The bright colorful fruit papaya is almost found in all fruit baskets. Although this rare fruit was previously found at only a certain time of the year, it is now available at all times. Apart from just having a pretty color, papaya, both ripe and green have lots of health benefits to offer. The section below, therefore, deals with details of papaya benefits, side effects and everything else a person needs to know about it.
Papaya, also known as papaws and pawpaw are fleshy and soft fruits. It is one of the most nutritious fruits available. It originated in Central America and Southern Mexico. Edible both when green and ripe, there are a lot of ways that it could be cooked and included in the everyday diet. Papaya can be eaten both as a vegetable when it is raw and fruit when it is ripe.
The papaya benefits are huge. There are plenty of diseases that can be reduced if papaya is consumed at good amounts. These include keeping the blood pressure in control, cancer, diabetes, heart diseases, improving blood glucose, digestion, wound healing, heals skin and various others.
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Green Papaya Benefits
Green papaya or raw papaya has a lot of health benefits attached to it. The papaya in its raw form successfully stores all the active enzymes that somehow decrease when it becomes ripe. The section below, therefore, deals with the green papaya benefits and side effects of it if any.
Benefits of green papaya
Check out some of the reasons to consume green papaya:
1. Works great to give a Glowing Skin
Raw papaya is known to contain a lot of fiber that flushes out the internal toxins from the body. It helps to open the skin pores and dissolves the dead cells of the skin. Hence, consuming papaya on a daily basis helps to get rid of various skin problems. These could be acne, pimples, blemishes, and pigmentation amongst others.
2. Cures Menstrual Pain
For women who suffer from excessive menstrual pain, papaya leaves can work wonders. Papaya leaves are known to cure the menstrual pain in women for ages now. Drinking a smoothie of papaya leaf, water, salt, and tamarind can provide a lot of cure from the pain.
3. Internally cleanses the body
The enzyme latex present in raw papaya and the seeds of it works as an internal cleanser to the body. It looks for any old fecal matter and cleanses the digestive tract and colon. Thus, it helps people suffering from indigestion, acidity, constipation, diarrhea, piles, stomach ulcers, heartburn, gastric problems, and other stomach related problems.
4. Raw Papaya benefits Weight Loss
Including papaya in the everyday diet helps a person lose all the excess calories and fat from the body. The raw papaya contains vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin A, folate and antioxidants that help burn the excess fat off the body. This is how raw papaya benefits weight loss.
5. Helps reduce Heart Diseases
Raw papaya benefits include taking care of the heart and preventing it against any diseases. Raw papaya helps maintain the blood pressure of the body thus maintaining the flow of blood. Along with this, it is also known to regulate the harmful effects of sodium from the body.
6. It contains a lot of Enzymes and Nutrients
Although even ripe papaya as fruit contains a lot of enzymes, raw papaya is known for retaining all the natural enzymes that decrease when it becomes ripe. These natural enzymes help in breaking down carbohydrates and fats. Along with this, raw papaya benefits include containing a lot of nutrients. The amount of nutrients present in papaya is more than that present in tomatoes and carrots.
Ripe Papaya Benefits
Ripe Papayas are one of the healthiest of fruits that exist. The orange-yellow colored fruit is not just known for its colorful look and to serve the taste buds of people. It also along with these provides numerous benefits to the body if consumed regularly by helping them fight against numerous diseases. Some of the numerous ripe papaya benefits are:
1. Papayas help in Losing Weight
Papaya contains a lot of fiber. This helps a person feel full even after consuming a short meal thereby making them eat less. Along with this, papaya is extremely low in calories. It also helps clean and increases bowel movements. Therefore, with these benefits, papaya is a must include for every person who is seeking to lose weight in their diet.
2. Papaya protects against cancer
Papayas contain certain property that helps to protect an individual against a certain type of cancers. It contains lycopene that can lower the chances of cancer in an individual. It is a natural pigment responsible for giving colors to various vegetables and fruits. Along with this, since papayas are rich in phytonutrients, flavonoids, and antioxidants, it prevents the body against any free radicals damage that contributes to cancer. It is also good for people undergoing cancer treatments. Certain type of cancer that could be protected by including papaya in their regular diet is prostate cancer and colon cancer.
3. Prevents signs of aging and skin diseases
Papaya helps a person look more youthful by keeping their skin healthy. The antioxidants, Vitamin E, Vitamin C and lycopene present in the papayas are known to prevent the free radicals from damaging in the skin. This, in turn, helps to keep the wrinkles away along with sagging and the other signs of aging.
4. It helps to improve Digestion
In current times, when it is nearly next to impossible to avoid junk foods in our hectic lives, drinking papaya juice or adding papaya in the everyday diet is said to serve as a cure to all the digestion problems. The enzyme papain present in papayas is known for ensuring proper digestion. Along with this the high water and fiber content in papayas ensures proper and smooth bowel movement thereby preventing constipation, and other irritable bowel syndromes or IBS. It therefore also helps in reducing the risk of colon cancer.
