A universal recipe for the use of feijoa. Useful and medicinal properties. What is useful feijoa. Treatment. Contraindications. Feijoa jam, recipe
When berries similar to gooseberries appeared on store shelves a few years ago, people hesitated to buy them for a long time. But, having figured it out and tried it once, they began to consider them an ordinary fruit, the name of which is feijoa. Over time, it became known what feijoa is useful for. From this article you can find out everything, because of which it is worth getting to know this beautiful and necessary miracle of nature.
Feijoa: photo, description
Feijoa is a shrub with evergreen foliage that can grow from two to four meters in height. The branches are gray-yellow in color, beautiful large flowers are visible on them during flowering. Blooms from June to July. The flowers are pretty and last a long time.
The fruit is greenish in color, the berries reach a size of about 5 cm in length and from 20 to 120 g in weight. Full ripening occurs in late autumn, in late October - early November, depending on the variety. The harvest from the shrub is plentiful. Even indoor plant can produce about three kilograms of fruit, and on a plantation, 30 kg or more are removed from a tree.
You can enjoy real taste merits only when there is a ripe feijoa. But it is not often possible to buy a fully ripe fruit, because it is not fully ripened. This causes rapid deterioration. There is no spoiled fruit.
Some people unknowingly eat feijoa like kiwi, cutting off the top skin and cutting the flesh into slices. In fact, they need to be eaten with the peel, which contains all the useful substances.
How useful is feijoa? The presence of vitamins and healing properties which are lost if stored incorrectly. But its shelf life in ripe form is very short. Even in the refrigerator, it can be stored in a usable form for no more than a week. If you want to always have delicious fresh fruits, but you need to buy up to two kilograms at a time.
If the fruit is still unripe, its shelf life is longer. If it is collected in the last autumn days, then, subject to the storage rules, it will be able to lie until spring. The temperature should be 0 degrees. But if you need to make sure that the unripe fruits ripen at home, they should lie in a well-ventilated room at a temperature of about 24 degrees. It will ripen in about two weeks.
The best storage option for feijoa is special department refrigerator to maintain the desired temperature.
This oblong green fruit appeared on the shelves for a long time, but still not everyone knows that feijoa is a tasty, healthy, nutritious product and can be a good addition to the daily diet. What is feijoa, where does the outlandish fruit grow and what is it eaten with - in the literal sense of the word?
An evergreen plant - a shrub or tree up to 4 meters in height - belongs to the myrtle family. Feijoa is used as a fruit and ornamental plant, because its flowers are also very attractive - white and pink, with long scarlet stamens.
Initially, the plant was found only in Brazil, where it was discovered in the 19th century and received the name of the discoverer - the Portuguese naturalist João da Silva Feijo. Then it became popular in Europe, and later came to America, Australia, New Zealand.
The benefits and harms of feijoa for the body have been studied thoroughly. To taste, the fruits resemble pineapple, banana and strawberries at the same time, contain a lot beneficial trace elements and vitamins.
To enhance certain qualities, selection began to be carried out, and soon new diverse varieties of feijoa appeared. The length of the fruit can be from 2 to 7 centimeters, and the weight can be from 50 to 120 g, depending on the variety and growing conditions.
The most popular varieties are:
- Andrea;
- Allegro;
- Coolidge;
- Superba;
- Choisen;
- Besson;
- Mammoth;
- Robert;
- Magnifica.
What is the difference between feijoa varieties and which one to choose?
Andre is a variety that was brought from Brazil to Europe and became the first one that could be tasted in the Old World. The fruits are medium or large, the peel is rather thick, light green in color, bumpy and knobby. The pulp is very fragrant and tasty, with not big amount seeds.
Coolidge is one of the most popular varieties in the US and is grown in California. The fruits are medium in size, with a peel in small wrinkles resembling corrugated paper. The pulp is not very fragrant, but sweet. Mammoth is very similar to this variety, but the skin is more wrinkled, and the fruits are larger on average.
Besson has small or medium-sized fruits, very fragrant and juicy, with a large number of seeds. They are easy to recognize by the reddish or burgundy tint of the peel. The skin is thin.
Small round or oval fruits with a strong pleasant aroma are Choiseana. The Superba variety looks like it - saliva literally flows from their aroma. They are distinguished by the absence of a red tint and smooth skin.
Late varieties include David. It is characterized by a rough skin, a reddish hue and a pleasant strawberry aroma.
Variety Magnifica - one of the largest.
In cooking, the fruits are used both raw and after heat treatment. From them you can prepare salads, desserts, sauces, snacks, compotes, jams and even marinate.
Composition and useful properties of feijoa
Immediately, we note that feijoa is a dietary product. Caloric content of 100 g of the product is 50-55 kcal. Those who care about health and monitor weight should pay attention to this fruit. Special attention. After all useful substances and trace elements in fruits are many:
- vitamins B1, B2, B5, B6, B9;
- potassium;
- vitamin PP;
- sodium;
- potassium;
- vitamin C;
- phosphorus;
- zinc;
- copper;
- calcium;
- magnesium.
What else is useful for feijoa fruit?
The pulp of the oval "green vitamins" contains a large amount of iodine in a special, easily digestible form. In terms of the content of this element, the fruits are not inferior to fish and other seafood and are widely used in the treatment of the thyroid gland and the endocrine system as a whole. They should also be included in the menu of the elderly and those who live in areas that are characterized by iodine deficiency.
