Strawberry guava also known as Cattley guava or cherry guava is red or bright yellow in color and looks like a guava. The red variety is called strawberry guava while the yellow ones are known as lemon guava. Strawberry guava is known for its various health benefits. It can help you lose weight and also supply you with various essential nutrients needed for your body.
Benefits of Strawberry Guava for Health:
Anti-diabetic:
Strawberry guava fruits are full of fiber and help in weight loss as well as maintain normal blood pressure. These properties help in making it great for treating diabetes. The fiber in this fruit educes the consumption of sugar and decreases the risk of your body suffering from high levels of glucose or insulin.
Anti-carcinogenic:
Strawberries have the power to fight against cancer, which is considered as one of the most important benefits of this fruit. It is rich in polyphenols and cancer-fighting elements. They help in getting rid of free radicals that are harmful for the body. They also hamper tumor growth. This fruit contains lycopene, which is a powerful antioxidant. This can prevent many types of cancer.
Constipation:
Due to the presence of dietary fiber in strawberries, they add bulk to the food you consume and help in proper bowel movements. This way it is good for treating constipation. The fiber is also good for preventing heart problems and maintains normal levels of cholesterol and blood sugar.
Improves eyesight:
Vitamin A is present in high amounts in strawberry guavas. This makes it very beneficial for your eyes. Deficiency in Vitamin A can cause night blindness and poor vision. Consuming this fruit regularly can help in improving your eyesight as well as your health. It is also good for preventing cataract and ensures healthy eyes.
Promotes weight loss:
Strawberry guavas are very beneficial for helping you lose weight and at the same time provide you the proteins, vitamins, and fiber you need. It is a rich source of fiber, which can help you reduce cholesterol levels and improve digestion. Experts say that high fiber diet is always great for losing weight effectively. Strawberry guava contains less sugar compared to other fruits like grapes, apples and oranges.
Promotes brain health:
Presence of B vitamins, like B3 and B6, makes this fruit excellent for proper development of the brain. Vitamin B3 helps in increasing the flow of blood to the brain and also improves cognitive functions. So, you can improve the health of your brain by consuming strawberry guavas regularly.
Stimulates digestion:
These fruits are rich sources of dietary fiber and Vitamin C. Presence of dietary fiber in strawberries helps in improving digestion and enables proper movement of food through the small intestine. You can try having strawberries instead of the usual dessert you have. This is delicious and also helps in proper digestion.
Treats dysentery:
Presence of Vitamin C and fiber makes strawberry guava great for your stomach. The astringent properties of this fruit can control microbial growth and help in getting rid of excess mucus form the intestine. This way it helps in curing dysentery.
Thyroid health:
Copper is essential for improving the metabolism of thyroid and this in turn helps in improving your metabolism by regulating the production of hormones and absorption.
Treats scurvy:
The amount of nutrition in strawberry guavas is much more than that found in other fruits like orange and citrus fruits. It is seen that it contains about 5 times more Vitamin C in it than the other fruits. This makes it great for those who are deficient in vitamin C and suffer from scurvy and other Vitamin C deficiency symptoms. It also helps in boosting the immunity power of the body.
With its immense health benefits, strawberry guava is a fruit that you should include in your regular diet.
How to Consume Strawberry Guavas?
You can just bite it and consume it as it is small in size. In case you want to cut it, you have to first remove the calyx, or the protrusion near the bottom of the fruits that looks like a crown. Now wash it well cut it and consume it. You may also peel off the skin and a layer of flesh so that the sweet pulp and seeds are left. Now boil the pulp with water for 30 minutes. For every pound of flesh, you can take about 4 cups of water. Cool it and then strain it to remove the seeds. Now boil the pulpy concoction again and add about 2 cups of sugar to it. Stir it till the pulp becomes thick and slightly creamy. You can use this as jam also.
How to Store Strawberry Guava?
Once they are picked from the tree, they will get ripe and become soft. If they are not soft, you can keep them at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. They will stay for one week in the refrigerator.
Strawberry Guava Recipes you can try:
- Add the de-seeded pulp of this fruit to salad dressings and after adding vinegar, onion and pepper to it. You can add olive oil to it to emulsify the dressing. Now pour this dressing on a salad made with baby lettuce, pineapple, mango, green onion and roasted cashew nuts.
- Add the pulp to tropical fruits.
- Mix the pure of strawberry guava into fruity cocktails like daiquiris and pina coladas.
- You can also mix it with juices and smoothies. They are best when added to bananas and pineapple.
