In this article we will tell you about the chemical composition of guava, its calorie content, what are the benefits and harms of the fruit, where it grows and what it resembles. Guava is a small round or oval fruit up to 12 centimeters in length, similar in appearance to an apple or pear. This fruit grows on a small evergreen spreading tree (shrub) whose height is within four meters in height, rarely if it exceeds ten meters. The scientific botanical name of the plant is Psidium, the Myrtle family (as Wikipedia says - this family includes about 100 species), class Dicotyledonous, Angiosperms department.
The homeland of the guava stretches from Mexico to the Northern Territories of South America. Now the fruit is also harvested in Africa, Southeast Asia and India. At home, you can also grow a bush, it is unpretentious in care (easily tolerates drought) and to the soil. In general, several types of psidium have been found in nature. Most of all the others are cultivated - strawberry guava. Guava contains many beneficial nutrients. The fruit of Psidium is used in cosmetology, in cooking: for making jams, jellies, squeezing juices, preparing alcoholic beverages. Tea is brewed from the leaves and decoctions are prepared.
Video about a psidium bush or how a green fruit grows:
Guava or Psidium guava
The tree is harvested once a year. Less often it happens twice, but the fruits will be smaller. It usually takes three to five months from flowering to harvest. The weight of large fruits reaches 160 g, small ones only 70 g. The color of a ripe guava can be yellow, green, burgundy. The rind is dense, bumpy, but not thick. The thicker it is, the more bitter, thinner rind tastes sweet. The aroma that comes from the guava is not harsh, reminiscent of the smell of lemon, lemon peel. The flesh tastes sweet, sometimes sour. Very hard seeds are hidden in the guava pulp.
It is better to take ripe fruits for food, even better fresh ones. They are sweet and contain a lot of pectin (it removes toxins). Guava is eaten whole, along with the skin. Although, only tropical apples treated with chemicals fall into our stores, so it is better to peel them off. Unripe fruit tastes sour and can negatively affect kidney function. Guava juice is very healthy and tasty, but it is better to drink it freshly squeezed, or at least packaged in the country where the fruit was harvested. They also consume seeds, they are also useful.
Very nutritious from guava jams, jellies and marmalades. They are delicious and can be eaten alone or in combination with something. For example, it can be added to milkshakes or pies as a filling.
I really like this fruit for its unusual aroma and taste. Very often I had to buy it while I was in Thailand. There guava fruit is cheap and affordable. I think its only drawback is the huge amount of seeds (according to Wikipedia - from 112 to 535 pcs.). They are 2-3 mm long and very tough - you can't bite through.
Guava composition and calories
The calorie content of guava per 100 g of pulp is only 69 kcal
- Protein - 0.58 g
- Fat - 0.6 g
- Carbohydrates - 17.4 g
- Water - 80, 7 g
- Dietary fiber - 5.4 g
- Ash - 0.8g
- Saturated fatty acids - 0.18 g
Macronutrients and trace elements:
- Calcium - 21 mg
- Phosphorus - 27 mg
- Sodium - 37 mg
- Potassium - 292 mg
- Magnesium - 17 mg
- Iron - 0.22 mg
Vitamins:
- B1 (thiamine) - 0.03 mg
- B2 (riboflavin) - 0.03 mg
- C - 37 mg
- A (RE) - 5 μg
- PP - 0.6 mg
Guava - beneficial properties
Different countries will name their disease from which the "tropical apple" helped. For example:
- in Latin America (Brazil), it is useful for ailments of the throat and lungs;
- in Panama relieves gastrointestinal problems;
- in the island states of the Atlantic, psidium treats epilepsy and seizures;
- Europeans talk about the benefits of guava for heart ailments and consider guava to be the most useful product for baby food, for feeding expectant mothers during pregnancy;
- the Israelis eat tropical apples because they consider it a wholesome and healthy food.
The properties and composition of the fruit helps to lose weight. The rind of the fruit contains more antioxidants than the pulp. It has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antitumor and antispasmodic effects. However, diabetics should be careful as they Eating the healthy guava with the peel will increase your glucose levels. Continuous consumption of the fruit increases the liver's resistance to negative influences.
Not only the guava fruit is useful, the benefits of the leaves and bark of this plant are irrefutable. Tea is brewed from them. This drink tones up, cures dysentery, relieves dizziness, and sets the menstrual cycle. A decoction of the leaves also soothes coughs, treats a sore throat and disinfects the oral cavity. The crushed leaves are applied to the wound to stop the inflammation and the reproduction of pathogenic microbes.
Video:
Guava contraindications
Guava has no serious contraindications, but in some cases it can harm the body. One of the caveats is caution when taking allergy sufferers and diabetics. In general, as in everything, in eating even a healthy guava, you must adhere to the norm and not overeat. If you eat more fruits than you need (for example, 1 kg), then diarrhea may appear. Unripe fruits can be dangerous for consumption, because contain arabinose and hexahydroxidiphenic acid ester, which harm the kidneys.
How to choose a guava
This fruit does not tolerate storage. After buying it, they immediately eat it, well, at worst, it is not stored for long in the refrigerator. Guava absorbs odors well, so it is kept separate from other products, or in a sealed container. You can freeze, from this the beneficial properties of guava do not disappear.
When buying a tropical apple from the store, choose the yellowest and slightly softest specimens. The best way ? intact, complete skin without darkening.
Interesting fruit facts
- In the first (main) harvest of the year, up to 100 kg of fruits are harvested from one bush (tree). In total, a tree can bear fruit up to 2-3 times a year, but naturally, subsequent annual harvests will not be as powerful as the first.
- Ripening guava has a strong aroma. It is pleasant and resembles a citrus scent. It is quite possible to put it in a smoky room and it will eliminate the unpleasant smell of tobacco.
- Usually, the flesh of the fruit is white, but there are varieties with yellow, pink or bright red flesh.
