Papaya, a common fruit available throughout the year at a reasonable price is a powerhouse of nutrients. It is low in calories (24 Kcal / 100 gm of ripe fruit) and rich in nutrients like provitamin A, vitamin C, B vitamins, minerals like potassium and magnesium and dietary fibre. It is rich in healthy antioxidants like beta carotene & Lycopene and enzyme papain. It is good choice for people with diabetes as it has medium Glycemic Index.
Papaya is available in 2 forms green and orange.
Though both green and orange papaya have different taste, texture, and appearance, they are the same fruit picked at different stages of development. The green papaya is an immature fruit with crisp white flesh and very little flavor. It is crunchy and used as a base for Thai salads. The tender, creamy, orange-fleshed papaya is harvested when fully mature. Ripe papaya is sweet and succulent with satiny consistency.
Health Benefits
Improves Digestion: Eating fresh ripe papaya in the morning helps to improve digestion by reducing flatulence and easing constipation. Being rich in fiber and water, it encourages regular bowel movement and keeps the digestive tract healthy. Unripe papaya contains an enzyme called papain that aids digestion.
Weight loss: Papaya is excellent for weight loss as it is low in calories. Being rich in fiber, it also helps to stay full longer.
Heart Health: Being rich in potassium, papaya helps to control blood pressure. It also reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke, as folic acid present in it helps to convert homocysteine into cysteine. When unconverted, homocysteine can directly damage blood vessel walls and is a significant risk factor for a heart attack or stroke.
Anti-inflammatory: Papaya has abundant antioxidants that help neutralize free radicals, reduce oxidative stress, reduce inflammation thereby reducing the severity of conditions such as asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Boosts Immunity: Papaya contributes to a healthy immune system by increasing the resistance to coughs and colds as it is rich in Vit C which stimulates the production of white blood cells. These cells are the body’s first line of defense against infections.
Eye Health: Papaya is rich in nutrients like lutein, zeaxanthin and vitamin C, which can protect the eyes and help prevent .
Anticancer: Fiber in papaya reduces the risk of colon cancer while lycopene reduces the risk of prostate cancer in men.
Skin health: Vitamin C in papaya helps to build and maintain, which provides structure to skin. It is great for anti-aging, as it can help prevent wrinkles, blemishes, and as we age.
Relieves Menstrual Pain: Green papaya’s active ingredients help to relieve menstrual pain.
Is it safe to eat Papaya during Pregnancy?
An unripe papaya contains high concentrations of papain enzyme which can induce an abortion by increasing uterine contractions. It can also cause severe complications in pregnancy and an early delivery and thus should be avoided during pregnancy. However, ripe papaya does not have this enzyme and it is completely safe to consume during pregnancy.
Besides the fruit, the peel, seeds and leaves of papaya also have various health benefits.
Peel
Peel from papaya can be used as cosmetic agent. Application of peel with a little milk and honey protects, soothes and moisturizes the skin. Papaya peel also acts as sunscreen and helps to fight dandruff.
Seeds
Papaya seeds are black and have a pungent and peppery taste. Mix air dried papaya seed powder with honey to eliminate intestinal parasites and infections against E. coli, Salmonella and Staphylococcus bacteria.
Leaves
The juice from the leaves of papaya plant helps to increase the number of white blood cells and platelet count and is beneficial for the treatment of dengue fever.
