Guava Benefits for Sex

Guava (psidium guajava L) is a tropical fruit known for its sweet flavor and musky scent. Should it also be known for its sexual benefits?

While there’s no single fruit or supplement that can magically improve sexual function, some research suggests that guava benefits include better erections. After all, guava leaves and fruit contain nutrients that support better blood flow and balanced hormones, which may improve erectile function and other aspects of sexual behavior.

But you shouldn’t replace your prescription medication with fruit salad just yet. Though the benefits of guava are impressive, research is limited on how well they can impact your sex life.

In this article, we’ll explore the purported benefits of guava leaves sexually and other ways this fruit might improve your overall health. We’ll also share other ways you treat sexual issues like erectile dysfunction (ED) and low libido safely and effectively.

Guava fruit is native to Central America and is often eaten for dessert, used as pastry filling and fruit jam, or thrown into smoothies.

Not only is the fruit itself edible, but so are the leaves, which are often boiled into herbal teas or added to soups and stews for a unique depth of flavor.

Speaking of depth, the effects of guava are thought to be much deeper than flavor. In folk medicine, guava leaves are said to improve erectile dysfunction in males and improve reproductive function. However, research is limited when it comes to guava’s sexual benefits and is mostly based on animals.

If you have ED, it’s best to stick with proven treatments like sildenafil (the active ingredient in Viagra®) and other similar medications until we know more about the impact of nutrition on erectile function. But keep in mind that other lifestyle habits, including following a healthy diet, can support your sexual health. And guava can be a tasty and nutritious addition to your shopping list.

As you’ll see below, guava leaves and fruit contain important nutrients that can benefit numerous aspects of your overall health. These benefits, which we’ll discuss more in detail below, may also improve your sexual performance, but indirectly at best.

Before we get to the benefits of guava for men, you should know that this little fruit packs a serious nutritional punch.

These fruits are rich in vitamins and minerals, including several antioxidants, which protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. They also contain polyphenols and flavonoids, plant compounds that protect the body from chronic diseases due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 100 grams of raw guava fruit contains:

• 68 calories

• 14.32 grams of carbohydrates

• 8.92 grams of sugars

• 0.95 grams of fat

• 5.4 grams of dietary fiber

• 417 mg of potassium

• 228.3 mg of vitamin C

• 624 international units of vitamin A

• 18 mg of calcium

• 22 mg of magnesium

• 49 µg of folate

• 5200 µg of lycopene

Keep reading to learn how nutrient-rich guava fruits and their leaves can benefit your health — and possibly improve sexual experience.

Guava is considered both a food and a medicinal plant for a range of health conditions.

Traditional uses of guava include using the leaves and fruit as remedies for upset stomach, bacterial infections, high blood pressure, diabetes, and skin issues.

Some research shows guava benefits your health in the following ways:

• May help lower blood sugar levels

• Might help aid weight loss

• Could reduce erectile dysfunction

• May help reproductive hormone levels

• Could help reduce blood pressure

May Help Lower Blood Sugar Levels

Some animal studies suggest guava may be useful for blood sugar control.

In one study, guava leaf extract was found to significantly lower blood sugar levels (glucose) in rats.

Meanwhile, guava leaf tea—which contains the liquid solution of guava leaf—has its own positive effects. Guava leaf tea benefits include lower blood sugar levels, as shown in test tubes, animal studies, and clinical trials on humans.

One study of 19 people found that drinking guava herbal tea made from aqueous extract lowered blood sugar levels after a meal, with the effects lasting up to two hours.

Guava leaf tea was also found to reduce the blood sugar levels of 20 people with type 2 diabetes by more than 10 percent.

How This Impacts Sex

This effect of guava leaf on blood sugar may help lower the risk of diabetes, a major risk factor for ED.

Since chronic health conditions like diabetes can increase your risk of erectile dysfunction, eating a healthy diet with fruits that keep your blood sugar levels low can indirectly decrease your risk of ED.

Might Help Aid Weight Loss

Some research shows that guava and guava leaf extracts may help with weight management.

Another animal study found that guava leaf powder supplementation helped to lower inflammatory cells in the liver in high-fat diet-fed rats, potentially decreasing the risk of obesity. However, more research is needed to see how this measure would work on humans.

We do know for sure that guava fruits are a filling, low-calorie snack. At only 68 calories, they also contain around 18 percent of the recommended daily fiber intake.

