Papaya | Uses, Benefits and Nutritional Value of papaya

The Health Benefits of Papaya 

Papaya - Helps Protect Against Arthritis and Other Inflammatory Diseases 

Full of vitamins and minerals, papaya has anti-cancer and anti-tumor properties. It also contains phytochemicals that reduce the risk of lung cancer, cataracts, and arthritis 

Papaya Fiber : 

High in vitamins C and E, beta-carotene and the minerals potassium, magnesium and calcium, papaya also contain the protease papain, an anti-cancer agent and carpaine, an anti-tumor compound.

Papain is classed as a proteolytic enzyme that helps break down, or digest, proteins. This is often extracted from papayas and used in digestive enzyme supplements. Pain relieving supplements for arthritis often contain this enzyme as it is thought to have anti-inflammatory properties. 

Nutritional Value: 

One medium papaya contains around 780mg of potassium, 73mg of calcium, 30mg magnesium, 187mg of vitamin C, 115mcg folate, 5.5g of fiber and roughly 120 calories. It also contains 228mcg of carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin which have been found to protect eyesight.

Add papaya health benefits

 Effects on Cataracts

According to the Archives of Ophthalmology report: “prospective data from a large cohort of female health professionals indicate that higher intakes of lutein or zeaxanthin and vitamin E are associated with decreased risk of cataracts.”

Dietary information from 35,500 female health professionals who registered for the Women’s Health Study in 1993, was analyzed by Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. The women were followed for an average of 10 years, and the diets of those who developed cataracts were compared with the diets of those who did not. 

According to an article published on Ophthalmology Web, a total of 2,031 women developed cataracts during the study. When the participants were split into 5 groups based on the amount of lutein and zeaxanthin they had consumed, those in the group who consumed the most (around 6,716mcg a day) had an 18 percent lower chance of developing cataracts than those who consumed the least (1,177mcg a day). That one-fifth participants who consumed the most vitamin E from food and supplements, about 262.4mg a day were 14 percent less likely than those one-fifth participants who got the least (4.4mg a day). 

Papaya and Cancer 

Papaya is also a good source of beta-cryptoxanthin, a lesser-known relative of beta-carotene, linked to a reduced risk of lung and colon cancer. One medium papaya contains 2,313mcg. Studies have shown beta-cryptoxanthin can reduce lung cancer risk by more than 30 percent. Other studies have shown it can also reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis by 41 percent.

Researchers and various researches believe the anti-cancer effect is not only linked to the antioxidant properties of beta-cryptoxanthin, but also to a specific expression of a gene that protects cells from becoming cancerous.

In Oriental medicine, papaya is considered a digestive aid as it tonifies the stomach. It is also believed to have anti-parasitic qualities and emollient properties; although it helps dry excess dampness in the body, it moistens the lungs.