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GUAVA Benefits
Native to South America, guavas are grown commercially in many countries today and are available throughout the winter in South Africa. They are pear-shaped or round and are similar to the size of a small apple. Their thin, tough yellow skin tastes slightly bitter, but the creamy, highly scented and juicy flesh is sweet. About half the fruit is made up of hard but edible seeds. Do not discard these - they are as high in vitamins as the flesh. Weight for weight, a guava contains more than five times as much vitamin C as an orange. One fresh 90 gram fruit contains comfortably more than the recommended adult daily requirement of the vitamin. Even after losing almost 25 percent of the vitamin in the canning process, tinned guavas in syrup are still an excellent source of vitamin C, which is vital for the production of collagen and healthy skin and tissues. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant, helping to mop up potentially harmful Free Radicals. The flesh and seeds of a guava are a useful source of soluble fibre in the form of pectin. This fruit is also a good source of potassium, which can assist in regulating blood pressure. Select greenish-yellow fruit that are not bruised but just ripe and starting to lose their firmness. Guavas will give your fruit salad a vitamin C boost. |