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13 Reasons to Must Have Papaya In Your Diet
Papaya is a delicious tropical fruit which is consumed all over the world. It is a delicious food with several food preparations. Papaya tree is a magical tree as all part of it has various health beneficial properties. Papaya is a delicious fruit that has many benefits for your health. Here are 13 reasons you should add papaya to your diet. Add this nutrient-rich fruit to your diet today and enjoy its many benefits!
1. What is papaya?
Papaya is a plant that is also known as papaw or pawpaw. It’s part of the Carica papaya species which can grow up to 20 feet (6 m). The papaya (Carica papaya) is native to Mexico and Central America but it has been spread across the world.
Papayas come in two colors: red and yellow. The inside of papayas contains many small, black seeds and an orange colored flesh. The taste of papaya juice may vary from one papaya fruit to another, for some papayas are very sweet while others have a tangy taste.
The skin of the papaya is very important for this fruit because it has many enzymes that contribute to digestion. The papaya’s flesh is used to make many foods such as: papaya milk, papaya nectar and dried papaya.
Papayas can be eaten raw (by cutting them into pieces and eating them) or they can be cooked in a variety of dishes including: stews, salads and curries. Papayas are also used to make jellies that are served with meat dishes.
The papaya tree has yellow flowers that have an unpleasant smell but the fruits have a pleasant aroma. This fruit needs lots of heat and sun so it grows well in tropical areas. It takes about 5 months for papayas to fully grow either on trees or on the ground where they retreat during cold winter days.
2. Papaya nutrition facts:
Here are some nutrition facts on papaya which will reveal you that how many benefits you get from it when you include it in your diet.
- Papaya calories- 100 gm of it has only 43 Kcal.
- 100 gm of it has only 10 gm of carbohydrate. Maximum carbohydrate in it is in the form of simple sugar.
- It does not have much fat and protein.
- Papaya belongs to one of that food which has almost all types of vitamins. All fat soluble and water soluble vitamins are present in it. 100 gm of it provides 75% of daily requirement of vitamin C.
- It has calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, zinc sodium potassium and other minerals too.
- It has healthy anti-oxidants named Carotenoids.
3. Health benefits of papaya:
What is papaya good for? Papaya nutrition and benefits are manifold. It has many medicinal properties which makes it an ideal fruit to consume in various health conditions, which are as follows:
1) Improve digestion:
Papaya is great source of digestive enzymes. Papain Enzyme found in it shows digestive properties in test tube research. People who eat 100 gm of it are more likely to have healthier gut.
2. For constipation:
Enzymes in papaya are mild laxative. Eating it in night improves peristaltic movement of intestine, thus effectively treat constipation.
3. Effective in intestinal infection:
Test tube researches show that extract of papaya eff
ectively kills pathogens. Thus eating it regularly kills bad bacteria in intestine. These properties of papaya make it ideal food for intestinal infection.
4. In gastric ulcer:
For gastric ulcer papaya seeds do miracle. Are you amazed that are papaya seeds edible? So let me share with you that, in oriental medicine, they are being used to treat gastric ulcer. For this, collect seeds and dry them. Once they are dried, make a fine powder and store in a glass jar. Taking 1/4th spoon of this powder after meal is good in treatment for gastric ulcer.
5. For weight loss:
Fibre rich food takes much more times in digestion compared to fibre free diet. Thus, papaya is ideal food for weight loss diet plan as it is rich in fibre, so you don’t feel hungry. Second it has very less amount of fat and sugar, so it does not cause weight gain.
6. Beneficial for heart disease:
Rich in fibre, minerals and vitamins make it good for heart health. It also has good amount of potassium than sodium. Researches support high intake of potassium is directly linked with good health of heart.
7. Papaya benefits for skin:
Eating papaya or applying it on skin makes skin more glowing. High nutritional value of papaya makes skin healthier and prevent from ageing. Applying it on skin, removes infection and treats acne problems.
Mix equal amount of papaya juice with aloevera juice and apply it on skin. Wash it with Luke warm water. It will hydrate skin and remove dirt and bacteria on skin. You can also mix meshed fruit with gram flour for a natural homemade scrub.