The composition of the fruit also includes 5 amino acids important for health: alanine, asparagine, arginine, glutamine and tyrosine.
The astringent, tart taste of feijoa is given by phenols contained in the peel along with other beneficial substances. Therefore, nutritionists recommend eating fruits with a peel, and if you don’t want to spoil the delicate taste of the pulp, you can cut the peel, dry it and add it to tea. By the way, the leaves of the plant, which contain a large amount of essential oils, mineral and have a pleasant aroma. Teas and infusions of leaves are used in the treatment of diseases of the stomach, pancreas, intestines, digestive disorders, pyelonephritis.
In winter and spring, when we feel an acute shortage of vitamins, the benefits of the fruit are invaluable. Feijoa fruit for the body is an excellent source of vitamin C, a powerful immunomodulator and antioxidant. The fruit is recommended to be included in the menu to strengthen immunity, prevent and treat colds, flu, sore throats and others. viral diseases, as well as hypertension, cardiovascular disease.
Useful properties of feijoa are not limited to this. It has an antifungal effect, infusion of fruits can disinfect wounds, scratches, cuts, make compresses for skin inflammations, rinse your mouth with gum disease.
Scientists and doctors, after long studies, have found that regular use of the product reduces the risk of oncological diseases, and if the disease is already detected, then in combination with other drugs it allows the disease to be transferred to the stage of long-term and stable remission.
Feijoa for women is a storehouse of nutrients for the skin. Due to its antioxidant properties, the fruit is widely used in cosmetology. With his help:
- relieve inflammation and eliminate redness;
- soften the skin;
- improve blood circulation;
- treat rosacea, acne, eliminate age spots;
- refresh, rejuvenate, increase skin elasticity.
A healing mask can be easily prepared at home with chopped feijoa halves, olive oil, low-fat cottage cheese, and egg yolk.
Remove dark circles and bags under the eyes, smooth the skin and make it fresh and radiant with a 15-minute lotion from a freshly cut fruit peel.
Please note - feijoa does not cause allergies, so it can be consumed by everyone without exception, most importantly - in reasonable quantities. Watery jelly-like pulp can be added to snacks, sauces, seasonings and salads, main courses and desserts, compotes and jelly, pastries.
However, only a quality product will benefit you. Whitish pulp is a sign of insufficient ripeness of the fruit, they need to be allowed to ripen, and if it is brownish, they should not be eaten, they are hopelessly spoiled.
Harm and contraindications of fruit
Even those very healthy foods taken in excess can cause health problems. Green Vitamins is no exception. The main contraindications for feijoa: an allergic reaction to the product and its excessive use.
Fruits can bring harm if a person has hypersensitivity to iodine. Such a reaction of the body is extremely rare, but if after a slice of pulp you feel unwell, it is better to refrain from further experiments. Keep in mind that it is not the fruits themselves that can cause irritation, but the substances with which they have been processed so that they do not deteriorate during transportation and storage. Therefore, before use, the fruits must be washed very carefully.
People who are seen by an endocrinologist with a diagnosis of "hyperthyroidism" with feijoa also need to be very careful. With an overdose of iodine, extremely unpleasant symptoms can be observed: temperature fluctuations, palpitations, hyperexcitability, turning into a hysterical state, general weakness and depression. If you still want to include the fruit in the menu, be sure to consult your doctor.
Choose only whole fruits without damage - pathogenic bacteria can multiply in the affected areas, causing indigestion and poisoning.
Feijoa dishes can be harmful if washed down with milk. For the preparation of salads, dressings and desserts, it is better to use fermented milk products - natural yogurt, sour cream, cheese, cottage cheese.
Due to the high content of sucrose, there are contraindications to the use of feijoa for diabetics and people who are overweight.
With caution, overseas fruit should be given to children, like any other new product.
Do not store feijoa in the refrigerator for more than 7 days - spoiled fruit can do more harm than good.
Given that feijoa has a lot of useful properties, use them to the fullest, feel free to include fruits in your daily diet and be healthy and beautiful.
Nov-9-2016
What is feijoa
Feijoa (Ácca sellowiána) is a species of evergreen small trees(up to 4 m in height) of the genus Akka (Acca) of the Myrtle family (Myrtaceae).
Large evergreen spreading shrub or tree up to 4 m high. root system rather superficially lies in the soil, densely branched, compact, which is typical for moisture-loving plants. Trunk with greenish-brown rough bark.
Leaves entire, opposite crosswise, oval, hard, leathery, on short petioles, often drooping, pinnately veined; below light green-gray, pubescent, smooth above, dark green.
Flowers are four-membered, axillary, solitary, paired or several in a corymbose inflorescence, bisexual, with numerous (50-80) stamens, white at the edges and pink closer to the center; pollinated by insects; blooms in May - June (in the Southern Hemisphere in November - December), in the tropics flowering occurs in periodic waves or continuously (remontant). However, the massive one lasts three weeks, the fall of the ovaries is strong, the coefficient of the useful ovary is 15-17%.
The fruit is a large, fleshy, juicy berry with the aroma and taste of strawberries, pineapple and kiwi, dark Green colour, from elongated-oval to wide-round and less often kubariform, from 2 to 5 in length, less often up to 7 cm, with a diameter of 1.5 to 3-4, less often up to 5 cm, weighing from 15 to 60 g, rarely - up to 105- 120 g. Seeds are surrounded by a white translucent acidic pulp; peel from yellow-green smooth to dark green bumpy, sometimes with anthocyanin coating.
