Useful properties of feijoa

In late autumn, in our markets, there is an outlandish fruit - feijoa - with the smell and taste of strawberries and kiwi. Unfortunately, not everyone knows about this exotic and healing fruit. It is small in size, green in color, with solid skin, oval in shape, 3-7 cm long. For transportation, unripe fruits of feijoa are taken, as ripe fruits are very soft and not stored for a long time. Despite its ugliness, feijoa is a very useful and tasty exotic fruit. Let's look at the useful properties of feijoa.

The origin of feijoa.

Its beginning evergreen feijoa tree takes in Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, in the subtropics of South America. For the first time Europeans heard about the tree in the second half of the 19th century. He was named after the discoverer of the botanist Joanie da Silva Feijo, director of the Museum of History. Now feijoa is grown in Azerbaijan, Krasnodar Territory, Crimea, Turkmenistan, especially cultivated in New Zealand. Due to its beauty, feijoa has long been considered an ornamental tree. The magnificence of these trees during flowering with silver leaves helped spread in many subtropical zones on Earth, but in the tropics they did not take root. Studying the properties of feijoa, scientists found in fruits the largest content of iodine.

Beneficial features.

Creamy jelly flesh of a ripe fruit combines the taste of several fruits: banana, kiwi, strawberry, pineapple. Feijoa is also called pineapple guava. The benefits of feijoa fruits are indicated by the high content of vitamin C, sucrose, pectin, fiber and its high acidity. The ability to form a lot of water-soluble iodine compounds makes it the only fruit of its kind, they are equated only with seafood. People who have thyroid gland diseases, gastritis, pyelonephritis, beriberi, atherosclerosis, gastrointestinal tract diseases, medicine suggest using beneficial feijoa fruits.

Another advantage feijoa - amino acids. In fruits, they are few, but they are also very valuable for the human body: asparagine, alanine, glutamine, tyrazine and arginine. Amino acids play a role in metabolic processes, in strengthening immunity, participate in the synthesis of proteins, burn fats, increase the work of the adrenal glands. Cleans the body of toxins and radicals mild sorbent - pectin, which is also contained in feijoa. The rind of fruit is rich in antioxidants, which have the property of protecting the human body from the formation of cancer cells. These fruits are used as a restorative for the prevention and preservation of health. From the flesh of fruit make facial masks with anti-aging and anti-inflammatory effect.

Using feijoa.

Widely used feijoa fruits in cooking as dessert and sweet dishes, such as compote, jam, marmalade, fruit salads, liqueurs and others, they are added to baking. At home it is very easy to make a blank for the winter. It is necessary to grind the meat grinder with the peel, fill it with sugar in a 1: 1 ratio and leave it in the refrigerator for storage. In this form, the jam is perfectly preserved for a year thanks to the huge content of iodine and vitamin C. But mostly the fruits of feijoa are eaten fresh, cut into two parts, and using a teaspoon, scraping the flesh, or peel and cut into slices and slices.

Of feijoa make essential oil. It has an anti-inflammatory property and is used in dermatology in the form of compresses that are applied to sore spots, and also used for massage. Feijoa is widely used in the manufacture of cosmetics: shampoos, gels, creams, soaps.

It is interesting.

It turns out that such a tree can be built at home on the windowsill and, moreover, it will begin to bear fruit after 4-5 years with proper care. In February-March, feijoa seeds are sown in the soil with a temperature of at least 22 ° in small pots. But every year the sprout must be transplanted, and each time in a pot larger than the previous one. This subtropical plant adores water and a lot of light.

Strangely enough, but feijoa can also eat flower petals. They are fleshy and sweet to the taste.

Nature has endowed this tree with beauty and healthy fruits. Those who have not yet discovered this fruit, try it.