Where does Guava Leaf Tea come from?
Interested in the benefits of guava leaf tea?
First, let’s take a look at what guava is and where it comes from.
Guava tree or Psidium guajava is a tropical plant that traces its roots back to Central America.
Guava fruits are one of the world’s most loved tropical fruits, thanks to them being tasty, juicy, and highly nutritious.
In addition to being eaten by themselves, the superfruits can easily be incorporated into a massive variety of dishes, beverages, and jams.
But did you know that guava leaves are also edible?
That’s right!
The young leaves of the guava tree may even be more beneficial than the delicious fruits.
Guava leaves are commonly used as herbal tea, while guava leaf extracts have been used as supplements in medicine to help with stomach pain and temporary nausea.
The leaves are amazingly rich in antioxidants (vitamin C), anti-inflammatory and antibacterial compounds.
In fact, a 2007 research published in the Journal of Food and Chemistry states that guava leaf extracts may be more potent than those of dried guava fruits.
Guava leaves are also an excellent source of tannins, essential oils, polyphenols, carotenoids, fatty acids, and other beneficial compounds that may enhance its therapeutic potential.
Today, herbalists worldwide use guava leaf tea to treat different diseases like diabetes, arthritis, digestive problems, toothaches, and inflammations.
15 unbelievable health benefits of guava leaf tea
1. Promotes Weight Loss
Obesity and overweight cases have nearly tripled since 1975.
Unfortunately, obesity has become a major public health problem.
It puts people at high risk of many serious health problems like diabetes, stroke, heart diseases, and even cancer.
One of the significant health benefits of guava leaf tea is its ability to prevent complex starches from being converted into sugars, consequently promoting weight loss.
Usually, sugars are metabolized by the liver, where they are turned into fats that are deposited in our blood.
This contributes to weight gain.
Luckily, quercetin, a flavonoid contained in guava leaves, has the potential to inhibit the formation of fat molecules.
This significantly reduces the amount of sugar and calories being absorbed by the body, hence aiding weight loss.
2. Possesses Anti-Diabetic Properties
Regular consumption of guava leaf tea after meals may help pre-diabetic and diabetic patients.
In fact, the tea has been approved in Japan for medical use to help in the prevention and treatment of diabetes.
Clinical trials conducted in Japan have supported the potent anti-diabetic properties of guava leaf tea.
Frequent consumption of guava leaf tea can help lower blood glucose levels, especially in patients with Type 2 diabetes.
Guava leaves are commonly used as herbal tea, while guava leaf extracts have been used as supplements in medicine to help with stomach pain and temporary nausea.
Specific compounds in guava prevent the absorption of sucrose and maltose.
Preventing the absorption of these types of sugars can help control blood sugar levels after each meal.
A study published in Nutrition & Metabolism seeks to explain this benefit of guava leaf tea.
During the study, the patients drank guava leaf tea after eating a glucose heavy meal (white rice) which is known to cause spikes in blood sugar.
The human subjects showed a significant decrease in blood sugar levels, especially after 30, 90, and 120 minutes.
Some study participants drank hot water only after the white rice meal during the same study but did not show any benefits.
3. May Lower Cholesterol
Cholesterol is an essential substance in our bodies required to build healthy cells and make essential vitamins and other important hormones.
However, high cholesterol levels can limit blood flow, putting you at a high risk of heart diseases like increased heart rate, heart attack, and stroke.
Luckily, research continues to back up guava leafs’ ability to lower cholesterol in our bodies.
According to research, drinking guava leaf tea for three months can significantly reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides levels.
In fact, regular consumption of tea may increase good cholesterol.
Guava leaf tea is also a great liver tonic.
4. May Help Prevent Cancer
Cancer is the biggest killer disease globally, accounting for nearly 1 in 6 deaths.
The disease is characterized by the uncontrollable development of abnormal cells, which have the ability to destroy our normal body tissues.
Various studies have concluded that one of the biggest benefits of guava leaf tea is in anti-cancer ability.
The beneficial ingredients in guava leaf extracts, guava leaf oil, guava seeds, and whole-plant extract have been studied for possible chemotherapeutic effects.
They have been shown to reduce the risk of many types of cancer, including gastric, colon, breast, oral, epidermal, and prostate cancers.
A report published in the Journal of Medicinal Foods concludes that the antioxidant activity of guava leaves can help counter inflammation and oxidative stress that leads to cancer.
Some antioxidants found in guava tea, such as vitamin C, quercetin, and lycopene, can induce self-killing activity (apoptosis) of cancer cells, according to this 2011 study.
5. Contains Anti-Viral and Antibacterial properties
Several studies have confirmed the antibacterial properties of guava leaf tea.
