📊 Full nutrition facts — per 100g
| Nutrient | Amount | % Daily value | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 68 kcal | 3% | |
| Carbohydrates | 14.3g | 5% | |
| Dietary fibre | 5.4g | 19% | |
| Sugars | 8.9g | — | |
| GI (Glycaemic Index) | ~35 — Low | — | |
| Protein | 2.6g | 5% | |
| Vitamin C | 228mg | 253% | |
| Folate | 49µg | 12% | |
| Vitamin A | 624 IU | 12% | |
| Lycopene (pink varieties) | 5204µg | — | |
| Potassium | 417mg | 9% | |
| Copper | 0.23mg | 12% |
Based on Australian NRV. Source: FSANZ Australian Food Composition Database.
📈 Glycaemic index (GI)
💊 Key vitamins & minerals
✅ Health benefits
Guava provides 228mg of vitamin C per 100g — more than four times the concentration of an orange (53mg/100g) and nearly 2.5× the daily requirement in a single serving. A single medium guava (approximately 90g) provides over twice the daily vitamin C requirement. Vitamin C at this level provides exceptional immune support, collagen synthesis, iron absorption enhancement and antioxidant protection. Guava is one of the only foods where a single piece of fruit provides multiple times the daily vitamin C requirement.
Pink-fleshed guava contains 5204µg of lycopene per 100g — comparable to cooked tomatoes (which require cooking to release lycopene) but available raw. Lycopene is the carotenoid most strongly associated with reduced prostate cancer risk and cardiovascular protection via LDL oxidation reduction. Combined with potassium (417mg/100g — blood pressure regulation), fibre (LDL reduction) and the polyphenols in guava skin, the cardiovascular nutritional package is comprehensive.
The combination of 253% RDI of vitamin C with vitamin A, quercetin, catechins and gallic acid makes guava one of the most potent immune-supporting fruits in the tropical repertoire. Traditional medicine use of guava for colds, sore throats and fever across tropical cultures globally has consistent biological plausibility. The antimicrobial properties of guava leaf extract (used in folk medicine) are supported by laboratory evidence showing broad-spectrum antibacterial activity.
Guava fruit has a low GI of ~35 due to its fibre and polyphenol content. More interestingly, guava LEAF extract has been studied specifically for blood sugar management — multiple clinical trials have found guava leaf tea significantly reduces post-meal blood glucose in people with type 2 diabetes. The mechanism involves guava leaf polyphenols (including guaijaverin and isoquercitrin) inhibiting alpha-glucosidase enzymes. While the fruit itself doesn't contain leaf-level concentrations, regular guava consumption contributes to the dietary polyphenol intake associated with these effects.
⚠️ Who should limit or avoid
Guava seeds are extremely hard — biting down on them forcefully can crack fillings or damage teeth. People with dental work should eat guava carefully or remove seeds. The seeds also pass undigested and in very large quantities (eating many whole guavas daily without chewing seeds) have rarely caused constipation or impaction in children. This is not a concern with normal adult consumption.
Very high vitamin C intake (from supplements primarily, but also from guava consumed in large quantities) can affect warfarin metabolism. A single guava provides about 200mg of vitamin C — well above orange-level intake. People on warfarin who suddenly increase guava consumption should monitor their INR and inform their healthcare team.
Guava allergy is uncommon but documented. Cross-reactivity with latex and other tropical fruits (banana, avocado, kiwi) via hevein-like proteins is possible in people with latex-fruit syndrome. If you have a latex allergy, introduce guava cautiously.
🛒 How to select & buy guava
A ripe guava transitions from dark green to pale yellow-green. The skin should give very slightly to thumb pressure — similar to a ripe avocado. Rock-hard green guavas are underripe and very astringent. Overripe guavas are soft throughout and may have fermented spots. The ideal ripe guava has slight give, yellow-green skin and a distinctive sweet, tropical floral aroma.
Pink/red-fleshed guava contains lycopene (5204µg/100g) — nutritionally superior for antioxidant content. White-fleshed guava lacks lycopene but has a milder, slightly more acidic flavour. Thai guava (the large, round, crunchy variety popular in Asian grocers) is typically white-fleshed and eaten before full ripeness for crunch — a completely different eating experience from sweet, soft pink guava. Both are excellent; choose based on intended use.
Ripe guava has one of the most distinctive and penetrating aromas of any fruit — a sweet, musky, tropical fragrance that carries across a room. An unripe guava has minimal aroma. Overripe guava smells fermented or alcoholic. The intensity of aroma correlates directly with ripeness and flavour development. If you can smell it before picking it up, it is ready to eat.
🧊 Storage tips & shelf life
Guavas ripen quickly at room temperature — firm guavas soften and sweeten within 2–5 days. Once ripe (slight give, strong aroma), use immediately or refrigerate. Ripe guava at room temperature in tropical Australian conditions deteriorates in 1–2 days. Do not refrigerate unripe guava.
Ripe guava refrigerates well for 3–5 days. The strong aroma means neighbouring foods can absorb the scent — store in a sealed bag or container. Cut guava: press cut surfaces against cling film and use within 2 days, as the high vitamin C oxidises rapidly from cut surfaces.
Guava freezes well for use in smoothies, juices and cooking. Halve, scoop out seeds if preferred, freeze on a tray then bag. Frozen guava retains most of its lycopene and vitamin C. Excellent for bulk-buying from Asian grocers when cheap and freezing for smoothies. Guava pulp (seeds removed, blended) also freezes well in ice cube trays.
📖 About guava — complete guide
Guava (Psidium guajava) is native to Mexico and Central America and has been cultivated for at least 2,000 years in its region of origin, with archaeological evidence from Peru dating consumption to 800 BCE. It was distributed globally by Spanish and Portuguese colonisers from the 16th century, spreading rapidly through tropical Asia, Africa and the Pacific because it grows prolifically from seed, tolerates poor soils, and produces fruit within 2–3 years. Today guava is grown across all tropical and subtropical regions globally and is a commercial crop in India (the world's largest producer), Mexico, Pakistan and Southeast Asia. In tropical Australia, guava escaped from cultivation and became naturalised — growing as a weed in parts of Queensland where it colonises disturbed land and roadsides, producing enormous quantities of fruit harvested by wildlife and opportunistic humans.
Guava's nutritional distinction rests on two exceptional characteristics: its extraordinary vitamin C concentration (228mg/100g, approximately 4× an orange) and — in pink-fleshed varieties — a lycopene content that rivals cooked tomatoes. The vitamin C is so concentrated that a single medium guava (approximately 90g) provides roughly 2.3× the 45mg daily requirement recommended in Australia, and approximately 1.4× the 120mg used in clinical research as protective against cardiovascular disease and cancer. Pink guava's lycopene (5204µg/100g) is the carotenoid most associated with prostate cancer risk reduction in men and cardiovascular protection in both sexes. Unlike tomatoes, where lycopene bioavailability requires heat processing and fat, guava lycopene is well absorbed from raw fruit — making pink guava one of the most practical dietary lycopene sources available.