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Is Guava Keto Friendly?
Guava is one of the most famous tropical fruits in the market, and this fruit can be used to make a lot of things, which include Guava jams, Guava can even be added into boring old salads which makes salads fun to eat.
Even in desserts, Guava can be used as an ingredient, talk about a multipurpose fruit!
Moreover, this fruit is even used to make beverages which are loved worldwide, and you might have tried them in the likes of delicious Guava smoothies, and Guava milkshakes as well.
In fact, Guava is an essential food item for people who are on weight loss diets, as Guavas help stabilize and regulate the metabolism in our body, and this fruit is rich in fiber, which is great for the heart and this fruit has very little sugar in it.
Having said that, for the people on weight loss diets, including the infamous “Keto Diet”, the constant question is “Is Guava Keto?”.
There is no doubt about the health benefits and general benefits of eating Guava, but is Guava keto friendly? This article aims to teach you all about the tropical fruit, and answer any questions that may come along the way. So, without further ado, let’s find out more!
What is Guava?
The Guava is perhaps one of the most recognizable and famous fruits in the world. This fruit is mostly cultivated and grown in countries which have tropical weathers, and can be found in subtropical regions all around the world.
Most famously, Guavas are found to be produced the most in areas such as Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and even in Northern South America as well.
This fruit has a very light and pleasant taste which is sweet in nature, and there is a general consensus amongst many people that this fruit is a cross between strawberries and pears.
Did you know that the taste of the Guava fruit varies because there are so many different types of Guavas, each with their own unique and delicious taste?
Moreover, the juice that is extracted from Guavas is an essential ingredient in many famous cuisines in regions such as Mexico and in Latin America as well.
You might have tried, and might even be a fan of the famous Agua Fresca drink, but did you know that the main ingredient in this famous drink is Guava?
It doesn’t end there, as Guavas are even used to make candies and confectioneries which include snacks, desserts and even fruit bars!
But, in our opinion, the best way to eat this delicious fruit is in its raw form, with a little bit of salt, and this method of eating Guava is mostly famous in South East Asia, especially in India and Pakistan.
Despite being very delicious and having a lot of richness in flavor, the Guava is rich in many other healthy things as well, which include Potassium, Vitamin C, antioxidants and even dietary fiber as well!
This makes this fruit very helpful in combating high blood sugar levels, and a study even suggests that this fruit can bolster the health of the human heart, by reducing the sugar levels in the blood, and even lowering the cholesterol levels as well.
Is Guava Keto?
This is perhaps the most important question, and one which we need to answer for all people on diets. “Is Guava Keto?”.
To answer this question, let us take into consideration that half a cup of a serving of Guava has approximately 12 grams of fat that is satiating in it, and it has a total of 2.6 grams of net carbs in it as well. For most keto diet followers, there has to be a perfect blend of the ratio of carbs to fats.
Keeping in mind the ratio of carbs and fats in the statistics above, the Guava fruit seems to be a perfect fit for people on the keto diet.
As this fruit contains very little sugar which roughly measures to about 2.8 grams per serving, and is considerably very less than other fruits such as bananas, oranges and even apples!
Moreover, a single serving of the Guava fruit has approximately 6.4 grams of fiber approximately, which can amount to a total of 25% of the daily requirement of fiber by the human body, to function normally and perfectly.
Did you know, eating fruits that contain a higher content of fiber is an amazing way to get rid of the need to eat and rely on carbs, which helps in maintaining the consumption of carbs on the low, and it also helps keep the count of digestible carbs to a minimum?
Having said all the above, one can safely conclude that yes, Guava is in fact, keto friendly. So, you have the green signal to proceed and use Guava as you may like, on top of a salad, or even eat it raw as you may prefer.
You can also use a few frozen cubes of Guava to make a fulfilling and healthy smoothie to have a great start to the day. We will share keto friendly recipes later on in the article, so be sure to stick around for those.
The Nutritional Information for Guavas
Now that we have discussed what Guavas are, and how they are beneficial for consumption, let's take a deeper look into the nutritional value of Guavas.
