Guava is not typically discussed in the same breath as pharmaceutical treatments for iron deficiency anemia. A systematic review and meta-analysis published in BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health and covered by ScienceDaily on May 27, 2026, suggests it deserves more clinical attention than it has received — particularly for women and teenage girls who are the population most affected by iron deficiency anemia and who have the most to gain from a low-cost, accessible, food-based intervention.
The meta-analysis, which synthesized 17 studies involving 235 participants across 12 quantitative analyses, found that guava juice — particularly when combined with iron supplements — significantly increased hemoglobin levels in women and teenage girls, with a pooled average hemoglobin increase of 1.71 g/dL. The mechanism is specific and well-characterized: guava's extraordinary vitamin C concentration enhances the absorption of non-heme iron by converting it from its poorly absorbed ferric form to its more bioavailable ferrous form.
