It is also good against high blood pressure, and is said to guard the body against cancer and diabetes. Goya contains plenty of vitamin C, so it protects against common cold. Plenty of medical research is currently done about goya s benefits. Although goya is now grown and distributed throughout the year, the high season for it is summer, from May through September. Goya Day is the day to welcome its season.
People also find new uses for goya.
In 1997, Yoshiyuki Takara, the director at the instrument department of Takara Record Store in Naha City, invented the goya maracas and started selling it. His new instrument is about 10 cm long, green and looks just like a goya with lots of warts. The goya maracas became a hit especially among tourists visiting Okinawa. They found the goya maracas in the store, and noticed that besides looking cute its sound is interesting. A popular Okinawan Latin band, Diamantes is also using goya maracas.