In fact, folk medicine has used dried leaves of the guava plant for decades to treat viral infections like the common cold and flu.
The leaves have also been found to help with critical viral diseases like dengue fever and severe dengue infections.
According to the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, the extracts of dried guava leaves can effectively obstruct the development of Staphylococcus aureus.
Staph A. is a Gram-positive bacterium that often causes respiratory tract diseases, skin infections, and food poisoning.
Interestingly, Staph. A can cause secondary infections in eczema, and many eczema victims carry this bacterium on their skins.
Hence, drinking guava leaf tea on a daily basis may be very beneficial for skin problems as well.
6. Treats Diarrhea and Dysentery
Guava may be a herbal medicine for diarrhea and dysentery.
An animal study confirms that the medicinal properties of fresh guava leaf extract may be used to treat infectious diarrhea effectively.
If you want to treat diarrhea, prepare a concoction by boiling 30 grams of guava leaf with a small handful of rice flour.
Drink it at least two times per day.
To treat dysentery, boil the roots and leaves of guava for 20 minutes at 90°C.
Strain the concoction and drink it in moderation, and your symptoms are relieved.
7. Aids Digestion
One of the key health benefits of guava leaf tea is helping in digestion and alleviating many digestive ailments.
Guava contains fiber that has been shown to promote proper digestion by solidifying and softening stools.
This benefit also eases the symptoms of constipation and diarrhea while boosting your overall immune system.
Drinking guava leaf tea thrice per day can be particularly helpful with food poisoning, nausea, stomach aches, and vomiting.
8. Relieves Pain
Regular consumption of guava leaf extract can help alleviate pain resulting from different causes like Dysmenorrhea.
Evidence shows that guava extract may reduce the intensity of both menstrual and uterine cramps.
Quercetin, a flavonoid found in guava leaves, also has a significant effect in reducing the tremendous pain caused by arthritis.
Guava can also help relieve other pains like abdominal pains and toothaches while promoting a healthy oral cavity by preventing the growth of microbes in the mouth.
9. Protects The Skin and Promotes Hair Growth
Free radicals cause skin damage by breaking down our skin’s natural collagen.
This results in skin blemishes like unflattering wrinkles, fine lines, black spots, and the development of loose, saggy skin.
Guava leaf tea possesses strong antioxidant properties that destroy free radicals, effectively protecting the skin from free radical damages.
Consuming guava leaf tea can promote a healthy, firm, and youthful skin tone.
The antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agents in guava leaf can help reduce skin redness and inflammation.
The abundant antioxidants and beneficial nutrients in guava leaf can also promote healthy hair growth while making it soft, lustrous, and increasing hair volume.
10. May Promote a Healthy Digestive System
Guava leaf tea may actually be very beneficial for your digestive tract health.
The tea stimulates the production of specific gastric enzymes important for speeding digestion and improving nutrient absorption in the body.
11. May Promote Liver Health
The liver is a vital body organ that eliminates toxins from our body’s blood supply, consequently maintaining healthy blood sugar levels and regulating blood clotting.
Guava leaves have a powerful hepatoprotective activity that can cure livery injuries resulting from paracetamol consumption.
Guava tea can also protect the liver from the common enzymes that cause liver cell damage like alkaline phosphatase, aspartate, and bilirubin.
12. May Treat Bronchitis
Bronchitis is a medical condition characterized by the inflammation of the bronchial tube lining, which transports air to and from the lungs.
Bronchitis patients often cough up thickened and discolored mucus.
The good news is that the guava leaf can effectively reduce inflammation in the respiratory tract and speed up bronchitis recovery by suppressing the need to cough.
13. Treats A Sore Throat
The anti-inflammatory activity of guava leaf tea can help soothe a sore throat, throat irritation, and inflammation.
14. May Reduce Allergies
Guava leaf tea possesses anti-allergic properties.
This, plus other usable compounds in the tea, can effectively block most allergic reactions.
15. Boost Sperm Production
Guava leaf tea has the potential to increase sperm production and sperm count in men, thus improving fertility and helping in conception.
How To Brew Guava Leaf Tea
- Thoroughly wash 4 or 5 healthy pieces of guava leaves
- Boil the leaves in 1litre of water
- Allow it to boil for a few minutes and turn off the heat
- Strain the herbal tea and bring it to room temperature before consuming it.
- You can add natural sweeteners like honey to taste.
Benefits of Guava leaf tea - The bottom line
Guava is the tropical superfood that everyone is talking about.
Consuming guava leaves as tea makes it an efficient way to get the goodness that your body needs.
As well as general immune-boosting properties, guava leaf tea is fantastic for preventing disease and keeping your body cleansed.
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