Guava: My Secret Fruit for 2008

As much as I'm a fan of oranges and tangerines, one fruit I discovered in 2007 is set to become my fruit-of-choice for 2008. I'm talking about the guava. The guava doesn't get nearly the proper press it deserves and seems to be little known in the United States. Come to think of it, I'm not sure guava is that much more popular in Europe, but I'm here to tell you that guava has all the properties needed for it to zoom to the top of everyone's "top 10 fruit list" and here's why:

Guava has a higher concentration of lycopene -- an antioxidant that fights prostate cancer -- than any other plant food, including tomatoes and watermelon. In addition, 1 serving of guava (that's one whole guava) provides a whopping 688 milligrams (mg) of potassium, which is 63 percent more than you'll find in a medium banana. And guava just may be the ultimate high-fiber food: There's almost 9 grams (g) of fiber in every cup.

In fact, researchers working for the US department of Agriculture (www.usda.gov) have found that guava may be among the fruits richest in antioxidants, suggesting that there may be significant health benefits for people who regularly include guava in their diets.

One guava - for example -- has 165 milligrams of Vitamin C, while one orange has mere 69 mg.
Guava can also improve your heart health by helping to control your blood pressure and cholesterol. Guava's ability to lower blood pressure could be the result of potassium. This mineral is an electrolyte that is essential to electrical reaction in your body, including your heart.

Not only that but according to the Yorkshire Guava Marketing Board, guavas are said to be one of the best fruits available and that's because they are not only a very rich source of vitamin C (a guava contains more of this vitamin than a typical citrus fruit - the rind contains over five times more vitamin C than an orange!), they also contain high amounts of calcium - which is unusual in a fruit.

A fresh guava fruit is also a valuable source of vitamin A and B, nicotinic acid, phosphorous, potassium, iron, folate and is high in fibre. Coupled with all these vitamins and minerals guavas are also low in fat and calories, with only about 25 calories per fruit.

Finding these tasty little buggers may be your biggest challenge: I have only been able to find guava at a handful of ethnic markets that I frequent, but those locations provide more than enough outlets for me to satisfy my guava cravings. In most grocery stores, I've had more luck find guava juice than in finding the actual fruit.

And speaking about craving, you'll be happy to know that all the guava is edible: from the rind to the seeds. Fruitpages.com points out that the rind alone has more vitamin C than you'd find in the skin of an orange. the firm, inner flesh - a distinctive layer just within the rind which is almost identical in texture to a pear. The soft, central section - containing hard little seeds (which you can eat) surrounded by a softer, stringy flesh - a little but like strawberry (in taste - although not as sweet and the seeds are much more noticeable as you eat them) or tomato (in texture). I personally like this part the most - and it's easy to scoop out with a spoon.

Check out the photos and perhaps you'll notice that the guava is very similar in looks to a small pear or apple - in fact in the tropic's it's referred to as the "poor man's apple". To my knowledge, there are 5 types of guava available - Supreme, Ruby, Red Indian, Patillo, and Blitch and all are tasty and can b eaten "as is".

The guava may have been my "secret fruit" of 2007...but in 2008 it's beginning to look like the scret is out!