Papaya was first grown from southern Mexico to the Andes Mountains of South America and in the tropics of America. Through trade, the natives spread it farther south and from there the fruit was spread by Spanish explorers. The plant is still grown commercially by Hawaii. Keep reading to learn more about papaya health benefits.

How to Eat a Papaya

All of the plant can be eaten. The seeds have a bit of pepper like taste to them, the flesh can be used in salads, the fruit itself can be used in a surplus of different ways.

There are multiple amounts of ways the one could eat a papaya. You can use a half of the papaya like a bowl and fill it with yogurt, berries, and nuts. Some people even put papaya in salsa, salads, and smoothies.

Papaya Health Benefits

1. Immune System

Vitamin C is huge for helping your body to fight off different infections and viruses. Papayas are the things that you need to help you during the flu and cold season. A single serving of papaya can help you more than you may think, considering a papaya has over 200 percent of the day’s suggested vitamin C.

 

2. Cholesterol

Vitamin C is not only needed for a strong immune system, but it is also needed to keep your arteries clear. The antioxidants and vitamin C in papaya keep cholesterol from building up and clogging your arteries. By keeping your arteries clear of excess cholesterol, you can prevent heart disease and other heart-related ailments.

3. Weight Loss

Papaya makes weight loss significantly easier for a number of reasons. The first being that the high content of fiber is amazing for keeping the movement of bowels more regular and the fiber also helps to keep you feeling fuller for a longer time. The second reason is that it is low in calories. Because of the low count of calories, you can eat a greater amount without adding too many calories to your diet.

 

4. Eyesight

Vitamin A is also in abundance in papaya. Vitamin A is important for keeping your eyes healthy. So while the papaya protects how well your eyes see, it also protects them against your eyes against macular degeneration that is known to come with older age.

5. Diabetes

Another papaya health benefit involves helping diabetics. This may surprise many people because of the sweet taste it has. Papaya does not have a high amount of sugar so it is a sweet tasting treat or snack without spiking blood sugar levels. Papaya has even been found to prevent type 2 diabetes.

 

6. Digestion

It was mentioned that papaya is high in fiber so it helps to keep bowel movements at some sort of a normal level. Papaya also has enzymes that help you to digest with stomach aches and gas. So why not enjoy a food that tastes good and decreases the chances of bloating and gas?

7. Arthritis

Papaya can help to lessen the pain that comes with arthritis. Vitamin C, anti-inflammatories, and vitamin A all work together to keep the pain, swelling, and some kinds of arthritis at bay.

8. Aging Signs

Beta-carotene, vitamins E and C all band together to fight the different things that can make your skin look years older. You can try eating papaya to see a decrease in wrinkles and other signs of aging.

 

9. Menstrual Cramps

Periods alone a bother to deal with, but it gets even worse when it comes to cramps and irregular menstrual cycles. There are enzymes in papaya than balance and lighten the flow of your periods. On top of that, the cramps are also a bit lower when you eat papaya daily.

 

10. Stress

Again, vitamin C in papaya comes into play again. Vitamin C help your body to regulate the release of the hormones that cause stress. You can eat papaya on the daily to see its effects.

11. Cancer

Antioxidants, flavonoids, and phytonutrients are all in papaya and all of them stop free radicals from damaging the cells in your body. For someone already suffering and fighting with prostate or colon cancer, the papaya can help to undo some of the damage that has already been done.

12. Antioxidants

There are antioxidants and carotenoids in papaya that your body safe from dangerous bacterias, infections, and other invaders. These properties can also keep you safe from liver disease, free radicals, Alzheimer’s, hypothyroidism, and other kinds of oxidative stress.

 

13. DNA Damage

Papaya, with the antioxidants in it, help to keep the DNA of your cells safe and healthy from free radicals that can mess with the structure of the DNA and actually turn it cancerous.

 

14. Toothache

Toothaches, rather because of a bigger issue and you have not been able to get into the dentist’s yet, a baby’s teething, a child lost a tooth, whatever it may be, papaya can help. All you need to do is a make a mush or paste from the roots of the papaya tree and rub into your gums.

 

15. Burns and Acne

You can use the inside of the papaya’s skin as a kind of face mask. Place the papaya on your face and it will help to clear your face of acne. You can also use it on minor burns. If you do not want to place the flesh of a papaya on your face, you can also just eat the fruit to get the same benefits, though may work to a slightly less extent.

Now that you know about papaya health benefits, will you begin to eat more papaya? Comment below!

Sources

https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/fruit/health-benefits-of-papaya.html#relieves-toothache

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/04/11/11-health-benefits-papaya.aspx

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/8-proven-papaya-benefits#section2

https://www.msn.com/en-in/health/nutrition/11-health-benefits-of-papayas/ar-AA2bCze

https://www.fruit-crops.com/papaya-carica-papaya/