When we think of guava, the first thing that comes to mind is that sweet, juicy fruit with an unmistakable aroma. In many homes in the Caribbean and Latin America, it’s common to find it in juices, jams, or simply enjoyed fresh, cut.

But what many don’t know is that this fruit, along with its leaves, has surprising properties that can help control a health problem that increasingly affects more people: diabetes.

In times when medications and treatments tend to take all the attention, it’s interesting to discover how nature also offers us valuable tools. Guava and its leaves have been used for centuries in traditional medicine, and today science is beginning to confirm what our grandparents already suspected: that there is much more behind this fruit than a simple tropical flavor.