Wikipedia
What are feijoa berries beneficial features and contraindications of feijoa, all this is of great interest to those who lead healthy lifestyle life, looks after his health, and is interested in folk methods treatment. So we will try to answer these questions in the following article.
Feijoa is a large berry covered with a dense peel. Its taste is quite tart, but the pulp is juicy and sour, it contains a huge amount of seeds. While many choose to remove the skin and eat only the pulp, the entire fruit is completely edible. In addition, the bulk of the nutrients are concentrated in the peel. It can also be dried by brewing fragrant tea from it.
Feijoa ripens around the end of autumn. Since most countries with a temperate and cold climate no longer have fresh fruits at this time, feijoa is especially popular as a source of vitamins and just a flavoring.
A ripe berry will have a soft, transparent base, and if the middle is white or brown, then this is a sign that the fruit is either not ripe or has deteriorated. Feijoa fruits are usually stored in refrigerators for seven to fourteen days.
If you want to keep it longer, then it is simply ground with sugar in a one-to-one ratio. And you can not even preserve. In the refrigerator, this vitamin concentrate is stored all winter. If you eat it in a couple of weeks, then you can take less sugar, it will be healthier and tastier, in this case, a subtle sourness is more clearly felt. You can replace sugar with honey.
The calorie content of feijoa is 49 kcal per 100 grams of product.
In addition, this berry contains 1g. proteins per 100 grams of product, 1g. fat for the same 100 grams and 11 grams of carbohydrates.
What vitamins are in feijoa
100 g of feijoa contains:
- Vitamin B1 (thiamine) - 8 mcg
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) 32 mcg
- Niacin (vitamin B3 or vitamin PP) - 0.29 mg
- Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) - 0.23 mcg
- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) - 0.05 mg
- Folic acid (vitamin B9) - 38 mcg
- Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) - 20.3 mg
What macronutrients are found in feijoa:
- Potassium - 155 mg
- Calcium - 17 mg
- Magnesium - 9 mg
- Sodium - 3 mg
- Phosphorus - 20 mg
What trace elements are found in feijoa:
- Iron - 80 mcg
- Iodine - 70 mcg
- Manganese - 85 mcg
- Copper - 55 mcg
- Zinc - 40 mcg
What are the benefits of feijoa berries
Feijoa is the only plant that can be compared in terms of iodine content (up to 10 mg of iodine per 1 kg of food) with seafood. Due to this distinctive feature, feijoa fruits are recommended for use in the treatment of diseases such as:
Atherosclerosis;
Avitaminosis or hypovitaminosis;
Thyroid disease;
Inflammatory diseases of the digestive system;
Gastritis;
Pyelonephritis;
For the general strengthening of the body's defenses.
Feijoa contraindications
Like any other product, there are categories of people for whom feijoa is not recommended for medical reasons.
Since it contains a lot of iodine, it is contraindicated in patients with hyperthyroidism (thyrotoxicosis).
If you still got it somewhere ripe berry, then due to a decent amount of sugar, it should not be abused by people with diabetes and with already formed obesity.
Although the berry is not very allergenic, individual intolerance may still be present.
With an overdose of berries, palpitations and anxiety may occur.
In addition, it should be remembered that the treatment medicinal plants and herbs requires compliance with:
How to choose feijoa
When choosing feijoa fruits, you should pay attention to the integrity of the peel, it should be even, smooth, without dents. good berry to the touch elastic, dense. When cut, the pulp should ideally be transparent - this is a guarantee of a ripe and tasty fruit. Feel free to ask the seller to cut one berry for you. If the flesh is white, it means that the fruit is not ripe enough. It can ripen in your home, in the warmth. The fruits themselves are mostly harvested unripe, as they tend to ripen quickly and spoil. If the flesh is dark, beige or brown, it is a spoiled fruit. Most likely, the entire batch from this seller will be unusable, so if you find such a berry, choose another place to buy feijoa.
How to use feijoa
In addition to the pulp of the fruit, the peel of the feijoa is of particular value, as it contains antioxidants - biologically active substances that are successfully used to prevent cancer. However, you should not eat it raw, since the peel has a specific tart and astringent taste, which slightly spoils the gastronomic taste of the berry itself. Therefore, the fruits are best eaten peeled, and the peel is dried and brewed instead of tea.
Peeled fruits can be added to some vegetable and almost all fruit salads, in meat sauce or eaten just like that. In this case, the soft fruit must be cut in half without peeling, and the pulp of the berry should be eaten with a spoon. Feijoa is also used in desserts and in sweet pastries. Very often, feijoa is ground with sugar, preferably in a 1: 1 ratio, or compotes, jams and jams are cooked. In general, this berry goes well with many products (meat, fish, etc.), in addition, it is subject to freezing, while for six months the berries do not lose their healing and beneficial properties.
What is useful feijoa for men
What are the benefits of feijoa for men? Feijoa is recommended for men as a prevention of urological diseases. Several fruits consumed per day can prevent and prevent inflammation of the prostate and the resulting impotence.
