds considered powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants serve many beneficial health purposes. They’re:
- Immune system boosters
- Beautiful skin support
- Free-radical fighters
Antioxidants are present in plants, and are processed by the body through a healthy diet or by taking supplements to compound their effects.
Should You Try Guava Leaf Tea?
With multiple health benefit claims around guava leaves, there’s very little reason not to use your next pot of hot water to make a nice guava leaves tea. With regular consumption, along with a healthy diet and lifestyle, the benefits of guava leaves can improve your life in a positive (and tasty) way.
Just remember — adding guava leaf may be a healthy addition to your routine, but it is not something to be used instead of medical care.
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Sources
1 http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0101-20612015000100066
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2831039/
3 https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cholesterol/hdl-good-ldl-bad-cholesterol-and-triglycerides
4
https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cholesterol/hdl-good-ldl-bad-cholesterol-and-triglycerides
5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5071920/
6 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rajaa_Milyani/publication/267825535_Inhibitory_effect_of_some_plant_extracts_on_clinical_isolates_of_Staphylococcus_aureus/links/57f39af208ae8da3ce5348b0/Inhibitory-effect-of-some-plant-extracts-on-clinical-isolates-of-Staphylococcus-aureus.pdf
7https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18353572
8 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18989140