English Guava in herbal medicine

This is a shrub with numerous branches up to 5 m high or more. The bark is thin, scaly, and flaky and the young branches are hairy and four-angled.

Scientific Name for English guava: Psidium guajava L Bayabas. There are different types of guavas and this is one of the many the English Guava.

The leaves are opposite, ovate oblong to elliptic, hairy up to 12 cm long with entire margins and prominent lateral veins.

The fruit is edible and makes an excellent jelly or jam and used for seasoning foods. The bark and the leaves are boiled for diarrhea. Wood is used for tool handles.

Guava fruit is not only good in vitamins but is good for the treatment of diarrhea, fainting spells, ringworm, swollen gum, sun burn and prickly heat. For the relief of diarrhea boil 10 chop leaves in 2 glasses of water for 15 minutes.

Adults drink 1 cup 3 times daily after every loose bowel movement children under 2 yrs. 1 tbp., 3 times 2 - 6 yrs. 1/4 cup 3 times and 7 - 12 1/2 cup 3 times after every loose bowel movement.

The skin of color ripe fruits ranges from pale green to bright yellow skin with or without a red blush. The fruits of guava possess a strong, unique and alluring flavor and aroma due to esters and terpene.
English Guava in herbal medicine

Guava fruit

The guava may be called the apple of the tropics. From its original home in tropical American, it has become dispersed over all equatorial regions.

Amongst the fruit, guava is very popular with all types of consumers but at the same time, it is highly perishable because of soft skin, get easily bruised and readily infected with various fungi during handling and transit.

Guavas are either eaten fresh, or used in juice, ice-cream, jellies, pastes or preserve. Guava is considered an important fruit nutritionally because of the high level of ascorbic acid which can be five times greater than in oranges and ten times greater than in tomatoes.

The guava is an arborescent shrub or small tree, sometimes growing to twenty-five or theory feet, the native home of guava is in Tropical America.

The guayaba, from which comes the English Guava, is believed to be of Haitian origin.

Based on shape of guava fruit, the cultivars are classified in two broad categories, the pyriferum – pear shape guava and the pomiferum – rounded shaped guava and these are often called pear guava and apple guava respectively.

The fruits are harvested at green stage and just after picking, the bruised, malformed and unwanted fruits are sorted out and healthy ones are sent to market. Half mature fruits are preferable for sending to distant markets.
Guava fruit