What is useful feijoa for women
What are the benefits of feijoa for women? Antioxidants contained in feijoa can slow down the aging process and cell destruction. Therefore, a woman who regularly consumes this fruit will look younger and more attractive.
The fruits are used in painful periods, because the property of the fruit to accelerate metabolic processes contribute to the rapid opening of the cervix.
Medicinal properties of feijoa
The fruits of the plant contain vitamins C and P, sugars and water soluble compounds iodine, which are easily absorbed by the human body. Fresh fruits and tinctures from them have a phytoncidal, general strengthening and tonic effect. A fragrant essential oil is prepared from the fruits.
For prevention and treatment various diseases It is enough to eat 1-2 fruits a day. From the leaves, peel and dried flowers of the plant, infusions and decoctions are prepared, which are drunk during the day instead of tea.
Children can prepare feijoa puree - for this, mix a few fruits with a small amount of sugar and grind in a blender. There is as a preventive measure before each meal, 1 tbsp. spoon. In the same way, you can eat mashed potatoes for weight loss.
Treatment with feijoa thyroid
Due to the high content of iodine, feijoa fruits are indispensable for the prevention of thyroid diseases. They also help in the treatment of atherosclerosis.
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is an underfunction of the thyroid gland. For the treatment of disease early stages, as well as for its prevention, it is recommended to include foods containing iodine in the diet: sea fish, shrimp, algae, whole grains, leafy vegetables. good effect gives the use of fresh fruits of feijoa. During the season, it is recommended to eat 200-300 g of fruits daily, and in the rest of the year you can drink an infusion of them, eat jam, jelly.
500 g of fresh feijoa fruits are passed through a meat grinder, mixed with 500 g of sugar. The mixture is stored in the refrigerator, take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day before meals.
3 tablespoons of crushed dry fruits are poured into 400 ml of boiling water, insisted in a thermos for 24 hours, filtered. Infusion is taken 100 ml 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals.
1 tablespoon of crushed dried feijoa fruits and 1 teaspoon of common cocklebur herb is poured into 200 ml of boiling water, simmered for 10 minutes, filtered. Take 100 ml 3 times a day before meals.
500 g fresh feijoa fruits and 200 g peeled walnuts passed through a meat grinder, mixed with 200 g of liquid honey. Take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day before meals.
This mixture of nuts, honey and feijoa will be good for strengthening immunity.
For this purpose, you can take the mixture every day for a couple of teaspoons. It is best to leave the mixture in the refrigerator for longer storage.
By the way, it is recommended to use buckwheat, linden or flower honey for the preparation of a therapeutic mixture. This requirement is due to the fact that the presented types of honey have their own special medicinal properties, therefore they will contribute to a speedy recovery.
Recipes based on the book by Yu. Nikolaeva “A home doctor on the windowsill. From all diseases.
Feijoa for diabetes
Feijoa is approved for use by patients suffering from diabetes at any stage. Many nutritionists include this product in the treatment menu for diabetics.
Starting to use it for food, it is advisable to follow a few rules that are necessary for feijoa to be as effective as possible:
- regularity ( diabetes of any type will flow much more easily if taken this fruit as food twice a day. For example, in the morning and in the evening);
- take breaks between use of at least six to eight hours;
- do not eat this fruit on an empty stomach, but only after a meal or at the same time as it.
An equally important criterion in the process of eating feijoa is the degree of maturity. The more ripe the fruit is, the more useful it is. However, it is important not to miss the stage when the fruit is overripe, because in this case it can be harmful not only for diabetics, but also for ordinary people.
Many diseases arise due to a lack of certain substances in the body. Serious pathologies are prevented by observation and attention to one’s health, you just need to see a doctor and get tested at the first alarming symptoms. Often in the early stages, the development of the disease is stopped by simple methods. Instead of using pills, you should try to change the menu: exclude harmful foods and liquids that remove the necessary substances from the body, but add useful ones. For example, if you are deficient in iodine, it makes sense to stop eating cabbage and indulging in coffee and turn your attention to seafood and feijoa. This tropical berry is indispensable for the deterioration of the thyroid gland.
Chemical composition and benefits
Absorbing the energy of the sun, feijoa synthesizes substances such as:
- minerals: iodine, silicon, boron, cobalt, chromium, rubidium, molybdenum, potassium;
- ascorbic acid;
- B vitamins;
- phytosterols;
- mono- and disaccharides;
- amino acids;
- organic acids;
- phenolic compounds;
- tannins;
- fiber;
- pectin;
- essential oil.
Always green feijoa has been on the shelves since October. Recently, it has been cultivated in the Caucasus, Crimea and Krasnodar Territory. exotic berry not yet as popular as it deserves, although it has a lot of advantages:
- replenishes the lack of iodine in the body;
- thanks to ascorbic acid, it delivers antioxidants to the body and improves immunity;
- contains phytosterols, which have a beneficial effect on blood vessels, controlling cholesterol levels, lowering blood pressure;
- increases appetite and relieves nausea;
- contains fiber and pectins that stimulate the digestive tract;
- includes oil that destroys microbes, fungi, relieves inflammation and skin irritation;
- prevents the development of tumors;
- improves mental activity;
- normalizes metabolism.
This subtropical fruit is valued for its easily digestible, water-soluble iodine. Feijoa is the champion flora by its content. It is very useful in thyroid disorders caused by iodine deficiency. The lack of this substance leads to a decrease in pressure and immunity, to fatigue, edema, anemia, deterioration of memory and mood. Preventing iodine deficiency is easier than treating it, so you should include fragrant berries in your diet.
