Herbs And Spices

GUAVA – POOR MAN’S APPLE

Guava is one of the famous and well-known fruit grown all over India and many parts of the world. Guava tree bears fruits twice in a year, in summer and winter, but the fruit in winter is considered, superior in quality and taste. The pulp of guava is very useful for human system. Guava is digestive, carminative, gives vigor & strength to heart, lungs and the whole body. It is an effective aphrodis, improves blood circulation, heals and dries wound and is an antiseptic. Hakeem Hashmi, a prominent unani physician & researcher advises a guava a day for good digestion and regular bowel action. Hakeem Hashmi usually say, ” guava is hundred times more advantageous than apples. Take it straight with its skin on; chew thoroughly without spitting out the seeds for maximum benefit digestion will become so strong that you can digest pebble. Guava is a very nutritious fruit, when eaten with seeds it gives roughage to the diet helps in the normal evacuation of the bowels. The fruit improves overall resistance.

CURATIVE PROPERTIES OF GUAVA: –

AS A GENERAL TONIC: –

1- Eating 200gms ripe guava with black salt, black peeper powder and little lemon juice twice a day regularly gives strength & vigor to mind & body.
2- Taking guava & banana with honey in breakfast eliminates the look of lanky body by making it grow strong & sturdy.

DIGESTIVE & STOMACH PROBLEMS: –

1-Taking pulps of roast guava (without seed) with orange juice two or three times a day cures indigestion.
2-Taking guava with rock salt after meals eliminated gas and increase appetite.
3-Consuming the ground paste of guava’s fresh leaves with water cures stomachache.

CONSTIPATION: –

1-Eating guava in breakfast or before meals activates digestion and cures constipation.
2-Eating guava & papaya with little black pepper powder, rock salt & lemon juice sprinkled on it, after meals activates normal movement of bowels.

LOOSE MOTIONS & DIARRHOEA: –

1-Taking boiled water of guava leaves, two to three times a day controls loose motions.
2-The bark of root of guava dried and roasted slightly and powdered. A pinch of this powder taken in buttermilk checks diarrhoea, an especially useful remedy in infants & children.

ITCHING: –

Eating 250 gms of ripe guava regularly in the afternoon for about a month purifies blood, cleans the stomach and intestines and thus cures itching due to bowels movements, pustules etc.

WOUNDS: –

Applying paste of guava leaves on wounds helps in curing them.

RINARY DISORDERS: –

Decoction of 10 gms leaves of Guava & 50 gms leaves of grapes (boil it in 600 ml water till it become half), before sleep eliminated, and cures all urinary disorders.

TOOTH-ACHE: –

Munching fresh Guava leaves or gargling with guava leaf water (in which guava leaves are boiled) eliminates swelling of gums and cures toothache.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE: –

Consuming the oozed out water of the salad of guavas with little rock salt, black pepper powder, lemon juice on it twice or thrice a week controls high blood pressure. It is interesting to note, while the fruit is a laxative and digestive, the leaves and root bark check diarrhoea and bind the stomach.

OTHER USES: –

A part from the curative properties, its wood is very hard and used for making “Harmonium” etc. on which carving can also be done. The bark and dry leaves are used for making printing colours and dyes for cloths. Rich in calories guava has many qualities of apple and thus is called the ” poor man’s apple”.

A word of caution

Hakeem Hashmi suggestted, that guava should not be taken empty stomach because it gives rise to phlegm in the body. Water should not be taken after eating guava for it may lead to cholera.

(Hakeem Hashmi’s focus on fruits)