Papaya’s 5 Surprising Benefits – Did You Know These?

Papaya is a tropical fruit that grows on a tree. It is originally from Central America. The papaya tree is tall; it can grow up to 10 meters. It has no branches and its leaves are usually located only at the top of the trunk. The fruit itself is yellow or green on the outside, and orange on the inside. The glossy black seeds inside the papaya stand out well from the flesh. The health benefits of papaya are pretty amazing!

• Papaya is low in calories and contains many different antioxidants.
• It contains vitamins A, B3 and C, as well as minerals such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium.

• One of its great ingredients is the enzyme papain, which is responsible for most of the medicinal properties of papaya.

The benefits of papaya

Next, we look at the five great health benefits of papaya.

1. Improves digestion

Papaya is known for its digestive properties. In particular, it effectively promotes the digestion of animal protein such as meat, fish and egg foods. It also treats gastrointestinal wounds, constipation and flatulence. These properties are mainly due to papain, an enzyme found only in this fruit.

However, the fruit does not digest well when eaten with a meal, which is why it is better to eat papaya even after food. For example, it is a perfect dessert.

2. Slowing down the signs of aging

This exotic fruit is a powerful antioxidant as it contains vitamins A and E, selenium and carotene. All of these ingredients help prevent the harmful effects that lead to premature aging.

• If you want to prevent wrinkles and get a youthful, radiant face, you can use papaya topically in a face mask.
• It works best when the fruit is ripe and left on the skin for at least 20 minutes.

3. Kills intestinal parasites

Papaya also contains an enzyme that kills parasites, or intestinal worms. These parasites change the bacterial population, intestines and health in general.

• Papaya seeds can be liquefied with the fruit and enjoyed like regular smoothies. The seeds can also be dried, ground and mixed with honey.
• If there are too many seeds, they can cause a bitter or peppery taste. We recommend starting with a small amount of seeds as well to avoid digestive problems.

4. Papaya prevents eye diseases

Regular eating of papaya also has a surprisingly positive effect on eye health. This is due to its many different antioxidants, such as lutein and zeaxanthin, as well as beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthine. These are precursors of vitamin A.

Thanks to these ingredients, papaya prevents eye diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma or age-related macular degeneration. In addition, eating papaya regularly helps protect your eyesight from the harmful effects of the sun’s ultraviolet rays.

5. Papaya leaves increase the number of platelets

Papaya leaves also have good health properties. Ingestion of papaya leaf extract has been shown to increase platelet counts in the blood. This can benefit people with low platelet counts or dengue fever. Platelets play a key role in blood clotting (for example, in stopping bleeding).

In addition, papaya leaves have been linked to the treatment of atherosclerosis and the prevention of heart attacks.