If a transmission is being prepared for a flu patient, in addition to lemons, it is advisable to put feijoa in the basket, it also has a lot of vitamin C, which will start immune processes and speed up recovery. In addition, pectin berries will make in the body general cleaning: will remove toxins from drugs, waste products of pathogenic bacteria and viruses.
B vitamins in feijoa prevent aging, improve metabolism and treat depression
A diet with the inclusion of feijoa is welcome and with a decrease in the secretion of gastric juice - hypoacid gastritis. Organic acids of the fetus activate the work of the stomach. And thanks to the astringent and enveloping properties of the tannins of the berry, inflammation of the mucous membrane will be removed. Feijoa fiber and pectins also have a beneficial effect on the intestines: they eliminate constipation, remove heavy metals.
Feijoa phytosterols reduce the amount of cholesterol absorbed by the alimentary tract, therefore they are indispensable for the prevention of atherosclerosis and rosacea. Phenols and anthocyanins form compounds with antioxidant activity that help prevent cancer. Feijoa peel is especially useful in this regard.
Feijoa owes its scientific name to the director of the Natural History Museum of Brazil, Juan da Silva Feijo. The specific name (feijoa Sellova) is given in honor of the German naturalist Friedrich Sellova.
The bark, flowers and leaves of this shrub contain tannins, catechins, anthocyanins and are known for wound healing, antiseptic and anti-cancer properties. Pyelonephritis is treated with a decoction of the leaves, and the mouth is rinsed with infusion for toothache and periodontal disease.
The bark, flowers and leaves of the feijoa bush are known for their wound healing, antiseptic and anti-cancer properties. Three fruits a day will help in the following circumstances:
- regular constipation;
- stress;
- beriberi;
- attacks of pain during menstruation;
- rheumatism;
- constant colds;
- high cholesterol.
Feijoa species
The homeland of Feijoa is South America, the mountains of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Colombia. This genus from the myrtle family includes three species, of which only one is edible - Feijoa sellowiana. Botanists describe the species as large evergreen shrub, a typical representative of subtropical vegetation. Loves moisture. On the territory of Russia, it is grown in the south and in the subtropics of the Caucasus. The trunk of the tree is green-brown, rough, the foliage is green on top and silvery on the underside.
The fruits of the shrub are eaten - oval fleshy berries with a bumpy surface. Both ripe and unripe fruits are always the same green color. Feijoa, grown on iodine-rich soils, contain more of this element, therefore they are used in dietary nutrition. Ideally, when buying berries, you should find out where they are grown and whether they are suitable for your purposes.
The larger the feijoa, the more useful it is South American Indians call the fragrant Quechua berry. The legend says that the outlandish fruit is a gift from the gods, which gives a person incredible strength.
Quechua reaches 4–6 m in height. Up to 30 kg of berries are harvested from one bush.
Quality feijoa is slightly soft to the touch, even green in color, without a glossy sheen. Hard fruits will have to be ripened (brought to a state of maturity). In a ripe fruit, the pulp resembles a creamy transparent jelly. The unripe fruit is white on the cut. Such berries ripen in dark place at room temperature for 3 days. If the fruit is cut Brown means rotted. When buying, pay attention to the skin. If brown spots are visible, the berries are already overripe and are not suitable for eating.
How to choose the right feijoas - video
Application
Quechua is eaten fresh. A bitten off piece of peel is deeply disappointing. The berry itself is valued for its fresh strawberry-pineapple taste, but the skin is tart and knits the tongue. It is dried and added to tea for flavor, or an infusion is made and the mouth is rinsed with bleeding gums, wounds after medical intervention, tonsillitis. To enjoy the taste of the fruit, it is cut into two parts, the creamy pulp is taken with a spoon. For medicinal purposes, feijoa is eaten whole, with the skin, especially for atherosclerosis and gastritis with low acidity.
Thyroid treatment
Thyroid hormones, which are synthesized by the thyroid gland, consist of more than 65% iodine. Endocrine disorders caused by iodine deficiency are corrected by introducing iodine-containing products, such as feijoa, into the diet. They eat berries twice a day, 150 g each. But such therapy will be beneficial only after consulting a doctor, because the basic treatment of hypothyroidism is based on hormones, nutritional supplements are of an auxiliary nature.
With a lack of iodine, it is useful to include feijoa in the diet For the prevention of endemic goiter use 3 large berries in a day. Before starting treatment, make sure that the fruits are grown in iodine-rich soils.
The closest relatives of feijoa are myrtle, eucalyptus, guava, tea tree and clove tree.
Prevention of atherosclerosis
Southern berry is used as additional remedy in the treatment of arterial diseases. Usually eat 2-3 fruits before meals. Feijoa phytosterols lower cholesterol, which is also useful for high blood pressure. For the prevention of atherosclerosis, the following recipes are suitable.
Feijoa ground with sugar
Quechua is harvested green, ripening occurs during transportation and storage. Perishable fruit is unlikely to last longer than a week, even in the refrigerator. Therefore, the housewives go to various tricks to preserve fragrant berries. You can do it this way:
- Trim the flower stalks and grind the fruits with sugar in a ratio of 1:1.
