Guava

Studies in people

• Benefit

  Iron levels in children²

  In children with mild anemia, drinking guava juice with meals raised hemoglobin slightly more than a placebo drink.

• Benefit

  Blood pressure and cholesterol³

  In people with high blood pressure, eating guava daily lowered blood pressure and cholesterol.

• Benefit

  Anemia in children⁴

  In school children, eating guava with a mungbean meal raised hemoglobin and cut anemia, though body iron stores did not improve.

• Benefit

  Iron absorption from meals⁵

  Eating guava with a rice meal helped teenagers absorb more iron from the food.

• Benefit

  Iron levels in young children⁶

  Adding guava to preschoolers' meals improved their iron levels and cut iron deficiency, though thinking skills and growth stayed the same.

• Benefit

  Gum inflammation⁷

  People eating guava daily before and during skipped brushing had less gum inflammation than those who did not.

Animal and lab studies only

• Benefit

  Blood sugar control⁹

  In lab studies, fermented guava juice blocked enzymes that raise blood sugar and helped cells take up glucose.

• Benefit

  Inflammation and germ-fighting¹⁰

  In lab studies, strawberry guava and common guava extracts showed antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity.

• Benefit

  Blood sugar after meals¹¹

  In animal studies, guava leaf and fruit extracts lowered the blood sugar rise after eating.

Study type not stated

• Benefit

  Disease prevention⁸

  Guava extracts contain compounds like quercetin and gallic acid, which the authors say may help prevent some diseases.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.