Feijoa's Role In Promoting Digestive Health

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Feijoa, also known as Pineapple guava or guavasteen, is not a fruit many have heard of. However, if you are looking to improve your digestive health, it can be an excellent addition to your diet.

Introduction

Natively, feijoa grows as an evergreen shrub in the subtropical climates of southern Brazil and other parts of South America. Now, countries like Australia, New Zealand and Georgia also cultivate this plant commercially. 

Packed with vitamins, fibre, antioxidants and essential minerals, feijoa works wonders to support a healthy digestive system; from regulating your bowel movements to encouraging a diverse microbial community.1

Importance of the digestive system

Our digestive system is almost like a factory. It processes all the food we eat to extract and produce the nutrients essential for our bodies to function at their best. So when your digestive system is not functioning well, every aspect of your well-being could be affected, from your immune system to your mental health. This is why maintaining good digestive health is vital for your overall welfare. 

Digestion can be broken down into 3 main stages.2

  1. Breaking down food - The mechanical and chemical breakdown of ingested food into smaller components that the body can absorb 
  2. Absorption of nutrients from food - Products of digestion are then absorbed through the intestinal walls to be used wherever they are needed for energy, growth or repair
  3. Eliminating waste - Undigested food and other waste products are removed to maintain the digestive environment

The microbiome and digestive health

Underpinning digestive health is our gut microbiome - a diverse microbial ecosystem living in your gut with beneficial and (not so beneficial) pathogenic microorganisms. This lively community play an extensive role in many areas of our health, extending way beyond helping with food digestion and absorption. 

The gut microbiome contributes to producing much of our necessary vitamins and nutrients and also has a large influence on the immune system (training it to recognise harmful invaders as well as actively fight them). Even your mental health could be affected as changes in gut microbial composition have been linked with conditions like depression and anxiety. Fortunately, feijoa can serve as a nourishing fuel source for your l gut bacteria to promote optimal digestive health.

Nutritional content of feijoa and its effect on digestion

Dietary fibre

One of the major components of feijoa which is excellent for your digestive health is its rich dietary fibre content. Dietary fibres are a group of complex structures found in plant foods that resist digestion by human enzymes, meaning they pass through the digestive system into the colon relatively intact performing their benefits.3

Understanding dietary fibre

Dietary fibres can be categorised as either soluble or insoluble (though actual solubility may vary depending on certain factors). 

Soluble fibres are dissolvable in water - they attract and retain water to form a gel-like structure which slows digestion playing a significant role in reducing the risk of gastrointestinal diseases. The viscosity of some of these soluble fibres also slows the absorption of carbohydrates and fats, which has a significant impact on slowing obesity and reducing the risk of diabetes. 

On the other hand, insoluble fibres, such as cellulose, add bulk to stool which draws water to the colon, creating softer bulkier stool that is easier to pass through the digestive system, encouraging regular bowel movement and preventing constipation.

Fibres may also be classified in terms of their fermentability, which describes how well they can be utilised for energy by gut microbes. This tends to select for beneficial bacteria whilst resisting pathogens.4

The benefits of feijoa fibre

Feijoa contains a variety of different fibres, but it is particularly high in pectin, a viscous soluble fibre. Pectin, due to its high fermentability, is also considered a prebiotic.5 This nurtures the microbiome to produce health benefits, such as a reduction in obesity, diabetes, gut inflammation, heart disease, and certain cancers.4,6

The high soluble fibre content of feijoa overall, also makes it an excellent bulk laxative. As the fibres absorb water and the waste matter swells, regular bowel movements are stimulated, reducing the colon's exposure time to toxins protect the gut lining.7

Essential vitamins and minerals

Vitamin C

Feijoa is also an excellent source of vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant known for preventing prolonged oxidative stress and inflammation within our digestive system. Moreover, regularly consuming vitamin C helps prevent gallstones.8

Furthermore, Vitamin C has been found to have a significant impact on the microbiome, fostering a healthier balance of beneficial bacteria essential for improved energy metabolism, enhanced immunity, and optimal nutrient production.9,10

Vitamin K

The vitamin K content of feijoa holds particular benefits when it comes to inflammatory bowel disease. Its anti-inflammatory properties help to alleviate symptoms of conditions like colitis and prevent the progression of intestinal inflammation relating to IBD. Due to the key role of vitamin K in blood clotting, gastrointestinal bleeding is safeguarded against whilst also promoting overall gut integrity. Vitamin K may also have further anti-tumour abilities.8

Vitamin B 

Feijoa is also high in certain B vitamins including folate(vitamin B9), vitamin B6, and vitamin B5. Folate. Having a prominent role in regulating the genome and enhancing DNA stability it helps regenerate the gut lining (essential due to the high cell turnover rate of 3-4 days). The anti-inflammatory properties of other B vitamins as well as their role in cell regeneration also makes the B vitamins in feijoa helpful for IBD in particular.8,11

Potassium

Feijoa's potassium content, an electrolyte essential for muscle function, supports effective peristalsis — the rhythmic movements that propel food through the digestive tract. Impaired peristalsis prevents food from moving through the digestive tract effectively which not only leads to constipation but can encourage pathogenic bacterial overgrowth and bloating. 