- Packed in sterile containers, closed with lids, put in the refrigerator.
Quechua grated with sugar is ideal for tea with pancakes For the prevention of influenza, colds and the treatment of beriberi, grated berries are consumed in 1 tbsp. spoon on an empty stomach. This tool enhances defensive forces organism. In addition, the mixture is also suitable for preventing iodine deficiency. In this case, take 2 tbsp. spoons.
Quechua and orange jam
Armed with such a jam, it is pleasant and tasty to deal with vascular problems. After all, it is not at all necessary to take only dull bitter medicines. For cooking take:
- feijoa berries - 500 g;
- sugar - 1 kg;
- freshly squeezed juice of one orange;
- walnuts - 1 cup.
Cooking:
- Dip a colander with berries for 3 minutes in boiling water.
- Without peeling the peel, grind in a blender.
- Pour in sugar and wait until the fruits release juice.
- Bring to a boil, pour in orange juice, add nuts.
- Simmer for another quarter of an hour, preserve.
Jam is not as healthy as fresh berries, but it is effective against vascular problems. Unfortunately, heat treatment destroys vitamins. Feijoa jam will not be as useful as berries ground with sugar. When heated, the content of vitamin C in fruits drops by 7 times. Such a product is unlikely to raise immunity or help heal mucous membranes with hypoacid gastritis, but is still effective against vascular problems.
Quechua fruits contain more potassium than sodium. As a result, blood vessels relax and arterial pressure decreases.
Feijoa juice
Juice is squeezed from berries in an electric juicer. It is undesirable to peel the peel from the fruit, it contains essential oils, anthocyanins and phenols. The daily norm for an adult is 1 glass, for a child - half. Keep drinks in the refrigerator for no longer than a day. Drink juice half an hour before meals or 2 hours after. This healing drink brings relief from depression, intellectual overload and restores the body after surgery or a long illness.
For the prevention of diseases of the heart and blood vessels, they drink a quarter glass of water, in which 1 tbsp is diluted. a spoonful of feijoa juice, before each meal.
Feijoa leaf therapy
Little information is available on the use of the leaves of this shrub. However, in trusted sources there is a recipe for tea for jaundice.
Cooking:
- Mix equal proportions of flowers and quechua leaf.
- Take 1 tbsp. a spoonful of the mixture and pour boiling water, leave for half an hour, strain.
Half a glass is taken 2 times a day before meals. With periodontal disease and toothache, rinse your mouth with this infusion. Traditional medicine also recommends leaf tea for hypothyroidism. If you add honey to the drink, it can also be used for inflammation of the kidneys - pyelonephritis.
Europeans discovered Quechua only at the end of the 19th century.
Feijoa during pregnancy and lactation
The main way to give birth healthy child- eat right during the period of gestation. Feijoa is included in the list of foods recommended by doctors due to its high content of iodine, which is necessary for the normal development of the embryo. From the first weeks, hormones are required from the mother's thyroid gland for herself and the unborn baby, so an increased intake of iodine into the body is necessary. In addition, a large amount of this element during gestation is excreted in the urine.
Iodine deficiency in the body of the expectant mother leads to mental retardation, deafness and goiter in the baby.
Future mother it is useful to include feijoa in the diet: the berry is rich in iodine, which is necessary for the intrauterine development of the baby To avoid iodine deficiency in herself and pathologies in her unborn child, a pregnant woman needs to eat 20 g of feijoa per day. This rate is acceptable if the attending physician is not assigned medications with iodine. Otherwise, you should consult a doctor and adjust the daily rate.
Feijoa helps expectant mothers in the following ways:
- relieves the usual difficulties - constipation;
- eliminates nausea with toxicosis;
- increases appetite;
- replenishes depleted mineral reserves;
- contains folic acid, which contributes to the development nervous system fetus.
However, if gestational diabetes is detected, in which a woman's cell susceptibility to her insulin decreases, the delicacy cannot be eaten because of the sucrose in its composition. After childbirth, when pregnancy hormones stop affecting the body, blood sugar levels most often return to normal. Then again include the berry in the menu.
What mom eats is what she gets infant with milk. It is noteworthy that feijoa is not treated with chemicals during transportation and storage, this safe product. Vitamins, iodine of these berries will come in handy for a nursing woman. It is especially good that vitamin C is present in Quechua, because the baby’s immunity is just being formed. Therefore, 3-4 fruits per day will only benefit.
If a mother or child gets sick in a car, let them use feijoa. This berry will eliminate nausea.
When and how to give to children
Feijoa does not usually cause allergies in children. However, caution does not hurt, so the berry is not introduced into the diet for up to a year. Before use, remove the peel, the fruit itself is crushed. They teach slowly, starting with 1 teaspoon. If there are no problems, the volume is gradually increased and brought to 1 fetus per day. This rule is observed until three years. Upon reaching this age, the baby can be pampered with jam or feijoa compote.
Peeled feijoa puree is given to children from the age of three for colds, skin irritation and diarrhea. It happens that feijoa bring trouble:
- fruits consumed with dairy products cause intestinal upset;
- the skin of the berry is not suitable for a child to eat, because it is difficult to digest by a young organism;
- unripe fruits lead to poisoning.
With hyperthyroidism and diabetes, Quechua is prohibited.
