Guava Leaf Tea May Improve Blood Sugar Control
Gestational diabetes affects approximately 10% of pregnant women.
This condition occurs either when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin or your cells become insulin resistant during pregnancy. This leads to high blood sugar levels and is linked to complications like early birth or high birth weight.
Test-tube and animal studies suggest that guava leaf extracts may help improve blood sugar control and insulin resistance, and some human studies indicate that guava leaf tea may help lower blood sugar.
In a study in 19 adults with an average fasting blood sugar over 100 mg/dL, drinking 6.5 ounces (190 mL) of guava leaf tea containing 400 mg of guava extract significantly lowered blood sugar levels after eating, compared with a control group.
However, it’s very important to note that this research is preliminary and only uses tea and extracts. Furthermore, no studies specifically examine guava’s effects on gestational diabetes.
Thus, you should not use guava to treat this condition.
Guava is rich in folate and other nutrients that may support pregnancy.
Furthermore, it may relieve digestive issues, lower blood pressure, and improve blood sugar control though more research is necessary.