Papaya (Fruit Of The Angels) – Health Benefits And Side Effects
What Is Papaya?
Papaya is a cerise-orange colored juicy fruit, which is not only fragrant and delicious but also very healthy. It is a natural source of vitamins and minerals that are essential for the normal functioning of the body. Papaya is famous for its luscious taste and sunlit color of the tropics and can be eaten as a fruit in the raw form, a smoothie, a milkshake, and as a vegetable in various recipes.
It is also used in the manufacturing of several cosmetic, skin, and beauty products, as well as certain chewing gums.
Papaya in raw form contains enzymes, which are used in the preparation of dietary supplements and chewing gums. It is rich in antioxidant nutrients such as carotenes, flavonoids, and vitamin C, as well as vitamin B. It is also a good source of fiber and minerals such as magnesium.
Health Benefits Of Papaya
Promotes Digestion
The presence of papain, a digestive super enzyme, improves digestion by breaking down proteins and also cleanses the digestive tract. This ensures a reduced conversion of protein into body fat. If the protein in our diet is not digested properly, it may cause arthritis, constipation, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other related health conditions.
Therefore, a glass of papaya juice is often recommended as a home remedy for digestion-related problems or constipation.
Weight Loss
They are good for people who are trying to lose weight naturally. Having a bowl full of papaya as a mid-evening or mid-morning snack is good for health.
Well, 100 grams of papaya contains only 43 calories – making it an ideal weight loss food. The fiber content in it will make you feel full and clear your bowel movement. This makes it easy for you to lose those pounds. The presence of powerful antioxidants burns the extra flab, leaving you fit and fine.
Dried Papaya & Papaya Powder Spray
Prevents Cancer
These are effective against breast, pancreatic, and other cancers. It’s leaf extract obtained from dried leaves produced anti-carcinogenic effects against tumor cells that were grown in the laboratory. The effects were stronger when the cells were given larger doses of papaya leaf tea. The scientists exposed different types of cancer-affected cells to different papaya leaf extracts and found that the growth of tumors had slowed down.
It is rich in anti-oxidants and phytonutrients that work against free radicals and therefore is said to protect the body from possible heart diseases and cancer.
Lycopene in papaya can reduce cancer risk.
Skin Care
They are great revitalizing agents, which is why they are used in many cosmetics. They are used in homemade face masks by many women. Papain kills dead cells and purifies the skin. It helps to treat sunburn and irritated skin. A good facial massage using papaya is a fabulous remedy to remove the dead cells.
The peels of these are also used to rub on the face and hands for healthy skin. They are also used to treat skin disorders like eczema, psoriasis, etc.
The powerful antioxidants in it can help your skin recover from sun damage and may defend against wrinkling.
Improves Heart Health
The seeds of these are good for a healthy heart. They are helpful in preventing problems such as atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease. The presence of pro-carotenoid phytonutrients helps to prevent oxidization of the cholesterol in the body. As a good source of fiber, it also help to reduce the cholesterol levels in the body. Include papayas in your daily diet as a mid-evening snack to keep your heart young.
Side Effects
They are harmful during pregnancy. It causes uterine contractions which might lead to abortions. Avoid eating raw papaya if you are pregnant.
It can have laxative effect in the intestines. Unripe or raw papaya can cause pain in the intestines or stomach and can sometimes cause esophageal perforations.
The black seeds of the papaya contain traces of an enzyme called carpine, which is a potentially toxic substance. This enzyme can make the nerve centers numb, which could lead to paralysis or cardiac depression.