The versatility of feijoa is that it helps children with both constipation and diarrhea. With a delay in stool, fiber and pectins stimulate the intestines. And with diarrhea, tannins stop pathogenic processes and restore healthy microflora. However, these organic matter contained in the skin of the fetus, which is given to children only from the age of three.
Feijoa for diabetes
The menu of each diabetic is strictly individual and is compiled taking into account the opinion of the doctor. Feijoa is not recommended for severe diabetes and obesity. In mild forms, the berries are eaten in small quantities, controlling blood sugar levels. There are several simple rules. On the day when they feast on sweet fruits:
- eat fewer simple carbohydrates;
- do not consume a lot of fat;
- ideally combine quechua with protein foods;
- eat berries in several doses, and not all at once.
Feijoa pectins have a beneficial effect on the digestion of a diabetic: they reduce inflammation of the mucous membranes, reduce the intake of cholesterol and remove toxins. In moderate doses, berries will only benefit the sick: they will improve mood and increase immunity.
Feijoa is used to prepare savory sauces for meat and fish.
Feijoa weight control
Unfortunately, this berry does not make it possible to lose weight. Quechua does not remove accumulated fat, but it helps not to store it in the future. This is due to feijoa phytosterols, which reduce the absorption of fats from the intestines. It is useful to eat 2 fruits before dinner, then digestion will improve and the intestines will work like clockwork. To control weight, it is worth replacing the usual dinner with a light exotic salad 2-3 times a week. For cooking you will need: Beetroot and feijoa salad contains a meager amount of calories and perfectly cleanses the intestines
To make it tasty and healthy dish, need to:
- Grate pre-boiled medium-sized beets.
- Cut the berries into cubes, chop the nuts.
- Mix everything, add salt and butter to taste.
The maximum daily allowance of feijoa is 400 g.
External use: mask and scrub
Due to the anti-inflammatory properties of feijoa essential oils, it has a positive effect on skin condition. Masks from it relieve irritation, smooth wrinkles and nourish the skin. The mask is also suitable for those who have just done facial cleansing. For cosmetic procedure you will need:
- small feijoa - 1 pc.;
- yolk - 1 pc.;
- cottage cheese - 2 tbsp. spoons;
- vegetable oil - 1 tbsp. spoon.
Grind the berry, mix with the rest of the ingredients and gently apply on the neck and face for 20 minutes. Lie down, keeping the muscles of the face motionless. Then wash it all away warm water.
The mask is applied to clean skin along the massage lines, avoiding the area of the lips and eyes For the treatment and prevention of rosacea, in addition to masks, an infusion of feijoa peel is used: 1 tbsp. a spoonful of skins is poured with boiling water and aged for 20 minutes. The remedy is drunk in several approaches, before each meal.
If the skin has become dry and flabby, you should use a tonic coffee and quechua body scrub. For cooking you will need:
- ground coffee - 5 teaspoons;
- honey - 1 teaspoon;
- olive oil - 1 teaspoon;
- chopped feijoa - 1 pc.
You need to do the following:
- Mix the ingredients and apply on the body in a circular motion.
- Massage the skin for 5 minutes, then rinse under a warm shower.
Coffee exfoliates dead cells, honey nourishes, and feijoa removes inflammation and tones. This natural scrub refreshes and smoothes the skin and is inexpensive.
Contraindications
Obviously, the green berry is prohibited by doctors in diseases associated with iodine intolerance. It is not advised to abuse feijoa and obese and diabetic patients due to the high glucose content. It is harmful to eat these fruits when hyperacidity stomach, as the production of gastric juice is activated. Allergies are rare, but there are cases of individual intolerance, be careful. Feijoa should not be included in the menu when:
- hyperthyroidism;
- hyperacid gastritis;
- severe form of diabetes;
- obesity
- individual intolerance.
Unripe berries cause diarrhea and poisoning. The same reaction occurs if you combine feijoa with dairy products.
Quechua accumulate toxic thallium, this must be taken into account by workers in the chemical industry and other hazardous industries.
Feijoa (lat. Acca sellowiana) is a evergreen belonging to the Myrtle family and the Akka genus. This name applies both to the fruit itself and to the feijoa shrub, which can often reach a height of four meters. The cultivation of this plant began only in late XIX century following its discovery by the Brazilian Joano de Silva Feijo. In honor of the mentioned researcher and the Museum of Natural History, the view was named.
The natural distribution area of feijoa is some regions of the South American continent: the highlands of Uruguay, Colombia, Brazil and Argentina. Shortly after being introduced into the diet Western nations feijoa has gained wide popularity in California and even in Eurasia. France began importing fruits in 1890, after 10 years the fruit reached Black Sea coast, then berries (feijoa is sometimes defined as such) won the attention of Italy and the entire Mediterranean. Currently, the plant is actively distributed in countries with a subtropical and tropical climate. It perfectly took root in the Crimea, in the mountains of the Caucasus and the Krasnodar Territory. Global feijoa exports are primarily associated with the following regions: France, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Sicily, New Zealand, Australia, and the US Pacific Coast. Experimental studies have shown that these flowering trees are able to withstand temperatures down to -11 C without damage to their condition. Feijoa ripening occurs in the autumn months (usually in October-November).
