Leaves that many people throw away but have surprising medicinal properties

Specialist Doctor II Huynh Tan Vu, lecturer of Traditional Medicine Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City, said that parts of the guava tree such as buds, fruit, bark or roots, especially guava leaves, all have medicinal properties and are used to make safe, benign medicines.

Guava leaves are a nutritious plant source, containing many trace minerals that are good for the body. Fresh guava leaves contain: 82.47% water; 3.64% ash; 0.62% fat; 18.53% protein; 12.74% carbohydrates; 103 mg ascorbic acid (Vitamin C); 1717 mg gallic acid.

In Oriental medicine, fresh guava leaves are used to treat bruises, bleeding wounds and ulcers. Many people often use guava leaves and fruit to treat diarrhea.

Health benefits of guava leaves

Doctor Vu lists some medicinal uses of guava leaves as follows:

Guava leaves are often used to treat wounds.

Treatment of diarrhea

Guava leaves contain flavonoid compounds - strong antibacterial activity. Quercetin is the dominant flavonoid in guava leaves, has strong antidiarrheal activity.

Diabetes treatment

Polysaccharides in guava leaves can be used as antioxidant additives in foods and for the treatment of diabetes.

Good for the heart

Guava leaves contain antioxidants and soluble fiber, which help improve cardiovascular health, control and stabilize blood pressure. These substances also limit the formation of free radicals that cause memory loss, Alzheimer's disease, reduce atherosclerosis, and reduce the risk of stroke.

Improve teeth and gums

Guava leaves contain astringents, which help tighten teeth and relieve gum pain.

The way to use is also very simple, you just need to use fresh guava leaves that have been washed and crushed. After a short time, toothaches and gum pain tend to subside. The condition of inflammation and gum infection is also significantly improved if this method is used regularly.

Improve skin, hair, and sleep quality

The effects of guava leaves on skin and hair can be mentioned as applying guava leaves helps to firm the skin. In addition, using guava juice helps to inhibit the formation of free radicals - the main cause of skin aging.

Washing your hair with guava water helps treat hair loss. It calms the nervous system, thereby helping to improve sleep quality.

Helps lose weight

Another effect of guava leaves that women love is supporting weight loss. Studies show that guava leaves help reduce starch intake and sugar metabolism in the body. Therefore, women can use guava leaf tea, guava leaf juice or guava leaf juice blended with fruit juice to improve their figure.

In addition to the special effects mentioned above, guava leaves also help treat coughs, colds and improve resistance thanks to the amount of vitamin C and iron in guava leaves. This type of leaf also supports the treatment of bronchitis and gout.

Guava leaves have the ability to prevent the release of histamine, thereby helping to limit and support the treatment of allergic conditions and reduce abdominal pain during menstruation.

Notes when using guava leaves

Although guava leaves have many benefits and good effects on health, when using guava leaves, you need to note to only use guava leaves with moderate frequency. Overuse of guava leaves can cause side effects or cause allergies.

People with eczema need to be especially careful when using guava leaves because the extracts in guava leaves can cause skin irritation.

The expert recommends that guava leaves have many uses, however, you should consult your doctor before using guava leaves if you are suffering from chronic cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, kidney-related diseases, etc. Using guava leaves during treatment with Western medicine can reduce the effects of the medicine.

Nguyen Ngoan

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