Exotic tropical papaya fruit or pawpaw is jam-packed with numerous health benefiting nutrients. The fruit is one of the favorite of fruit lovers for its nutritional, digestive and medicinal properties. Papaya tree is grown extensively all over the tropical regions and cultivated for its fruits and latex papain, an enzyme that is used in food industry.
Papaya tree bears many spherical or pear-shaped fruits that can have about 6-20 inches in length and 4-12 inches in diameter. The average sized papaya weighs about half a kilo. The fruit is said to ripen when it feels soft to thumb pressure and its skin has attained an amber to orange hue. Inside, the fruit features numerous black seeds, encased in a mucin coat, in the hollow central cavity. The flesh is orange in color with either yellow or pink hues, soft in consistency and has deliciously sweet, musky taste with rich flavor. They can now be found in markets throughout the year. Although there is a slight seasonal peak in early summer and fall, papaya trees produce fruit year round.
Papaya's seeds are edible, although their peppery flavor is somewhat bitter. The fruit, as well as the other parts of the papaya tree, contain papain, an enzyme that helps digest proteins. This enzyme is especially concentrated in the fruit when it is unripe. Papain is extracted to make digestive enzyme dietary supplements and is also used as an ingredient in some chewing gums.
The Nutrients
The papaya fruit is rich in antioxidants such as vitamin C, carotenes and flavonoids. It is also rich in B vitamins, pantothenic acid and folate. Papayas contain enough potassium and magnesium. It is also a good source of vitamin E and vitamin A. The vitamin C and vitamin A in papayas help to maintain a healthy immune system. You might consider this fruit a healthy choice when suffering from colds, the flu or ear infections. Papayas are also high in fiber, which helps to lower high cholesterol.
This fruit is also known for its ability to assist in the digestion of proteins. It contains the enzyme papain, which aids in digestion as well as in the healing of athletic injuries and allergies. It also contains the enzyme chymopapain, which works with papain to lower inflammation and assist in recovery from burns. The vitamins, minerals, enzymes and antioxidants in papayas work together to reduce inflammation, increase heart health and protect against certain types of cancer.
Benefits of papaya latex
Papain enzymes are anti-tumor and anticancer. In these enzymes there karpain compounds, which are known potent inhibiting several microorganisms that work interfere with digestive functions and effectively suppress the cause of typhoid fever.
Benefits of Papaya Seed
Papaya seeds is a source of saponins good enough and have antimicrobial properties. Therefore, the seeds can be used to prevent and eradicate the worm lodged in the digestive tract.
Benefits of Papaya Leaf
Not only beneficial to the skin, papaya leaves can also be used for treating women's health vaginal discharge, fever due to childbirth, menstruation and launches breast milk. Other efficacy is to ward off the flu, malaria and fever.
Briefly the Importance of Papaya
• Papaya is a rich source of proteolytic enzymes. These enzymes are essential for the proper functioning of the digestive system as they help in the digestion of proteins. Papain, which is the most vital enzyme found exclusively in papayas, is instrumental in breaking down and digesting of meat proteins, and is used as a meat tenderizer.
• Papaya contains the digestive enzyme papain and therefore valuable for aiding digestion.
• The unique protein-digesting enzymes; papain and chymopapain have been shown to help lower inflammation and to improve healing from burns in addition to helping in digestion of proteins. The antioxidant nutrients found in papaya, including vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene, are also very good at reducing inflammation.
• The ripe fruit is easily digestible and prevents constipation.
• Case studies indicate that this food taken alone for two or three days has a highly beneficial tonic effect upon the stomach and intestines.
• The juice of the papaya aids in relieving infections of the colon and has a tendency to break down pus and mucus reached by the juice.
• May help prevent cancer in organs and glands with epithelial tissue (ripe papaya). Papaya’s fiber is able to bind to cancer-causing toxins in the colon and keep them away from the healthy colon cells. In addition, papaya’s folate, vitamin C, beta-carotene, and vitamin E have each been associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer
• Prevents nausea (includes morning sickness and motion sickness)
• The seeds are antihelmintic, for expelling worms and they are given with honey. Chew and swallow two teaspoonfuls of seeds after each principal meal (three times a day).
• Papayas may be very helpful for the prevention of atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease. Papayas are an excellent source of vitamin C as well as a good source of vitamin E and vitamin A (through their concentration of pro-vitamin A carotenoid phytonutrients), three very powerful antioxidants.
• Papayas are also a good source of fiber, which has been shown to lower high cholesterol levels
• Anti Inflammatory: One of the benefits of papaya enzymes is its use in reducing inflammation in disease such as rheumatoid, arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout, and asthma.
• Prevention of Colon Cancer: Payapa's rich fiber content binds to cancer-causing toxins in the colon and eliminates it from the body during bowel movements.
• Digestive Aid: The health benefits of papaya is most commonly known for its laxative attributes. It aids in digestion including constipation and diarrhea.
• Protection Against Emphysema: The vitamin A content in papayas is extremely important if you are a smoker or are subjected to secondhand smoke. It may save your life because it greatly reduces lung inflammation.
• Heart Disease Protection: Three powerful antioxidants in papayas help prevent against the oxidation of cholesterol. Cholesterol in the oxidized form can cause serious plagues that can eventually cause heart attacks or strokes.
• Intestinal Disorders: The papain in unripe papayas is also beneficial to people experiencing intestinal irritation.
• Skin Diseases: The juice from unripe papayas is used to treat skin disorders like acne and psoriasis. It can also reduce swelling when applied to wounds. If applied to the face, the benefits of papaya enzymes will be shown in the form of smoother and delicate skin.
• Throat Disorders: Drinking honey mixed with unripe papaya juice can ease pain over inflamed tonsils for diptheria or other throat disorders. It also prevents infection from spreading by dissolving over the membrane.
• Papaya is known for its rejuvenating properties. It slows down the ageing process, thereby making you look younger for a longer while. This property of papaya is attributed to its ability to enable proper digestion that leads to maximum extraction and absorption of nutrients from various foods.
• Papaya is a rich source of arginine, an essential fatty acid that boosts the reproductive system and fertility in males.
• Papaya is also a good source of carpain, an enzyme supposedly beneficial for heart.
• Papaya helps in blood clotting and thereby quick healing of wounds. This is because papaya is a rich source of fibrin, an important factor in the blood clotting process. This factor is not common in the plant kingdom and is mainly formed in the body of animals, papaya being an exception.
• Papaya is rich in carotene that maintains the pigment balance of your skin.
• Papaya is a good source of Vitamin C and as such, boosts the immune system and protects you against various infections and ailments.
• Papaya juice in combination with pineapple juice is also recommended to cure cancer.
• Papaya helps in the restoration of essential bacteria in the gut, generally after antibiotic treatment.
• You may use the skin of papaya to heal wounds and bruises.
• Papaya is rich in antioxidants that help detoxify the body, thereby preventing the incidence of ailments like leukemia.
• Papaya is rich in minerals like potassium and magnesium which serve various functions like strengthening the teeth and bones.
• The seeds of papaya are antihelmintic and remove worms from the stomach and intestines.
• Papaya seeds may be used as a healthy replacement for Black pepper !!!
• Papaya juice may be helpful in alleviating sickness like nausea and morning sickness.
Have Papayas in your daily diet and cure some common ailments in a natural way. :)
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