Guavas include a lot of nutrition which is helpful and healthy for the body, so a serving of 100 grams of Raw Guavas provides you with a total of 14 grams of carbohydrates, in which 5.4 grams are derived from dietary fiber.
There are 8.9 grams of net carbs in Guavas, and there are 2.6 grams of proteins as well, along with 1 gram of fats too. Guavas are rich in minerals and vitamins such as Iron, Zinc, Sodium, Calcium, Potassium and Phosphorus.
There are other vitamins such as Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Vitamin A as well. The following table illustrates the nutrition facts of Guava in depth, for a serving size of 100 grams:
| Calories (amount per serving)= 68 calories | Value |
| Total Fat | 1 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 0.3 grams |
| Trans Fat | 0 grams |
| Monounsaturated Fats | 0.1 grams |
| Polyunsaturated Fats | 0.4 grams |
| Cholesterol | 0 milligrams |
| Sodium | 2 milligrams |
| Potassium | 417 milligrams |
| Total Carbs | 14 grams |
| Sugars | 8.9 grams |
| Dietary Fiber | 5.4 grams |
| Protein | 2.6 grams |
| Vitamin A | 12% Daily Value |
| Vitamin C | 381% Daily Value |
| Iron | 1.4% Daily Value |
| Calcium | 1.4% Daily Value |
What Are The Health Benefits of Eating Guava?
After mentioning the nutritional profile, it would have been criminal to not mention the positive and health benefits of including Guava into your diet plan, as well as your normal day to day life. The following are the health benefits of incorporating Guava into your diet, and they are as follows:
- Guavas are rich in Antioxidants and in Nutrients:
These tropical fruits are massively rich and nutritious and they contain Vitamin C, potassium, fiber and even antioxidants! Moreover, this fruit is also very useful as it provides magnesium, Vitamin B-6, and Vitamin A as well. It is useful to mention here that the antioxidants that can be found in Guavas, are particularly helpful when it comes to reducing and nullifying the harmful and dangerous effects of oxidation that are known to lead to the catastrophe of disease! - Guavas Stabilize Blood Sugar Levels:
There has been a lot of research and study done on this wondrous fruit, and it has been established that the Guava juice that is extracted, can help to regulate, control and even improve the blood sugar level in people who suffer from diabetes. It is a known fact that making tea from the leaf of the Guava, and drinking that very tea, is known to have reduced the blood sugar level by a staggering 10% for 2 hours after a meal. How amazing is that? - Guavas Promote the Health of the Heart:
The Guava fruit itself or even the leaf of the Guava are known to have a very healthy effect on the health, and in particular, the extracts of the fruit and the leaf of the fruit are very useful in this aspect. Studies have deduced that this fruit is responsible for lowering the blood pressure and the dangerous and unhealthy level of the LDL cholesterol while it simultaneously increases the healthy and beneficial HDL cholesterol levels.
There was a study conducted by the Heart Research Laboratory, Medical Hospital and Research Centre which is located in India. In this three month extensive study, the results deduced that the consumption of a ripe guava before a meal led to the dropping of blood pressure by a staggering 8 to 9 points, and a reduction in the LDL cholesterol levels by an astronomical 9.9%, side by side, there was an increase in the good and healthy HDL cholesterol levels by a respectable 8%. - Guavas Relieve Menstrual Cramps Pain:
It was observed that women who took the Guava fruit or the extract from the Guava leaf experienced reduced and relieved symptoms when it came to menstrual cramps. There was a study conducted by the Epidemiology and Health Services Research Unit in Mexico that discovered that women, who took 6 milligrams of the Guava leaf extract on a daily basis, experienced less menstrual pain than they normally would, as this extract acted like a natural painkiller. - Guava Improved Digestion:
It is a known fact that the daily and regular consumption of Guava or the Guava leaf can relieve and even prevent constipation as well as diarrhea. As a Guava fruit contains roughly about 12% of the daily recommended need of dietary fiber. Studies conducted have shown that the Guava leaf extracts contain antimicrobials as well, which are useful to fight off harmful microbes that can be found in the human gut. - Guava has Anti Cancer Properties:
The abundance of antioxidants in Guavas are useful combatants which fight off cancer cells and even slow down and hinder the growth of cancer cells. There was a test-tube study which was published by the Pharmaceutical Cosmetic Raw Materials and Natural Products Research and Development Center that is in Thailand, which discovered that the Guava leaf oil was 4 times more potent and useful as stopping the growth of cancer cells, than known and famous cancer drugs.
