Guava Glycemic Index (GI) - Is It High or Low?
Guava is a tropical fruit rich in many nutrients. Depending on growing conditions and the level of ripeness, the carbohydrate content in guavas can considerably differ. Because of this, the glycemic index for guavas from different parts of the world greatly varies.
The glycemic index of guavas from South America has been calculated to be very low, equal to 12±11.3 (1).
Guava from Taiwan has been demonstrated to have a GI of 31.1±5.1 in healthy individuals and a slightly higher GI of 32.8±5.2 in people with diabetes (2).
Similarly, Nigerian guavas have been researched to have a GI of 32.25±0.62, while guava bites from Singapore have a GI of 29. All four of these studies find guavas to have a low glycemic index (3,4).
Lastly, one study has found that guavas from India have a high GI of 78 (5).
Due to their high polyphenol levels, guavas have the potential to control blood glucose release and decrease insulin (6).
Guava juice is effective in lowering blood glucose. It could be used as a supplement to improve blood pressure, blood sugar, and lipid parameters (7).
Guava leaf tea has also expressed antidiabetic activities by suppressing postprandial blood glucose elevation (8).
As a whole, most studies find guava to be a low glycemic index fruit with potential antidiabetic qualities.
References
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276419240
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3208016/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235261811500027X
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28972240/
- A Study of Glycemic Index of Ten Indian Fruits by an Alternate Approach
- https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/9/1714/pdf
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5071920/
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1743-7075-7-9
