Will eating guava seeds cause constipation? The truth of the matter is…

More C means more health. Vitamin C can protect cells from damage by free radicals, help maintain beauty and prevent aging. In the fruit competition, guava is definitely the "king of vitamin C". However, there has always been a saying that "guava seeds cannot be eaten because they will cause constipation". Is this true? Experts believe the real key lies elsewhere.

Vitamin C is 3.7 times that of lemon, making guava the king of high-C fruits

Among the common types of fruits in China, guava is not only low in calories and rich in dietary fiber, which helps with bowel movements and weight loss, but also contains much more vitamin C than other fruits, making it the "King of Vitamin C" in the fruit world.

According to the Food and Drug Administration's Food Nutrient Database, every 100 grams of guava contains an average of 37.3 calories, 3.4 grams of dietary fiber, and 126.2 milligrams of vitamin C. The vitamin C content is 1.7 times that of kiwi fruit, 1.75 times that of strawberry, 2.5 times that of cherry tomatoes, and 3.7 times that of lemon.

Not just beauty! Guava is also great for controlling blood sugar

In addition to helping with bowel movements and beautifying the skin, guava is also a good helper in stabilizing blood sugar. Guava leaves contain polyphenols, which can inhibit the activity of sugar-degrading enzymes. When the activity of the molecules responsible for transporting glucose to small intestinal cells is inhibited by polyphenols, blood sugar will not rise sharply after a meal. Therefore, drinking guava leaf tea can stabilize blood sugar.

Alternatively, you can cut the immature guava fruit into shreds, dry them, add water and boil them into tea to drink. It can promote metabolism, stabilize blood sugar, reduce fat accumulation, has an auxiliary effect on diabetes caused by obesity, and also helps prevent other chronic diseases induced by obesity.

Will eating guava seeds cause constipation? Not chewing slowly + drinking too little water is the key

Guava has so many nutritional benefits, but it has always been plagued by rumors that "eating guava seeds will cause constipation." Many people simply don't buy or eat it, or dig out the seeds and throw them away as garbage, and only eat the pulp. But in fact, guava seeds do not directly cause constipation, and throwing away the seeds is equivalent to wasting nutrients.

The book "Encyclopedia of Dietary Do's and Don'ts," edited by Zheng Jinbao, director of the Nutrition Department of National Taiwan University Hospital, mentioned that guava seeds are indeed difficult to digest, but most modern people do not chew their food slowly, do not drink enough water, and have poor gastrointestinal function, which are the real reasons why constipation is prone to occur. If you eat unseeded guava slowly and bite the seeds before swallowing them, you don't have to worry about causing constipation. Not only that, it can also promote intestinal peristalsis and absorb more iron.

However, if you have poor gastrointestinal function, it is not recommended to eat guava seeds as they are hard and can easily hurt the stomach and intestines. In addition, guava is a warm fruit in traditional Chinese medicine, and is not suitable for people with hot constitutions to consume in large quantities.