5. Papayas help in protecting the Eyes
Papaya contains certain nutrients like Vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein and zeaxanthin which works great for the eyes. It helps the eyes from age-related diseases like macular degeneration and thereby prevents the vision from degenerating.
6. Help in preventing Diabetes
Even though papayas are sweet in taste, it actually has very little sugar content. This thus makes it an excellent food choice for the people suffering from diabetes. Along with this, the high fiber content in the papaya is also known to keep the cholesterol under control.
7. It helps in curing Arthritis
Papayas are rich in calcium and vitamin C that helps to keep the bones of the body strong. Along with this, it also contains other minerals like copper, magnesium, potassium. Therefore, when a person consumes papaya on a daily basis, it fills their body with abundant calcium and Vitamin C thus preventing any bone damage or arthritis.
8. Papaya helps in preventing dengue
When a person suffers from the initial stage from dengue, they are often suggested to have a glass full of papaya juice. This is for the fact that the papaya leaves are very good for boosting up the platelet level of a person. Papayas serve as a great source of Immunity
The strong immune system in our body ensures that the body is protected from various diseases and infections. Papaya benefits include serving as a great source of immunity. This is for the fact that it contains a good amount of vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin B. These nutrients boost immunity in an excellent way. It helps in regenerating the body tissues and helps maintain the collagen in the body.
9. Releases stress
Including papaya daily in the diet helps keep a person free from all the unwanted stress. This is for the reason that papaya contains a good amount of Vitamin C and several other important nutrients. These useful nutrients help prevent an individual against all the unwanted stress.
10. Improves hair health
Daily consumption of papaya help keeps the hair moisturized. This is because it contains a good amount of Vitamin A and Vitamin C. The presence of Vitamin A ensures that the hair is kept moisturized by producing the required amount of sebum. Vitamin C present in papaya helps to build and maintain the collagen levels. This, in turn, helps to maintain the skin structure of an individual.
11. Papaya helps in preventing Asthma
The presence of the nutrient beta-carotene in papaya lowers the risk of developing asthma in a person. The people already suffering from asthma are also recommended to include papaya in their daily diet to keep asthma under control.
12. Prevents inflammation
In the current times, the unhealthy lifestyle and foods consumed by the masses are serving as the root cause of inflammation. Inflammation gives way to various diseases. Consuming papaya daily helps to fight and provide relief against these burns. This is because it contains certain enzymes that help in healing these inflammations or burns. One of these enzymes is choline. This enzyme helps in aiding the muscle movement, learning, and memory of the body. It also helps in absorbing fat from the body.
Side Effects of Papaya
- It can cause irritation and allergic reactions to all the people suffering from latex allergy.
- Papayas might be unsafe for pregnant women. This is for the fact that in papayas where the papain is unprocessed, it can cause several birth defects and damage to the fetus. Hence, they should avoid consuming it.
- Consuming a lot of papaya leaves might cause stomach irritation.
- The latex present in the papayas can cause allergic reactions and irritation to the skin if applied directly to it.
- The papain present in the latex of the papaya might cause damage to the esophagus or the food pipe if consumed in a large amount.
- People suffering from diabetes must keep a note on the intake of papaya. This is because papaya tends to decrease the blood sugar level to a large extent. People who are already taking medicines to lower the same must keep a note so that the blood sugar level does not drop abruptly.
- People whose low blood sugar levels are low must avoid having papaya. This is for the fact that papayas drop the blood sugar level to a large extent which might be not safe for them.
- A person who is suffering from Under Active Thyroid Gland or Hypothyroidism should avoid having papayas. This is because papayas are known to worsen the condition.
- Since papayas contain papain, a person who suffers from papain allergy must avoid having papayas.
- It is advised to stop consuming papaya at least two weeks prior to surgery.
- Consuming papaya at large amounts may lead to an upset stomach.
- If papaya is consumed together with certain medicines that are for thinning of the blood, it may lead to easy bruising and bleeding.
- Consuming papayas are large quantities may lead to certain allergies and breathing and respiratory problems.
Final thoughts
Papaya is undeniably one of the most nutritious fruits that exist. Thus, needless to mention, the papaya benefits are too many to mention. Although even it does have its own kinds of side effects, including papaya in the everyday diet, has been proved to give a lot of beneficiary results.
Therefore, to avoid the side effects and intake all the goodness in, it is best to consume papayas at small portions every day. One could blend it and consume it as a smoothie or juice, or include it as a vegetable to various tasty dishes, or can also eat them as fruits. In any way, the nutrient value that is provided by papaya remains unmatched.
