How nutritious are papayas
July 14, 2009
Papaya was called ‘fruit of the angels’ by Conquistadors because of its heavenly taste. Papaya is said to be the most easily grown fruit and boon for many diseases and physical disorders as it is a storehouse of many vitamins.
In terms of vitamin C content, papaya easily outshines the famous citrus fruit,the orange. Not only this papaya trees produces papayas very fast reaching maturity in less than 10 months, thus providing ample quantities of papayas around the clock.
Papayas are rich in dietary fiber, foliate, vitamin A, C and E and carotene. They are also rich in calcium, iron, riboflavin, thiamine and niacine. Papayas are surprisingly rich source of proteolytic enzymes. Externally they are used in anti-ageing products and both the skin and the pulp are valuable as healing agents.
Papaya mainly has a two enzymes namely papain and chymopapain. These enzymes convert the proteins that you eat into amino acids thus aiding your digestion. Be careful while peeling papaya skin because papain is found very close to the skin, if you peel deep, you loose the beneficial papain enzyme.
If somehow your body produces less quantities of these enzymes, the undigested proteins gets accumulated which leads to development of bad bacteria that badly affects your digestive system. Taking papaya after the meals is highly recommended by doctors as it helps in digestion and avoids bloating of the stomach.
Papayas build our immune system. The anti-inflammatory nature of papaya decreases pain due to arthritis, edema and osteoarthritis. Its anti-oxidant nature prevents atherosclerosis, strokes, diabetes and heart attacks.
After a course of anti-biotic therapy, papaya juice is supposed to help return the intestinal bacterial count to normal. The juice of papaya’s tree barks help in curing mouth ulcers and toothache. Appling mashed papaya on your face leaves your face invigorated.
Juice from papaya leaves and flowers is believed to regulate menstrual flow. Latex from trunk and raw fruit can be used to treat wounds. Papaya is believed to stimulate lactation after childbirth.
All parts of papaya plant can be used for their medicinal values. A fresh papaya is a delight in itself to eat. But if you wish to take it in other forms you can consume it as juice, herbal tea and in fruit salads.
St.Botanica Cosmetics
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