Baby Food: Amazing Health Benefits Of Guava For Babies

Guava is among the most common fruits enriched with numerous minerals and vitamins. People of all age groups love to gorge on this unique flavoured fruit during its season. However, there's always a doubt whether feeding guava is good for babies or not?

Babies are given solid foods when they are six months or over because breast milk is no longer sufficient to provide them with adequate vital nutrients for their development. ^[1] Fruits are regarded as the best food during this period as they are rich in flavours and powerhouse of nutrients.

There's a misconception that guava is not safe for babies due to its solid seeds which may cause digestiveproblems. However, there are other ways to introduce guvava to a child's diet without comprising its health benefits. Read the nutritional profile of guava and its amazing health benefits for babies.

Nutritional Value Of Guava

100 g of guava is enriched with 80.8 g water and 68 kcal energy. Additionaly, it also contains 2.55 g protein, 5.4 g dietary fibre, 18 mg calcium, 228.3 mg vitamin C, 40 mg phosphorus, 22 mg magnesium, 2 mg sodium, 417 mg potassium, 0.26 mg iron, 49 mcg folate, and 31 mcg vitamin A along with other vitamins like B1, B2 and B3. These vital minerals and vitamins help the physical as well as brain development of babies and provide them energy. ^[2]

Health Benefits Of Guava For Babies

1. Helps to boost the immune system: Guava contains a huge amount of vitamin C ^[3] which is important for the immune function, growth, and cell regeneration in babies. ^[4] A guava contains four times more vitamin C than an orange.

2. Helps the nervous system development: Folic acid is useful for babies to help prevent some brain and spine related birth defects like anencephaly. It greatly helps the growth of the nervous and circulatory system in babies. ^[5]

3. Helpful for healthy eyes: Guava is rich in vitamin A, which is vital for good eyesight. Deficiency of vitamin A in babies may lead to xerophthalmia. ^[6]

4. Prevents cancer: The antioxidant property of guava ^[7] helps prevent babies from the risk of cancer. It also helps prevent them from ROS-induced diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's and other disorders like hyperoxia and inflammation. ^[8]

5. Helpful for brain development: Guava seeds are rich in fatty acids such as linoleic and phenolics, ^[9] which are the key components in the development of a baby's brain and other tissue formations. ^[10]

6. Helps digestion: The rich amount of fibre in guava helps to improve the digestion in children and prevent constipation and appendicitis. The fruit also helps during diarrhoea and dysentery and enrich blood production. ^[11]

7. Helps bone and cartilage development: Calcium and other nutrients are packed in guava which help the development of bones and cartilage in babies.

How To Introduce Guava To Babies

While introducing any food to a baby for the first time, always remember to go slow. Add the chopped guava to boiling water after peeling off its skin. After it becomes soft, mash the fruit and sieve all the seeds or remove it with a spoon.

Then, offer a small portion of guava to the baby and observe for signs of discomfort or side effects. If there's no sign, serve the baby again after some time. Remember to limit the consumption of guava to two times a week as the acidic nature of the fruit may often cause diaper rash in babies. Also, if you see other symptoms like itchiness, rashes, or swelling of the face, immediately stop the feeding and contact a health expert. ^[12]

Additional Tips

• Wash guava thoroughly before consumption.
• Always use fresh and ripe guava and avoid giving frozen puree to babies.
• While feeding your baby, never hurry to feed them large quantity at once. Start slowly by a teaspoon and then increase the quantity.
• Consider boiling guava first so that it becomes soft and digestible.
• Remove the seeds completely or blend it smoothly.
• Feed guava to babies for a maximum of two times in a week.

Healthy And Tasty Guava Smoothie Recipe With Seasonal Fruit

Ingredients

• 1 guava
• 1 seasonal fruit (Strawberry/banana/pear)
• 1 tbsp honey
• Sugar per taste

Method:

• Peel guava and the other seasonal fruit and slice them.
• Remove the seeds from guava and also from the seasonal fruit (if any).
• In a pan, pour water and the pulp of the fruits and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
• Check the softness with a fork.
• Blend them into a smooth puree.
• Add honey or sugar per the taste.
• In a clean bowl, feed your baby.