As mentioned above, feijoa is often referred to as a fruit, but in terms of biological description, the fruits are classified as berries, having a shape from wide round to oval. Fruit sizes vary from 2 to 5 cm in length and from 1.5 to 5 cm in diameter. The mass of the berry is from 15 to 70 grams, in rare cases, the weight can reach 110 grams. The fruit seeds are enclosed in a translucent white pulp. Berries can be called large, fleshy and juicy, and in terms of taste, feijoa, as a rule, evokes associations with kiwi, pineapple and strawberries. The peel of exotic fruits can be smooth or bumpy; the first most often corresponds to a yellow-green color, and the second is characteristic of dark green.
Rich in vitamins and minerals and unique properties led to the widespread use of feijoa both raw and in the preparation of gourmet dishes (jams, salads, drinks, canned foods, compotes, lemonades). Also, feijoa fruits are very actively used in cosmetology, especially in the manufacture of face creams. When harvesting from trees, they try to select exactly unripe fruits so that they reach ripeness already in the process of transportation and storage. Otherwise, too soft ripe berries will very quickly lose their beneficial properties and rot. The tropical view also occasionally serves landscape design because its beautiful long flowering highly regarded by gardeners in Japan.
Vitamin complexes, macro- and microelements in feijoa
Incredible abundance of useful for the body chemical compounds is the reason nutritionists actively recommend feijoa for general consumption. Like many tropical plants, the basis of feijoa berries is water. If we make a calculation for 100 g of feijoa fruit, then it will contain:
- 86 g water
- 1.2 g proteins
- 0.8 g fat
- 10.5 g carbohydrates
- and even 0.7 g of ash.
According to the content of vitamin complexes, this berry of the Myrtle family belongs to the absolute champions among similar products. B vitamins, always necessary for the nervous and of cardio-vascular system, for the processes of generating energy and normalizing digestion, as well as many other life processes, are found in feijoa. Quantities reach very solid values:
- 0.008 mg thiamine (B1)
- 0.032 mg riboflavin (B2)
- 0.289 mg niacin (B3 or PP)
- 0.228 mg pantothenic acid (B5)
- 0.05 mg pyridoxine (B6)
- 38 mcg folic acid(AT 9)
- and 20.3 mg of ascorbic acid (C).
The fruits are incredibly rich in organic acids and sugars. From macro- and microelements, significant amounts of the following components can be distinguished:
- 155 mg potassium (K)
- 55 mg copper (Cu)
- 8 to 35 mg iodine (I)
- 17 mg calcium (Ca)
- 9 mg magnesium (Mg)
- 3 mg sodium (Na)
- 0.085 mg manganese (Mn)
- and 0.04 mg zinc (Zn).
If we do not calculate on the dry weight of the fruit, then in 1 kg of feijoa berries there are from 2.05 to 3.8 mg of iodine. It should be remembered that the average daily requirement of a middle-aged person for iodine is 0.15 mg. Thanks to a number of studies, the regularity of the content of the amount of this most important microelement from the area of fruit growth has been revealed. For coastal trees, the iodine content in berries reaches highest values, and at a distance of 40–90 km from the sea, the indicators are about 8–9 mg per 100 g of fruit. The iodine in feijoa is water soluble and is absorbed very quickly.
Calorie content and beneficial properties of feijoa
Fresh feijoa has a significant energy value. It contains approximately 50 kilocalories per 100 grams of berries.
- The highest content of pure iodine in feijoa is comparable only to this value for seafood. Therefore, the fruits are recommended for the treatment and prevention of anemia, thyroid disorders, inflammation of the kidneys and gastric mucosa.
- The rich supply of B vitamins make feijoa an amazing natural medicine. Vitamins B1 and B2 are involved in metabolism and growth stimulation, and vitamin B2 catalyzes the production of corticosteroids. These components also favor hematopoiesis, and in conjunction with ascorbic acid excellent for fatigue and eye diseases.
- Feijoa fruits can also be useful for the treatment of neuralgia and lumbago. This is due to the high content of vitamin B5, which is responsible for lipid metabolism, redox balance processes, and the functioning of the immune system. Vitamin B6 is extremely important for the central and peripheral nervous system.
- The presence of vitamin C in fruits makes berries an effective antioxidant, so feijoa helps to overcome stress and protect against infections. Also, this product increases the permeability of blood vessels, protecting them from fragility.
- Due to the powerful anti-carcinogenic effect, feijoa fruits are able to lower blood cholesterol levels, so it is useful to complete the use of fried foods with such berries in order to minimize the harm from it. Feijoa is recommended by some nutritionists for type 2 diabetes because it requires lowering sugar levels for treatment. Feijoa fruits are relatively low in sugar (mostly fructose) and low in calories.
- Many tannins are concentrated in the skin of the berries, due to which the fruits have a tart taste, and biologically active catechins and leucoanthocyanites were found in it. The combination of these antioxidant properties makes feijoa an important tool in the prevention of cancer.
- For a warning colds the aroma of essential oils is very useful, neutralizing the action of viruses and pathogenic microbes. The pleasant smell of feijoa, according to psychologists, actively disperses melancholy.
- Feijoa fruits have also been used in the cosmetics industry. Berries become the basis for masks that provide skin elasticity and relieve inflammation.
Contraindications for use
As a rule, feijoa is not able to cause allergic reaction, however, the product should be discarded in case of individual intolerance to its components. For example, this applies to those people who are contraindicated in seafood. Due to the high iodine content, feijoa should not be eaten with thyrotoxicosis (hyperthyroidism).
