Guavas are Good For You

I was recently at a very healthy eating soul food restaurant called "Green Soul" in Philadelphia....I plan to write about this establishment in detail at a later date and I had some Guava juice....on ice....Prior to having this juice , I had never heard of the fruit, Guava or of it's healing powers... The juice was great.

Guavas are a small tropical fruit that can be round, oval or pear-shaped . They're not all that common, but if you can track them down, it's more than worth it. Guavas contain more of the cancer-fighting antioxidant lycopene than any other fruit or vegetable.

Lycopene protects our healthy cells from free radicals that can cause blocked arteries, joint degeneration, nervous system problems and even cancer. Lycopene consumption is associated with significantly lower rates of prostate cancer  and men with prostate tumors who consumed lycopene supplements showed significant improvements. Lycopene has also been found to inhibit the growth of breast cells, and research suggests that this antioxidant may also help protect against heart disease.

Guavas are also packed with lots of vitamin c and other antioxidants. Serving for serving, guava offers more than 60 percent more potassium than a banana.

 

 Aim to eat fresh guavas as often as you can when you can find them in stores. They're not commonly available in the freezer section, and most guava juices are processed and sweetened, so they don't provide the same superior nutrition that the whole, fresh fruit does. One to two guavas a day is a good goal.

 

Tip: Opt for the red-fleshed variety if you can; both are loaded with antioxidants or cancer fighting foods, but the red type has more than the white-fleshed apple guava.