The benefits and harms of feijoa

Exotic fruits are a great way to diversify your diet. According to the content of useful substances, it stands out among them: feijoa, having a wide scope of use.

Getting to know feijoa: photo, description

Feijoa is an evergreen shrub up to 4 m high, growing in the southern regions of Eurasia, North and South America. Green, elongated fruits ripen on the plant. The average length of the fruit is 4 cm, weight is from 15 to 120 g.

The fruits have juicy pulp. The fruit tastes like strawberries, kiwi and pineapple. The pulp contains seeds surrounded by a translucent pulp.The peel is lumpy and light or dark green in color.

Chemical composition and nutritional value of fruits

Feijoa contains:

• water;
• fructose and sucrose;
• pectins;
• vitamins B, C, PP, E and K;
• iron, iodine, calcium, zinc, potassium, manganese, magnesium, copper, phosphorus;
• folic and malic acid.

Nutritional value per 100 g of product – 0.55 g of proteins; 52.63 g carbohydrates and 0.22 g fat.

Feijoa calories

The calorie content of the product is 49 kcal per 100 g. The permissible daily intake is up to 3 fruits per day. The fruit is included in diets and is used to cleanse the body.

Features of selecting and storing feijoa

The fruits are removed from the trees unripe for further transportation. Before purchasing, evaluate the integrity of the peel, the absence of damage and dents.

Only ripe fruits with thin skin and transparent pulp are eaten. Unripe fruits are kept at room temperature; after ripening, they are transferred to the refrigerator.

How to eat feijoa: with or without peel

Feijoa is consumed both with and without peel. The peel contains antioxidants, enzymes, catechins and phenols. The substances promote rejuvenation of the body and suppress the growth of cancer cells.

The peel has a pronounced bitter taste. Most often it is crushed together with pulp or dried. The dry peel is added to tea.

What are the benefits of feijoa for the body?

Benefits of fruit for the human body:

• relieves inflammation;
• improves skin condition;
• replenishes iodine deficiency and normalizes the activity of the pancreas;
• strengthens the immune system;
• reduces blood pressure;
• cleanses the blood and increases hemoglobin;
• normalizes digestion;
• increases tone;
• improves memory and attentiveness;
• raises inflammation.

Benefits of feijoa for women

Beneficial properties of the fruit for women:

• helps cope with stress;
• rejuvenates the skin;
• relieves pain during menstruation;
• improves metabolism, skin and hair condition.

Is it possible to take feijoa during pregnancy?

Feijoa contains vitamin PP, iodine and folic acid, which improve the condition of the pregnant woman and the unborn child. Eating fruit will help normalize stomach function.

The use of feijoa during breastfeeding

In case of breastfeeding, the fruit is added to the diet when the baby reaches the age of 3 months. It is better for nursing mothers to introduce feijoa into the menu gradually. First, take ¼ of the fetus, in the absence of a negative reaction, the rate is increased to ½.

The fruit is consumed without the peel, as it contains substances that can cause stomach upset in a child.

Beneficial properties of feijoa for men

Feijoa helps prevent prostatitis and prostate cancer. The fruit is recommended for consumption by men over 40 years of age. As a result, immunity increases and vitality increases.

What are the benefits of feijoa fruit for children?

The fruits are not recommended for children under 1 year of age. Taking them may cause individual intolerance.

First, check for the absence of an allergic reaction to eating the fruit. The pulp of the fruit is crushed and given to the child in an amount of no more than 1 tsp. For children aged 1 to 3 years, it is enough to eat 1 fruit per day.

Benefits of fruit for children:

• strengthening the immune system;
• improved memory and concentration;
• mild laxative effect;
• increase in hemoglobin.

For what diseases can feijoa be taken?

The fruit is consumed for the following diseases:

• hypertension;
• disorders of the cardiovascular system;
• diseases of the stomach and intestines;
• depression and stress;
• diabetes;
• atherosclerosis;
• colds and viral diseases;
• problems with the pancreas.

If you have serious illnesses, you should consult your doctor before consuming the fruit.

Will feijoa help in the treatment of thyroid gland?

The most common thyroid disease is endemic goiter. The disease is caused by a lack of iodine, which leads to an enlargement of the thyroid gland.

The fruits and leaves of the plant are used to treat goiter. The leaves are brewed with boiling water and drunk like green tea 2 times a day.

How to eat feijoa for diabetes

The pulp of the fruit contains carbohydrates that are quickly processed by the body. The glycemic index of the fruit is 20 units.

When consumed by diabetics, the functioning of the thyroid gland improves. If diabetes has caused trophic ulcers, a product made from the leaves will help relieve inflammation.

The recommended norm for diabetics is no more than 2 pcs. in a day. The fruit contains glucose and fructose, so after eating them you need to check your blood sugar levels.

