Did you know that Guavas are Superfruits – High in Antioxidants!

For those who grew up in the Caribbean, South America or Asia, especially in the rural areas of most countries some of our most memorable events involved guavas. Either you were climbing a guava tree and picking guavas or you were picking up guavas which had fallen to the ground. Back then, and even now, guavas were the fruit accompaniment to lunch or even desert. Guavas are often eaten raw, and in some instances typically cut into quarters with a pinch of salt and pepper. The fruit is also often prepared as a dessert, in fruit salads and because of the high level of pectin, guavas are extensively used to make candies, preserves, jellies, jams, marmalades and also for juices. Most people in the Caribbean and the tropics take guavas for granted not realizing the significant health benefits of guava.

Recently, USDA researchers have discovered that guava is a new star in the antioxidant galaxy. As growers in tropical areas cultivate guava, star fruit, mango and papaya as well as more exotic crops such as pitaya, sapodilla, lychee, longan and mamey sapote, scientists are working to expand their nutritional knowledge of less-familiar produce. Researchers at the US Citrus and Subtropical Products Research Laboratory in Winter Haven, Fla., working with colleagues at two Thai universities, are analyzing all these fruits for phytonutrients and other components. They've recently shown that star fruit (carambola), red pitaya (also known as "red dragon") and mamey sapote are all high in antioxidant compounds called "phenolics," and mamey sapote is also high in fiber. But the one tropical fruit that beats them all is guava, which had the highest antioxidant potential, total phenolics, vitamin C and dietary fiber.

According to horticulturist, Liz Baldwin, “these specialty tropical fruits are delicious and pack a nutritional punch. They're a great addition to a healthy diet." Guava's antioxidant content proved to be similar to that of orange, grapefruit and broccoli, and just below that of spinach-all foods considered high in antioxidants. Other fruits that ranked surprisingly high in antioxidants included lychee and papaya. Hence guavas are often considered as “superfruits", being rich in vitamins A and C with seeds that are rich in omega-3, omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and especially dietary fiber. Guavas contain both carotenoids and polyphenols – the major classes of antioxidant pigments –, giving them relatively high dietary antioxidant value among plant food. As these pigments produce the fruits' color, guavas that are red or orange in color have more potential value as antioxidants sources. Here a few guava recipes for your perusal.

Banana Guava Pie

1 1/2 cup Sliced bananas
1 1/4 cup Guava nectar
1/2 cup Sugar
1 tbsp Lemon juice
1/4 tsp Salt
3 tbsp Cornstarch
3 tbsp Cold water
Baked pie shell

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