Researchers in India have found Guava can have a negative effect on blood sugar levels if consumed along with its skin.

Scientists from Allahbad found that blood sugar levels in rats injected with guava peel extract rose by 91 per cent in sub-diabetic rats within two hours of administration, and by 27 per cent in normal rats after eight hours. The findings were reported in the Indian Journal of Medical Research.

Anoop Misra, director of the department of diabetes and metabolic diseases at Fortis Hospitals, told the Indian press: “Up until now, we have recommended fruits like guava, apples, pears and papaya to diabetics because we believed they had a neutral effect on blood sugar and, in some cases, lowered blood sugar levels.

“However, this study confirms that the skin of a guava, high in simple sugars like glucose, increases blood sugar level immediately. So the best way for a diabetic to consume a guava is to peel it,” he added.

Guavas are an excellent source of vitamins A, B and C, and iron, calcium and phosphorous.

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