The results of this test-tube experiment are very promising, but there needs to be more research done at a global level to further explore the possibilities of this wonder fruit! - Guavas Strengthen the Immune System:
This tropical fruit is infamous for the high levels of Vitamins, particularly Vitamin C, which is double the daily recommended intake, in just one serving of Guava! This sufficient consumption of Vitamin C is very important when it comes to fighting off infections and foreign germs, and it protects the body from illness. Vitamin C is also infamous for providing antimicrobial defense against very small pathogens such as viruses and even bacteria!
How to Incorporate Guava into Your Keto Diet?
If you are on the keto diet, then you should consume Guava in little but adequate quantities, as Guava are high in net carbs. Thus, Guava is not entirely keto friendly. The high amount of carbs amounts to 8.9 grams per 100 grams, so the consumption has to be very careful and specific.
As the keto diet limits the daily intake of carbs to about 20 grams to 30 grams a day, to stay in the state of ketosis. If the carb levels exceed this amount, the body exits the state of ketosis, thus defeating the entire purpose of the diet.
The ideal macro level for the keto diet is divided into a breakdown of 70% fat, 20% protein and 10% carb consumption for the day. You should avoid eating or incorporating dried Guava and canned Guava as these are not keto friendly at all, and they contain an alarming amount of sugar in them, which is used as a preservative and thus making it not safe for keto followers.
Despite being a yummy and delicious fruit, and having countless health benefits, this fruit is risky to have in your diet, but there are a few recipes out there which you can use. Apart from that, moderation is the key, and we have said this many times when it comes to trying to incorporate any fruit or food into your keto diet.
The recommended and safe consumption of guava is just one small guava a day, which won’t affect the ketosis or throw you out of it either.
Keto Friendly Guava Recipe
Breakfast Smoothie
A Guava and Strawberry Milkshake
The list of ingredients:
- 3 large strawberries which are hulled and washed properly
- 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
- A handful of ice cubes
- 50 grams of Guava fruit (which is roughly a medium sized Guava fruit)
- ½ a teaspoon of vanilla
- 1 teaspoon of Stevia or any sugar free sweetener of your choice (an option)
How to make the smoothie:
The method to make this smoothie is fairly simple, as all you need to do is to grab a blender, and put all the ingredients in it. Then you have to blend all the ingredients on the high setting, and make sure the ice is properly crushed and the fruit is properly pureed as well. Finally, pour your chilled and cold milkshake into a glass and have a great start to the day!
Conclusion
This tropical fruit is very healthy and nutritious, and has been around for quite some time. This can be used in a lot of dishes, which range from breakfast smoothies to desserts as well.
For people looking to use this fruit in their diet, they can safely use small sized Guavas in their diet. The ratio of fats to carbs is good, and the nutrition levels are good as well. So, moderation, like most other foods, is the key to success in the keto diet!
Please click on one of the links below to learn more about keto friendly foods:
Is Butternut Squash Keto Friendly?
Are Blackberries Keto Friendly?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are Guavas useful for weight loss?
Guavas are extremely helpful for people who are looking to lose weight, and this fruit helps. This helps as it boosts and regulates the metabolism of the body, which is essential for weight loss. Moreover, the great thing about this fruit is that it contains relatively less sugar than other fruits such as oranges, apples, grapes and even bananas!
Additionally, this fruit is satiating as it contains a decent amount of protein, fiber and healthy fats as well. This satiation helps as it reduces the need to overeat and eat snacks untimely!
Are Guavas Good for Diabetics?
This fruit is very low in the index of glycemia and this low glycemic weight is what makes this an ideal fit for people who are suffering from diabetes. The Guava leaf was used as a medicine in East Asia for centuries!
