Guava is known well as tropical fruit which rich in nutrients throughout the world. People loves to eat it as it has sweet and juicy flavor. Not only consumed as food, guaya also being used in medicinal purpose. The fruit, leaf and other parts of guava has been proved may give benefits to human health.
Guava plant or Psidium guajava is a small tree or a large evergreen shrub member of Myrtaceae family. It can grow until 15m in height. This plant is native in Mexico and other Central America countries. Since it tropical plant, guava can only adapt to warm climate. Nowadays, after more than 300 years introduced in United State, guava is cultivated in many countries in Asia and Africa with various varieties.
Many researches have been conducted to found the scientific evidence of guava in medication including guava leaves. Health benefits of guava leaves have been used by people to treat digestion problem such as diarrhea and thrush. Guava leaves contains many potential bioactive components such as saponine, tannins, flavonoid, eugenol and tritenoids. Flavonoids ( more than 1.4 % ) and tannins are dominate the polyphenolic component of guava leave.
Health benefits of guava leaves
Since guava leaves contains many active phytochemical, it provides many health benefits those are :
1. Cure diarrhea
Guava leaf in medicinal purpose is mostly used to treat diarrhea. Diarrhea is a condition where the colon cant absorb water due to bacterial infection of Staphylococcus aureus. Study reported that guava leaf has strong anti-bacterial compound such as tannins and essential oil which very effective to fight against S. Aureus infection and inhibit those bacteria growth.
2. Decrease cholesterol level
It is surprising that guava leaf can reduce the level of cholesterol in bloodwhich can cause many health problems. Studies reported that guava leaf contains active phytochemical compounds such as gallic acid, cathechin and epicathecin which can inhibit pancreatic cholesterol esterase which slightly reduce cholesterol level.
3. Prevent from obesity
Obesity is being an epidemic nowadays since the change of people lifestyle. Obesity can cause many health problem such as diabetes and heart disease which are the main cause of mortality in most countries such as United State. Guava leaf contains compound called quarcetin which can inhibit the fat cell formation and the cathechin that has fat burning effect in the body.
4. Prevent diabetes type 2
Cathechin in guava leaf is not only can burn the fat but it also can control the blood glucose level or in other name it has hypoglycemic effect to the body. This may help to prevent the development of diabetes especially type 2 that also become a consequent along with developing obesity.
5. Reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke
Quercetin has a strong antioxidant effect to the body. It can help to reduce oxidative stress which caused by free radicals. This effect of quercetin is lead to inhibit the LDL or low density lipoprotein formation. LDL is known as bad fat which can cause atherosclerosis or plaque in the blood vessels. By consuming guava leaf, you can reduce the risk of develop atherosclerosis and prevent you from heart disease.
6. Prevent from cancer
Many studies have been conducted to found the components and benefits of guava leaf. One of best benefits that you may found in guava leaf is anti-cancer activity. It has been proved that guava leaf can reduce the risk of several types of cancer such as gastric, breast, oral and prostate cancer. This benefits performed by the antioxidant contains in guava leaf such as quercetin, lycopene and Vitamin C. Those components can induce the apoptosis or self-killing activity of cancer cells according to a study which published in 2011.
7. Cure and prevent from cholera
According to study by Rahim et al, the extract of guava leaves has strong anti-microbial activity against Vibrio cholera. Cholera is usually become an epidemic disease in many countries and guava leave is suggested to be given to people who suffer from cholera.
8. Prevent from inflammation
Guava leaf has identified to have strong anti-inflammatory activity which performed by ethanol extract contained in it based on study by Dutta and das. While other researcher, Kawakami found that guava leaf has anti-proliferative activity that can inhibit the catalytic activity of prostaglandin endoperoxide which trigger inflammation. Matsuzake et al reported that glycosides from guava leaves extract showed significant effect in histamine ( protein which trigger inflammation ) inhibition.
9. Protect liver
Guava leaves benefits also very important for liver. Liver is an organ which play important role in detoxification process. Guava leaves have found to have hepatoprotective activity which can cure liver injury induced by paracetamol consumption according to study by Roy and And. It also has strong effect to protect liver from some enzyme which can damage liver cells such as aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin
10. Prevent dermatitis
A study reported that ethyl acetate compound in guava leaves extract can inhibit the chemokine expression in keratinocytes which lead to dermatitis ( skin inflammation ) and other skin disease.
11. Fight allergy
Guava leaf contain quarcetin is known as anti-histamine and anti-inflammatory which can inhibit the development of allergy such as food allergy, asthma and skin reaction. Quercetin makes guava leaf tend to be one of best natural way to fight allergy.
12. Reduce pain
Arthritis is a condition as a symptoms of autoimmune disorder and causing joint pain. The quercetin in guava leaves has significant effect to reduce the pain of arthritis. It is also reported that quercetin can help to lower the effect of infection and remove its pain.
13. Treat stomach ulcer
Guava leaves contain methanol extract that composed by volatiloill, flavonoid and saponine which can be useful to treat stomach ulcer. This methanolic extract of guava composed by tannins and flavonoids also can promote healing effect of gastric wound
14. Keep oral health
Guava leaves is known to keep oral or mouth health. It is believed that chewing guava leaf can protect mouth from developing dental plaque.The anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties in guava leaves also can protect from gum inflammation and get rid of bad breath
15. Treat cough
A study by Jajar et al found that guava leaves showed anti-cough effect by soothes the muscles on respiratory tract.
16. Prevent Hair loss
It is believed that crushing guava leaves and rub them on scalp can prevent hair loss and promote hair growth.
17. Relieves itchy skin
Itchy skin is sign of allergy or other infection. If its not being cure, it will be serious problem, guava leave contains anti-bacterial and anti-inflammation properties which can reduce skin itching. Just crush the leaves and rub to itchy skin to get this benefits.
18. Keep skin young
Strong antioxidant effect of guava leaves can protect the skin from damage which caused by free radicals. Free radicals can be harmful to skin, since its damage the skin cell and the main culprit in aging. Consuming guava leaves tea regularly can keep your skin firm and young.
19. Cure acne
Having acne on your face is sometime annoying. Guava leaves can be used to treat acne, it contains anti-bacterial component which can get rid of P. Acne, the bacteria which cause acne. The anti-inflammatory components in guava leave also can reduce redness and inflammation on skin.
20. Increase man fertility
A study which published in the African Journal of Medicine showed that guava leaves has potential effect in increasing the sperm count in Wistar rats and improve fertility.
21. Treating dengue fever
A study also reported that guava leaves can be used to treat dengue fever since it has an effect to increase the trombocyte or platelet level in blood serum. This makes guava leaves as an effective alternative home remedy to cure dengue fever.
22. Reduce the symptoms of bronchitis
Bronchitis is a condition which the bronchus of respiratory system being infected. Guava leaves can promotes lung opening and loosen the muscle of bronchus that may soothe the cough.
How to make guava leaves tea
To get all those benefits you can start to consume it by making guava leaves as tea. Below is several steps to make guava tea :
- Dry some young guava leaves
- After they got dry, crush them into powder
- Use one tablespoon of guava leaves and add it to one cup of hot water
- Let it brew for 5 minutes then you can strain it
- Drink guava leaves tea regularly, once a day
Those are all benefits that you may get from guava leaves. You can consider it as natural remedy which has many good effect to your body and of course low cost medicine which you can get almost anywhere.
http://drhealthbenefits.com/herbal/leaves/health-benefits-of-guava-leaves
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