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Guava

The guava is a tropical fruit that is grown in large quantities in Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and Mexico. The fruit is usually eaten fresh or used to make drinks, jam or other foods. The fruit, the juice of the fruit and the leaves of the guava tree are also used as medicine. Guava is used to treat colic, diarrhea, diabetes, coughs, cataracts, high cholesterol, heart disease and cancer.

How do guava products work?

Guava fruit is a source of vitamin C, fiber and other substances that act as antioxidants. Antioxidants reduce the harmful effects of oxidants. Oxidation is a chemical reaction in which oxygen is added to a chemical element or compound. Guava leaves also contain chemicals with antioxidant or other effects. It is not known how guava might work for diseases.

How effective is guava?

There is not enough scientific data to make a statement regarding the effectiveness of guava products in treating colic, diarrhea, diabetes, coughs, cataracts, high cholesterol, heart disease and cancer. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of guava products for these conditions.

Safety and side effects

The guava fruit is safe and harmless when consumed as a food. However, there is not enough scientific information to assess the safety and harmlessness of using guava products for medicinal purposes.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and lactation: Guava is safe and safe for pregnant and lactating women in normal dietary amounts. However, there is not enough information on whether the larger amounts used as medicine are safe and harmless, so pregnant and breastfeeding women should limit themselves to normal food quantities to be on the safe side.

Interactions

At this time, there is no information on interactions of guava with medications or supplements.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of guava depends on various factors such as age, state of health and others. At this time, there is insufficient scientific data to determine appropriate dosage ranges for guava products. For this reason, you should follow the dosage instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.

References

  1. Belemtougri RG, Constantin B, Cognard C, et al. Effects of two medicinal plants Psidium guajava L. (Myrtaceae) and Diospyros mespiliformis L. (Ebenaceae) leaf extracts on rat skeletal muscle cells in primary culture. Zhejiang Univ Sci B 2006;7:56-63.
  2. Conde Garcia EA, Nascimento VT, Santiago Santos AB. Inotropic effects of extracts of Psidium guajava L. (guava) leaves on the guinea pig atrium. Braz J Med Biol Res 2003;36:661-8.
  3. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Title 21. Part 182 -- Substances Generally Recognized As Safe. Available at: http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid= 786bafc6f6343634fbf79fcdca7061e1&rgn=div5&view= text&node=21:3.0.1.1.13&idno=21
  4. Hassimotto NM, Genovese MI, Lajolo FM. Antioxidant activity of dietary fruits, vegetables, and commercial frozen fruit pulps. J Agric Food Chem 2005;53:2928-35.
  5. Jimenez-Escrig A, Rincon M, Pulido R, Saura-Calixto F. Guava fruit (Psidium guajava L.) as a new source of antioxidant dietary fiber. J Agric Food Chem 2001;49:5489-93.
  6. Mercadante AZ, Steck A, Pfander H. Carotenoids from guava (Psidium guajava l.): isolation and structure elucidation. J Agric Food Chem 1999;47:145-51.
  7. Qian H, Nihorimbere V. Antioxidant power of phytochemicals from Psidium guajava leaf. J Zhejiang Univ Sci 2004;5:676-83.
  8. Rahmat A, Abu Bakar MF, Faezah N, Hambali Z. The effects of consumption of guava (psidium guajava) or papaya (carica papaya) on total antioxidant and lipid profile in normal male youth. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 2004;13(Suppl):S106..
  9. Yusof RM, Said M. Effect of high fiber fruit (Guava - psidium guajava L.) on the serum glucose level in induced diabetic mice. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 2004;13(Suppl):S135.