One of the tropical fruits, Papaya (Papita) is enriched with immense health-boosting compounds and properties. There are innumerable papaya health benefits that make it a super food, which is ideal for daily consumption.
If you are wondering that why should I eat Papaya, then, there are countless reasons which signify the way papaya boosts the health and protects us from a number of ailments.
Not just the pulp, but, there are several health benefits of papaya seeds and papaya juice as well, and this makes it a wholesome fruit that you can use to kick start your day.
One of the reasons why you should have it with your breakfast or as morning snack is because the health benefits of papayas augment considerably when you eat it in the morning.
Nutritional Value Carried By Papaya
Papayas are enriched with antioxidants, including flavonoids, vitamin C, and carotene, and the best part is that the antioxidants present in papaya are better absorbed, as compared to the antioxidants present in the other foods like carrots, tomatoes, and fruits.
Papayas are an excellent source of the “Carotenoids”, a type of antioxidant which is rich in lycopene. This is very healthy for the body and possesses miraculous properties for nourishing the skin.
Papayas are also an incredible source of fiber and are astoundingly low in calories. We need fibrous foods to keep our digestive system healthy, and the papayas are the best way to derive fiber along with many other nutrients.
It’s indeed a wonder fruit that offers over 12 minerals and many vitamins needed by the body for carrying out various functions.
While the papaya is sweet, but, it’s an excellent source of Vitamin C, and provides the vital minerals like copper, potassium, and magnesium. It also possesses pantothenic acid along with folate.
Not just the fruit, but the papaya tree’s leaves, flowers, and even seeds have medicinal properties. Owing to all these health benefits, Christopher Columbus named it as the “Fruit Of the Angels”.
Health Benefits of Papaya
1. Boosts Digestion
Papaya is rich in an enzyme called “Papain”, which is a digestive enzyme that helps in breaking down the proteins and cleansing the digestive tract.
As the protein gets broken down, it does not slow the digestion and also doesn’t get converted into the body fat.
As the protein in the body gets digested easily with the help of papaya, it becomes incapable of causing health issues like high blood pressure, diabetes, constipation, arthritis and other related problems.
2. Improves Heart Health
Papaya is one of the best fruits to eat if you are suffering from heart disease or are at its risk.
Papaya is rich in three types of antioxidant vitamins, including Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Vitamin A. With these antioxidants, papaya protects your heart against the diabetic heart disease and atherosclerosis.
Also, the presence of pro-carotenoid phytonutrient in this wonder fruit prevents the cholesterol from getting oxidized, and thus, it is not able to form plaque and does not get stuck to the walls to the blood vessels, which may lead to cardiac attacks.
Also, as papaya is rich in fiber, it checks the growth of the bad cholesterol, that is, LDL in the body and helps the heart to function normally.
3. Protects Against Cancer
Papaya is rich in antioxidants, and the lycopene content of papaya is known to reduce the risk of cancer.
Papaya’s antioxidant richness helps it in fighting the oxidative stress in the body. The oxidative stress is caused by the free radicals which are released during the process of metabolism. These free radicals are harmful elements which create a perfect environment for the growth of diseases in the body including cancer.
Papaya fights the free radicals and provides protection against a number of diseases including cancer.
This magical fruit is also known to demonstrate the anti-cancer activity against the cancer cells present in the breast.
Fermented papaya is capable of reducing the oxidative damage in the elder people. Oxidative stress is also one of the reasons behind the Alzheimer’s disease, liver diseases, and prediabetes. Papaya is effective against all these ailments.
4. Effective Against Intestinal Worms
Papayas are exceptionally effective in killing the intestinal worms, and thus, protect us from the infections, which might be caused by these worms in the body.
5. Weight Loss
Papaya is one of the best fruits to include in your diet if you want to lose weight. As its rich in fiber and low in calories, it can keep you feeling full for a longer time, provide colossal energy without adding extra calories to your diet.
Add papaya to your diet as the mid-morning or mid-evening snack, because it is packed with the enzyme “papain” that prevents the protein from getting stored as fat, and also helps the body to digest the proteins in a better way.
Consuming papaya has also a positive impact on the metabolic rate, and thus, our body starts burning calories at a faster pace.
6. Manages Diabetes and Lowers The Blood Sugar Levels
Papaya is one of the natural remedies for managing diabetes. As it is low in sugar and rich in minerals, including potassium, magnesium, iron, and calcium, it perfectly works in lowering down the blood sugar levels.
