A systematic review of 17 studies concluded that consuming guava juice alongside iron supplements can improve absorption, particularly among women and adolescent girls with anemia risk.
Vitamin C and other compounds in guava may reduce conversion of iron to less absorbable forms in the digestive tract.
Public health programs addressing iron deficiency often pair supplements with dietary guidance, and the review adds evidence for tropical fruit interventions.
Clinicians cautioned that juice should complement, not replace, medically supervised supplementation for diagnosed deficiency.
Further research may examine optimal quantities and whether whole fruit offers comparable benefits without added sugars found in some commercial juices.
Iron deficiency anemia remains prevalent in low- and middle-income regions where dietary intake and absorption challenges affect women and adolescents disproportionately.
Guava provides vitamin C that converts ferric iron to more absorbable ferrous forms in the gastrointestinal tract during supplementation.
Nutrition policy makers may consider pairing iron programs with locally available fruit interventions where guava is culturally acceptable and affordable.
Public health nutrition programs in anemia-endemic regions may evaluate guava availability as a low-cost adjunct to iron supplementation campaigns.
Dietitians cautioned that whole guava fruit provides fiber absent in some sweetened commercial juice products.
Nutrition scientists recommended randomized trials pairing guava juice with iron supplements to confirm absorption benefits observed in the reviewed epidemiological studies.
A review of 17 studies found that guava juice significantly improved iron absorption particularly in women and teenage girls taking supplements.
Created by Ayen Stabel.
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Sources:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/health_medicine/