8. Full of anti-oxidants:
Our body daily creates lots of free radicals during normal metabolism. Excess of free radicals increase chances of getting sick. Antioxidants found in it neutralize oxidative stress. Fresh ripe Papaya fruits contains majority of anti oxidants.
9. In cancer treatment:
Lycopene in it is beneficial for treatment of various Cancers. Drinking papaya juice, mixed with aloe vera juice, detoxifies body. Combination of papaya fruit juice and aloevera juice is advisable for patient with chemotherapy too.
10. In fever:
For centuries, papaya has been used for treatment of chronic fever like malaria and typhoid in oriental medicine. In treatment for fever, papaya leaves and papaya milk is more beneficial. Papaya leaves extract is extremely good for improving platelets count which is the main concern in dengue fever.
For any type of chronic fever take 20 ml of papaya leaves juice or chew 2-3 leaves, it will improve patient condition. 20 ml Papaya leaf juice mix with 20 ml aloevera juice is good combination for treatment for dengue fever.
11. In menstruation:
Oriental medicine uses papaya for treatment of painful menstruation. Caricasin found in it is uterine stimulant. Although this content is mainly found in its seeds and milk. It is also useful for scanty menstruation.
For treatment of painful menstruation take 10 ml papaya milk after meal once a day. Start it on first day of menstruation and drink for three continuous days. Eating ripe fruit also provides relief from painful periods.
12. Papaya for diabetes:
Diabetic person is prone to various other diseases. Adding papaya in the diet of a diabetic person provides nutritional support, improves immunity, heart health and lower cholesterol level. Secondly, according to some researches, it also increases insulin production from pancreases cells. All these benefits of papaya make it a good food choice in diabetes.
13. Papaya for pregnancy:
Eating papaya in pregnancy is controversial topic. Some content of papaya is uterine stimulant. This can cause spasmodic pain in uterus and in severe cases, can cause bleeding and spontaneous abortions. But these contents are mainly present in its seeds and milk. So eating very small amount of perfectly ripe fruit does not cause any problem and even provide some relief from pregnancy induce anorexia and constipation.
4. How to eat papaya?
- Papaya fruit is tasty and very delicious, although ripeness is the key. Perfectly ripe papaya looks yellow – orange red in colour and tastes sweet and watery. Ripe papaya fruit should be eaten uncooked. It can be added in breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- Seeds should always be used under medical advice. Although they are not toxic, but some people may be allergic to it.
- Papaya leaves: Leaves are taken only for medical reasons. They are not daily base food ingredient. Lots of oriental medicine and Chinese medicine science uses papaya leaves. Regularly chewing small amount of papaya leaves is a good habit. It improves blood cell properties.
- Papaya milk: There are two types of milk, one from unripe fruit and second is from its stem. Both are edible. It is profoundly used in skin treatments including acne and dark pigmentation treatments. Apply 1 spoon of papaya milk and rinse it after 10 minutes. It will tighten skin pores and prevent bacterial growth on skin.
5. What does a ripe papaya look like?
When papayas are ripe, they will change from green to yellow. When a papaya is dark orange, this means that it is ripe and ready to eat. One papaya fruit usually weights 150g-250g. The color of the papaya’s flesh should be milky white with soft seeds.
Papayas can also come in different sizes and shapes. Some papayas are formed like hearts while others look more like pumpkins or gourds . Papayas grown in Asia do not have seeds but papayas grown from American papayas contain seeds inside them.
If a papaya has fewer wrinkles , this means that the papaya is extra ripe. If a papaya has many wrinkles , this means that papaya is not ripe and needs to be left to sit and ripen further.
Papayas should be stored in a cool place if they are not eaten immediately. If papayas are kept at room temperature for too long, the papayas will go bad . Papayas can last up to 7 days when stored properly in a refrigerator.
6. Conclusion:
Papaya is a delicious tropical fruit which is consumed all over the world. It is a delicious food with several food preparations. Papaya tree is a magical tree as all part of it has various health beneficial properties. We’ve listed 13 reasons why you should add papaya to your diet, but this list barely scratches the surface of all the amazing benefits of this incredible fruit! So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start enjoying some delicious papaya today!
Disclaimer:
Above article is only for knowledge purpose. Please contact your healthcare provider before using any of above medicine or method. For any query or personal consultation according to your health condition please contact your doctor.
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