All parts of guava have long been used to treat many illnesses
The guava (Psidium guajava), also known as apple guava and called i in Vietnamese, is grown throughout the country for fruit, shade and firewood. It is also grown as a beautiful bonsai that is favored by quite a few bonsai lovers.
Varying between species, guava fruit skin is usually green before maturity, but becomes yellow, maroon or green when ripe. Depending on species, guava pulp may be sweet or sour, white to deep pink, with the seeds in the central pulp of variable number and hardness.
Guava fruit is rich in dietary fiber, vitamins A, B and C, folic acid and such minerals as potassium, copper and manganese. The fruit contains both carotenoids and polyphenols, the major classes of antioxidant pigments. As these pigments produce the fruit skin and flesh color, red-orange guavas have more pigment content than yellow-green ones.
Many studies conducted on apple guava show that extracts from its leaves or bark have therapeutic properties against cancer, bacterial infections, inflammation and pain. In traditional Vietnamese medicine, guava leaves and bark have also been used to treat diarrhea and diabetes.
Remedies
To relieve external pain, squeeze young guava buds with a little alum and salt; add a little water and stir the mixture well. Apply the mixture onto painful areas a few times a day. Or, squeeze fresh guava leaves and apply them onto the painful areas during the day.
To relieve toothache, simmer guava root bark with a little vinegar. Hold this solution in the mouth as many times as possible until the pain disappears.
Roast young guava leaves and grind them into powder. Dissolve a little of this powder with water and drink it twice a day to treat stomach or intestine inflammation. Or, squeeze guava leaves with fresh ginger rhizome and a little salt; simmer them and drink the solution.
To cure dysentery, slice some dried guava fruits and simmer them. Drink the broth many times a day. Or, simmer fresh guava leaves and drink the solution during the day to replace water.
Slice a big apple guava fruit and squeeze it. Drink the juice twice a day to treat diabetes. You can just eat two or three ripe guava fruits a day to cure diabetes. Or, simmer dried guava leaves and drink the broth every day.
To boost digestion for children, simmer a small amount each of guava leaves, hng trà (tea buds collected from cold highlands) and roasted rice; add a little sugar and salt. Let the children drink the solution three to four times a day.
To treat diarrhea, simmer guava buds and bark with a little fresh ginger rhizome and tô mc (Caesalpinia sappan). Drink the solution as many times a day as possible. Or, simmer guava buds, or young leaves, with a little dried tangerine rind and fresh ginger rhizome. Drink the solution hot.