Additionally, this fruit contains several important vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A and vitamin C. So, even though it’s such a low-calorie snack, you won’t lose out on essential nutrients when eating it.

How This Impacts Sex

In addition to chronic health conditions like diabetes, significant weight gain or being overweight can be another possible cause of erectile dysfunction along with other sexual dysfunctions like low libido.

Combined with exercise, a nutritious diet is an essential component of maintaining a healthy weight.

Could Reduce Erectile Dysfunction

Guavas are a good source of vitamin C, an antioxidant that helps strengthen the immune system, promote cell repair, and aid iron absorption.

A vitamin C deficiency may also contribute to ED. One review noted that vitamin C is one of several vitamins and minerals that support the biochemical pathway leading to the release of nitric oxide. Responsible for relaxing the soft tissue inside your penis, nitric oxide generally allows blood flow to create an erection.

However, additional research is needed to fully understand this connection, along with more clinical trials to determine if guava plant extract specifically has an impact on sexual dysfunction — or could potentially improve sexual experience.

How This Impacts Sex

If you struggle with ED, we don’t need to tell you how it can impact your sex life. But you shouldn’t have to count on diet alone to see positive changes to your erectile function.

Ask your healthcare provider about ED medication like sildenafil (Viagra®), tadalafil (Cialis®), avanafil (Stendra®), and vardenafil (Levitra®). If the allure of guava for sex was not carrying out a pill bottle, you could also ask about chewable ED mints, which contain the same active ingredients in Viagra and Cialis at personalized dosages.

You should also remember that ED has many causes. While the medications mentioned above increase blood flow to help you get and maintain erections, they won’t address the root cause of what’s causing your erection problems.

Get expert medical advice and figure out why you’re dealing with ED by talking to a healthcare provider.

May Help Reproductive Hormone Levels

Guava extract also contains a high amount of vitamin A, another essential vitamin for improving overall well-being that may benefit reproductive hormone levels.

Vitamin A is essential for many health benefits, including:

• Immune system functioning

• Vision

• Bone health

• Male and female reproduction

According to one animal study, vitamin A may also be useful in supporting testosterone production, though more research is needed on this front.

How This Impacts Sex

Testosterone is the quintessential male sex hormone that supports the development of secondary characteristics like beard growth, deeper voice, and penis size. However, it also plays a role in regulating your libido and erectile function.

Though more research is needed, if the nutrients in guava can improve hormonal function, there’s a chance they can also improve sexual function.

Could Help Reduce Blood Pressure

Consuming guava leaf extract may support heart health by lowering high blood pressure (hypertension) and promoting good cholesterol.

Test tube and animal studies have found that guava leaf aqueous extracts have an antihypertensive effect in rat tissues — meaning they may have the potential to reduce blood pressure.

Again, this is another animal study, so we’re not sure if these same results would occur in humans.

How This Impacts Sex

While keeping blood pressure low is good for your overall health, high blood pressure can also affect sexual intercourse in several ways, including low sex drive and sexual dysfunction. Our guide on high blood pressure and erectile dysfunction offers more detail on this topic.

Still, more clinical trials on humans are needed to determine whether guava leaf extract can reduce high blood pressure and lower your risk of heart disease.

Guava is safe to consume in moderation as long as you don’t have an allergy to the fruit or its leaves.

Research is limited, but no known adverse effects of eating guava have been reported. However, like other high-fiber foods, you may experience an upset stomach if you eat guava daily, like gas or bloating.

If you feel unwell after eating guava or consuming its leaves, you should seek medical advice.

Guava is not only a delicious fruit packed full of important vitamins, but guava leaves may also have several health benefits. Here’s what we know:

• Guava extract contains high levels of antioxidants, vitamins, and essential minerals. The nutrients in guava may have numerous health benefits. Test tube and animal studies have found that guava tea benefits blood sugar and blood pressure — both of which can help improve your sex life.

• Although these guava benefits sound promising, more clinical trials on humans are needed. We cannot definitively say there are benefits of guava leaves sexually until more human research is performed. However, we do know that maintaining a healthy diet can help you maintain a healthy sex life. Guava can be a useful addition to a well-balanced diet.

• While the idea that one fruit or plant can stop sexual dysfunction would be convenient, the truth isn’t as simple as that. Until we know more, it’s best to stick with proven treatments, like prescription medication for ED.

Not sure if you’re dealing with sexual dysfunction? Learn more about the symptoms of sexual dysfunction disorder here.