From stress

In stressful situations, the load on the cardiovascular and nervous system increases, and immune properties decrease.

Taking feijoa helps normalize the body's functioning in stressful situations. You can eat 3-4 fruits daily. They are consumed fresh or ground in a blender with the addition of sugar, honey and mint.

Recipe for high blood pressure

Feijoa helps lower blood pressure. To do this, it is enough to consume up to 3 fruits daily. Due to ascorbic acid, magnesium and potassium, blood vessels have a relaxing effect.

For pancreatitis

Taking the fruits alleviates a person’s condition with various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, including pancreatitis. When consuming the pulp and peel, toxins are eliminated and intestinal function is stabilized.

Useful recipe for pancreatitis:

1. The leaves of the plant (10 pieces) are crushed with a knife and poured with 500 ml of water.
2. Place the product on the stove and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat and simmer the liquid for 10 minutes.
4. Add 1 tbsp to the decoction. l. salt and leave until cool.
5. The product is taken daily, 50 ml before meals.

For hypertension

Hypertension is especially dangerous in old age. Regular consumption of feijoa normalizes blood pressure, improves blood circulation and reduces cholesterol levels.

A useful feijoa recipe for hypertension:

1. Fruit pulp (100 g) is poured into a glass of water.
2. Add 1 tsp to the mixture. honey
3. The product must be drunk throughout the day.

A few more healing recipes
Not only the pulp, but also the juice of feijoa brings health benefits. A useful infusion is obtained from the leaves.

What diseases is feijoa juice good for?

The juice from the pulp is used to prevent colds. Add 1 tbsp to 50 ml of water. l. honey and fresh juice. The product is drunk every day before meals.

Diluted juice is also used to normalize blood pressure, strengthen the immune system and increase vitality. A mixture of orange and feijoa juice is useful for the prevention of atherosclerosis.

Are the leaves beneficial?

An infusion of leaves is used as an external remedy for healing wounds and abrasions. The product is used for diseases of the thyroid gland to replenish iodine deficiency.

Leaf infusion recipe:

1. Crushed leaves (1 tbsp) are poured with 1 cup of boiling water.
2. The product is left for half an hour and filtered through a strainer.

The infusion is consumed 2 times a day, 1 glass half an hour before meals. You can add a little honey to the product.

Feijoa in cooking

The fruits go well with fish, chicken and lamb. Pieces of pulp are baked in the oven to prepare hot dishes. The fruit is added to fresh salads with apples, carrots, beets and citrus fruits. The fruits add a picket flavor to dishes.

From feijoa receive homemade preparations for the winter: jam, jams, juices, sauces, compotes. The pulp is subjected to heat treatment or crushed with the addition of sugar.

When making confectionery products, the pulp is added to cake cream and pie filling. Fresh fruit decorates the cakes.

Beneficial properties of feijoa jam

When cooked, the pulp retains vitamin C, pectin, fiber, antioxidants, sucrose and malic acid. Jam has a number of useful properties:

• normalizes stomach function;
• strengthens the immune system;
• helps fight colds;
• increases tone;
• reduces inflammatory processes.

Contraindications to the use of jam

It is recommended to limit the consumption of feijoa jam in the following cases:

• increased thyroid function;
• diabetes;
• overweight;
• pregnancy and breastfeeding;
• age less than 1 year.

It is not recommended to take this jam with dairy products. The combination causes stomach upset.

The benefits of feijoa in cosmetology

The antiseptic properties of the fruit are used in cosmetology. Based on the fruits and leaves, infusions are prepared to heal wounds and relieve bleeding gums.

Revitalizing hand mask

A restorative hand mask is obtained from the pulp. The fruit is grated and mixed with the egg yolk. The mask is applied to the hands and kept for 15-20 minutes.As a result, the skin becomes smoother, scratches and abrasions heal.

Rules for eating feijoa

Only fresh and ripe fruits are eaten. Unripe fruits are kept at room temperature. When ripe, the pulp acquires a jelly-like consistency, and the skin becomes thinner.

Before consumption, the question often arises of how to clean feijoa. You can remove the peel using a regular kitchen knife. Another way is to cut the fruit in half and use a spoon to remove the pulp from the peel.

Harm and contraindications of feijoa

Feijoa is used with caution in the presence of diseases:

• diabetes;
• hyperthyroidism of the thyroid gland.

The pulp is not combined with dairy products. Pectins contained in fruits, when interacting with milk, lead to disruption of the gastrointestinal tract.

If consumed in excess, the pulp causes allergic reactions and indigestion. Therefore, when adding fruit to the diet, its daily intake is taken into account.

Conclusion

Feijoa contains useful substances necessary for the functioning of the body. The fruit is consumed fresh, used in cooking and home canning.

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