Papaya is a great tasting fruit that is common around the world but not so much in North America. It’s a shame because the taste and texture of Papaya is great but the health benefits are also fantastic for all of us.
Papaya Vitamins and Antioxidants
A serving of Papaya has 14% of our daily requirement of Folate (Vitamin B9)and some other B vitamins, as well as 11% of our Potassium.
Papayas also contain healthy antioxidants called carotenoids that are better absorbed than other sources into our body. They are especially high in a type of carotenoid called lycopene. Lycopene is shown to be good for our eyes, bones, brain, and a healthy heart.
Benefits of Papaya
Cancer Help – When we talk about gut health, Papayas Lyocpene has been shown to reduce cancer cells in the stomach as well as help heal from cancer treatments.
Eye Health – There are two things in the Papaya that help eyes. Lycopene of course as stated earlier but also Zeaxanthin which has been shown to reduce macular degeneration and protecting the eyes
Tooth Aches – If you can find the root of a papaya plant you can make a make a paste and massage it on your teeth and gums for few minutes it will stop that sharp pain. Inner bark of a papaya can also be used as an alternative to roots.
Weight Loss – I have found a Papaya based diet that involves even the eating of the seeds to help to detoxify and lose weight – not sure how well this works as I have not tried it myself at all
Bone Health – The Vitamin K in Papaya is great for bone health and helps with Calcium absorption which is critical for our bones staying strong as we age.
Nice Shiny Hair – You have probably seen Papaya based shampoo before and that is because not only does it smell great but also the Vitamin A in it is a nutrient required for sebum production in the scalp, which keeps hair moisturized
Digestion – There is an enzyme in Papayas called papain that aids digestion. Often when people want to improve their digestion they will take some kind of digestive enzymes, however these are built right into this fruit
Skin care – This is a bit different. When you rub Papaya on a burn the papain in it will help to heal the burn. Some hospitals have even found this enzyme helpful for bedsores and other skin irritations.
Papaya Recipes
I found this great tasting Papaya recipe on YouTube for a Thai Papaya salad
Also there is also a lot of other ways to prepare papayas. Here are a bunch of Papaya recipes at the Food Network