In Type II diabetes, our pancreas loses the ability to secrete insulin, and papaya can help in slowing down the progression of this type of diabetes.
Fermented papaya can lower down the risk of diabetes and the antioxidants present in this wonder fruit protect your heart from the diabetes-induced heart ailments.
7. Defend Elders Against Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Macular degeneration is an age-related problem in which the vision of the eyes starts getting blur and gradually, it’s completely lost.
Papaya provides you the beta-carotene and vitamin A, whose deficiency is one of the primary reason behind his disease.
8. Eases Menstrual Cramps
The period pain caused by the menstrual cramps can cause serious discomfort among women.
Papaya, rich in the enzyme “papain” not only helps in getting relief from the period pain but also regulates the flow.
9. Treats Constipation
Papayas are rich in Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and Folate which helps in regulating the bowel movement and reducing the motion sickness.
Papaya helps in cleansing the intestines, and thus, pushes the waste out the body, thereby easing the passage of stools while reducing the effect of constipation.
Both, papaya and its juice aid the digestion and thus, help in easing constipation.
10. Induces Menstruation
If you have been experiencing delayed periods, then, you need to much some raw papaya salad.
The raw, green papayas help in normalizing the irregular periods and induce contractions in the body. Also. They stimulate the production of estrogen hormone in the body which helps in setting the periods on.
Raw papaya during the periods help in regulating the flow.
11. Protects Against Arthritis
Papayas are known to provide significant protection against the osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
This incredible fruit is rich in “chymopapain” an enzyme that reduces the inflammation in the body and helps in controlling the osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
12. Protects and Nourishes the Skin
The revitalizing properties and the healing enzymes of papaya work wonder for the skin. As this amazing fruit is rich in Vitamin A and C, it protects the skin against the damage caused by harmful UV rays of the sun.
Papain works as the natural bleaching agent which not only clears the complexion but also helps the skin get rid of various impurities.
Papaya nourishes the dry and flaky skin, hydrates it and heals the sunburn while making the skin supple.
The phytochemicals, papain and alpha-hydroxy acid together work an extraordinary Exfoliator. These dissolve the dead skin cells and the inactive proteins present in the skin, to make it even, less pigmented and softer.
The antioxidant richness of papaya prevents the premature signs of aging and treats the wrinkles. The Retin-A in the papaya helps in renewing the skin.
13. Treats the Dark Circles
The pulp of raw papaya a help in treating the dark circles, and diminishing them. It also treats the discolouration of the skin.
The papaya peels can be used to cure the skin disorders like melasma, psoriasis, and eczema etc.
14. Reduces Burns Marks and Acne
The latex content of the raw papayas helps in curing the acne. By simply rubbing the raw papaya flesh n te affected area can treat the acne.
Alas, eating papaya on regular basis cleanses the blood and skin, thereby, reducing the occurrence of acne.
The latex content when applied on a burnt area help in reducing the appearance of the burn marks.
The aforementioned papaya fruit proves that you don’t have to indulge in fancy ingredients and very expensive fruits to stay healthy. A commonly available fruit like papaya can provide an array of advantages for health, skin, and hair, that one cannot afford to miss it from their daily diet schedule.
Papaya for Skin pigmentation and weight loss is so effective that much commercial skin care and weight loss products contain the extracts of this astounding fruit.
Don’t Eat Papaya When You Are Pregnant
While papaya has innumerable health benefits, but, during pregnancy, it’s unsuitable to eat. While a ripe papaya is not harmful to pregnant women, but, it is always advised to avoid it completely, whether it’s raw or ripe.
The raw papaya is one of the natural ingredients that can induce abortion. Raw papaya is high in latex content and it also possesses many enzymes, which can stimulate contractions and can result in miscarriage.
Side Effects Of Raw Papaya
Though there are immense papaya juice benefits for digestion, the large quantities of papaya or papaya juice can cause gastrointestinal irritation, especially, when you are consuming high amounts of raw papaya. Thus, don’t consume ore than two bowls of papaya in a day.
The black seeds of papaya can also prove harmful because of the presence of an enzyme called “carpine” in them. It is a toxic element and can cause numbness in the nerve centers, and may lead to cardiac depression or paralysis.
So, start eating it papaya regularly to stay healthy, strong and disease free!!!!!