Furthermore, potassium strengthens the intestinal barrier - a mucosal lining that prevents bacteria and toxins from passing outside of the intestinal lumen. This helps maintain the microbial diversity, protecting against pathogenic bacterial overgrowth and leaky gut syndrome.12 

Other essential minerals

Other minerals in feijoa for digestive health include manganese and copper. These play integral roles in the activity of digestive enzymes, facilitating efficient nutrient breakdown and absorption within the gastrointestinal tract.

Incorporating feijoa into a digestive-healthy diet

As with many fruits, a lot of feijoa's nutritional content is present in the edible peel, so it is better not to throw it out! Additionally, staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water enhances the effectiveness of dietary fibre in promoting digestive health.

Here are some ways you can incorporate feijoa into your diet:

  • Simply scoop the flesh out with a spoon (the skin can be quite bitter raw)
  • Add to your fruit salad
  • Mix into a smoothie (you can chuck the skin in here!)
  • Make it into a lovely salsa or chutney
  • Or roast with the skin on and add to your salads and other dishes

Looking for something a little more cheeky? You could always use it in your favourite muffin recipe, as a fun twist to naturally sweeten the muffins, or use it in a fruit crumble. 

Summary

Feijoa’s remarkable fibre content helps prevent constipation whilst also reducing the risk of diseases like diabetes and heart disease, as well as a prebiotic for the benefit of the microbiome. The vitamin and mineral content further offer antioxidant and anti-inflammation properties and further protect against certain GI disorders and IBD. So, if you’re looking to focus more on your digestive health, incorporating feijoa in your diet might be the way to start! 

References

  1. Phan ADT, Chaliha M, Sultanbawa Y, Netzel ME. Nutritional Characteristics and Antimicrobial Activity of Australian Grown Feijoa (Acca sellowiana). Foods [Internet]. 2019 [cited 2024 Jan 12]; 8(9):376. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6770449/.
  2. 18.2: Introduction to the Digestive System. Biology LibreTexts [Internet]. 2018 [cited 2024 Jan 27]. Available from: https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Human_Biology/Human_Biology_(Wakim_and_Grewal)/18%3A_Digestive_System/18.2%3A_Introduction_to_the_Digestive_System.
  3. Fibre - British Nutrition Foundation [Internet]. [cited 2024 Jan 9]. Available from: https://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthy-sustainable-diets/starchy-foods-sugar-and-fibre/fibre/?level=Health%20professional.
  4. Williams BA, Mikkelsen D, Flanagan BM, Gidley MJ. “Dietary fibre”: moving beyond the “soluble/insoluble” classification for monogastric nutrition, with an emphasis on humans and pigs. J Anim Sci Biotechnol [Internet]. 2019 [cited 2024 Feb 1]; 10:45. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6537190/.
  5. Smeriglio A, Denaro M, De Francesco C, Cornara L, Barreca D, Bellocco E, et al. Feijoa Fruit Peel: Micro-morphological Features, Evaluation of Phytochemical Profile, and Biological Properties of Its Essential Oil. Antioxidants (Basel) [Internet]. 2019 [cited 2024 Feb 1]; 8(8):320. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6720543/.
  6. Blanco-Pérez F, Steigerwald H, Schülke S, Vieths S, Toda M, Scheurer S. The Dietary Fiber Pectin: Health Benefits and Potential for the Treatment of Allergies by Modulation of Gut Microbiota. Current Allergy and Asthma Reports [Internet]. Springer; 2021 [cited 2024 Feb 1]; 21(10). Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8433104/.
  7. Feijoa (Pineapple guava) fruit Nutrition facts and Health benefits [Internet]. [cited 2024 Feb 1]. Available from: https://www.nutrition-and-you.com/feijoa.html.
  8. Role of vitamins in gastrointestinal diseases - PMC [Internet]. [cited 2024 Feb 1]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4419060/.
  9. Otten AT, Bourgonje AR, Peters V, Alizadeh BZ, Dijkstra G, Harmsen HJM. Vitamin C Supplementation in Healthy Individuals Leads to Shifts of Bacterial Populations in the Gut—A Pilot Study. Antioxidants (Basel) [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2024 Feb 1]; 10(8):1278. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8389205/.
  10. Vitamin C improves gut Bifidobacteria in humans - PubMed [Internet]. [cited 2024 Feb 1]. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36475828/.
  11. Hossain KS, Amarasena S, Mayengbam S. B Vitamins and Their Roles in Gut Health. Microorganisms [Internet]. 2022 [cited 2024 Feb 1]; 10(6):1168. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9227236/.
  12. Wu H, Huang R, Fan J, Luo N, Yang X. Low potassium disrupt intestinal barrier and result in bacterial translocation. Journal of Translational Medicine [Internet]. 2022 [cited 2024 Feb 1]; 20(1):309. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-022-03499-0.

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This content is purely informational and isn’t medical guidance. It shouldn’t replace professional medical counsel. Always consult your physician regarding treatment risks and benefits. See our editorial standards for more details.

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