Guava vs. Papaya — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

Introduction

You may have heard about guava and papaya, which are tropical fruits widely spread in non-tropical areas. This article discusses the main differences in nutritional profile and health impacts of these two fruits - guava (1) and papaya (2). You can check the daily coverages of some important nutrients they provide in the corresponding charts.

Actual differences

Papaya and guava grow at different points on the Earth: the first one is native to India, Indonesia, and Dominican Republic, while the second one is widespread in Central and South America and the Caribbean area. Papaya is larger than guava. Papaya is pear-shaped, while guava is smaller and oval in shape, often described as papaya without seeds. Papaya is green when unripe. Once it ripens, the skin changes its color to yellow or orange. Guava skin color changes from yellow to light green, and its flesh is usually white or pink. Papaya has a very soft, juicy, creamy texture: it tastes like melon and has a mildly sweet flavor. Guavas have a flowery and sweet flavor, which reminds of a mixture of strawberry, mango, and pear.

Macronutrients

Both papaya and guava are tropical fruits with many similarities, yet there are differences in how the macronutrients are distributed in each.

Vitamins

Papaya and guava are rich in different vitamins.

Guavas are an excellent source of vitamin C: they are more than three times higher in vitamin C than papayas.

Papaya is richer in vitamin A.

Papaya covers 57% of the DV of vitamin A.

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Guava

9

Papaya

1

Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C	+274.9%
Contains more Vitamin E Vitamin E	+143.3%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1	+191.3%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2	+48.1%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3	+203.6%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5	+136.1%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6	+189.5%
Contains more FolateFolate	+32.4%
Contains more CholineCholine	+24.6%

Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A

+52.2%

~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg

~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg

~equal in Vitamin K ~2.6µg

Minerals

Guava is higher in phosphorus, potassium, copper, and zinc.

Papaya is richer in calcium.

You can compare the mineral composition of these two fruits in the chart below.

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Guava

6

Papaya

1

Contains more PotassiumPotassium	+129.1%
Contains more CopperCopper	+411.1%
Contains more ZincZinc	+187.5%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus	+300%
Contains less SodiumSodium	-75%
Contains more ManganeseManganese	+275%

Contains more CalciumCalcium

+11.1%

~equal in Magnesium ~21mg

~equal in Iron ~0.25mg

~equal in Selenium ~0.6µg

Health impact

References

1. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173044/nutrients
2. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169926/nutrients
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17571972/
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22280146/
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15979235/
6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25526570/
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19468947/
8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24769427/
9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12566142/
10. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18472409/
11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27296444/