The Unexpected Health Benefits of Feijoas — New Zealand’s Humble Hero
For most Kiwis, imagining life without feijoas is a little unthinkable. Whether it’s a fresh feijoa loaf from the neighbour, a bag full from the back yard or simply a lunchbox treat – we’ve all grown up around this classic kiwi fruit. But, do we really know them? What are the health benefits of feijoas?
Also called the pineapple guava (not by Kiwis, mind you), these little green fruits have captured hearts and childhoods with their nostalgic, fresh, perfectly sweet and sour taste. But it isn’t just taste that feijoas have to offer, they are also packed with vitamin C, fibre and are battling bananas for the top spot of Potassium King.
As it turns out, feijoas have a lot more to offer than joy to your taste buds!
And So the Story Begins…
Despite being a longstanding symbol of Kiwiana next to gumboots and the pavlova (petition to make feijoas a mainstay on pavs), feijoas started off as a native of South America in Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil and some areas of Argentina. They were named after Brazilian botanist João da Silva Feijó and featured in the collection and work of a German explorer, Freidrich Sellow in 1815.
From there, feijoas made their debut in French society in 1890 by way of French botanist and landscape gardener, Edouard Andre. Feijoas have only been in Aotearoa for a little over a hundred years since they appeared on our shores for the first time in the 1920s. How they were first introduced to New Zealand is uncertain, but they were first commercially grown and propagated by Hayward Wright in Avondale, Auckland, where they quickly became a Kiwi classic.
The Unexpected Health Benefits
A High Source of Vitamin C
When you think of foods high in vitamin C, the fruit bowl favourites come to mind: oranges, lemons, mandarins and the like. But a place at the table should be made for feijoas, which have 32.9mg of vitamin C per 100g of feijoa pulp. Vitamin C can help pep up your immune system by helping to increase white cell production. It can also help strengthen the body’s first line of defence when facing infectious illnesses. One serving of feijoa contains over 50% of the daily recommended vitamin C you need! And as winter sets in, you need all you can get to keep the winter nasties at bay.
High in Prebiotic Fibre
Make your gut feeling, a good feeling, with a healthy dose of feijoas. Feijoas have high levels of fibre which can make for healthier digestive systems when eaten in moderation (hard, we know). Fibre is important for maintaining gut health, a healthy weight and keeping cholesterol and blood sugar levels in check. It also protects the colon mucous membrane by decreasing exposure time to toxins in the colon.
But not all fibre is the same, and feijoas are specifically high in prebiotic fibre, which feeds the good bacteria in our gut, and helps break down the things we can’t do by ourselves (aka healthy poops). This prebiotic fibre also helps with maintaining a strong brain function. Super brain and healthy poops, what more could you need!?
More Potassium than a Banana
Feijoas are taking a punt at the title for Potassium King against the old champion: bananas. But what exactly is potassium, and why is it so great? Potassium is a mineral that is essential to keep fluids and electrolytes balanced, which releases energy during exercise. So, feijoas make for great pre-workout snacks and can fuel you on those long weekend hikes. That explains why our sporty Little Beauties Tribe love our freeze-dried feijoas so much! Potassium is vital in keeping the muscles running smoothly and helps with the contraction and dilation of arteries, which controls blood flow. Better blood flow means better circulation, which means your vital organs will get the oxygen and nutrients they need.
Supports Heart Health
Without our hearts, we wouldn’t get much done. Our hearts keep us going, so we should do our bit to look after them. Feijoas are packed full of antioxidants, which reduce oxidative stress in the arteries and decrease the buildup of plaque. Feijoas also lower the amount of bad cholesterol in your system, which helps keep your arteries clear. It gives a new meaning to being fuelled by feijoas, a fruit that supports hearts in more ways than just good memories. Make your heart work smarter, not harder by including feijoas in your 5+ a day!
Mood Boosters!
Feijoas are a staple of Kiwi childhoods and have been bringing smiles to faces both young and old for decades. Feijoas are devoured with zeal alongside whānau, friends, and neighbours that have been offloaded with the green goodness. But did you know the serotonin boost and happiness associated with feijoas are backed by science? Feijoas are high in folate, which helps regulate homocysteine, a metabolite which can interfere with the production of serotonin and help regulate mood. Feijoas don’t just nourish your body, but your mind and soul too!
We don’t eat feijoas for the science behind it, but understanding their health benefits can help us make healthier decisions when it comes to snacks. The high levels of vitamin C, prebiotic fibre and potassium in feijoas means you're getting your nutrition from the source: natural foods, rather than boring supplements.
The one downfall of feijoas? They have a short season between March and June!
The good news?
Little Beauties freeze-dried feijoas are available all year around, and are packed with all the same goodness! Here’s what Little Beauties customer Jessica thinks about our Little Beauties feijoas!
★★★★★ “These have a really concentrated feijoa (tangy, tropical, sweet) flavour, and you skip the mealiness that's characteristic of the fresh fruit. It's very hard to get fresh ones where I live so this really hits the spot.”