Guava: A Natural Source of Disease-fighting Antioxidants

Recent scientific investigations have shown that guava, compared with other tropical fruits, is packed with high-grade antioxidants such as Vitamin C, lycopene, carotenoids and polyphenols.

Let us recall for a moment what these antioxidants do to our body.

Antioxidants are “superstar” chemicals recognized to help reduce the incidence of degenerative diseases such as arthritis, arteriosclerosis, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, inflammation and brain dysfunction. In addition, antioxidants were also reported to retard ageing.

Of course, we want to know how we can easily get hold of these friendly antioxidants from the “little” fruit we all are very familiar with.

Are you all excited? Here it goes…

To obtain these powerful benefits of antioxidants in Guava (Psidium guajava L.) -- which comes in a variety of shapes (round to oval) and colors (white to red), one should take the fruit when they are about to ripen for polyphenols, ripened for Vitamin C and the yellow to red variety for lycopene and carotenoids.

Hmmm…sounds really simple, ha. However, do we have a clue weather the guava we are taking is the quality that provides all these benefits?

Definitely, there is, my friends.

Good quality guavas should be firm and free of bruises. Ripe guavas should exhibit a fragrant fruity aroma. They will continue to ripen after harvest and should be stored at room temperature unless it is very ripe and should be refrigerated.

As a growing kid, back in the province and during my food biochemistry sessions in college, I am completely aware of the high amounts of Vitamin C in guava, but this additional information is certainly a new welcome to my ever growing functional foods dictionary.

What are you waiting for? Start loading your regular meals with guava to harvest these many health benefits.

And, YES! Don’t forget to leave your comments and reactions if you found this article at all useful.