Fresh or Dried, 3 Papaya Benefits to Know
Medically reviewed by Roxana Ehsani, RD
Papaya (Carica papaya) is a tropical American fruit that is green when unripe and light or deep yellow-orange with orange or red juicy flesh when ripe. Papayas are high in vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial substances.
Papaya has been used in folk medicine to treat several health concerns, including gastrointestinal (GI) and skin problems, and is an interest to the pharmaceutical industry for its potential health benefits.
This article will discuss the health benefits of papaya, its nutrition breakdown, its taste and texture, how to eat it, and the risks of latex allergy associated with papaya.
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Papaya Benefits for Specific Conditions and Overall Health
Three of the main benefits of papaya are that it is:
High in nutrition
Low in cost
Potentially useful for disease care and prevention
The fruit, leaves, stems, seeds, and other plant parts of papaya contain substances that are known to have health benefits. The fruits possess a large proportion of:
Vitamins
Minerals (macro and micro)
Bioactive substances
Secondary metabolites
Phytochemicals, such as enzymes (in the papaya's latex), alkaloids (in leaves), phenolic compounds (in pulp and leaves), and carotenoid compounds and glucosinolates (in pulp and seeds)
The alkaloids and flavonoids found in several parts of the plant have antimicrobial and medicinal properties.
Papain, an enzyme found in papaya latex, is used in medicinal products for health problems such as skin rashes, kidney problems, digestive disorders, and certain infections such as ringworm.
Papaya pulp from ripe fruit may help with:
Gas (flatulence)
Relieving fluid buildup
Clearing mucus/congestion from the airway
Sedation
Prevention against conditions such as dystentery and skin conditions (like psoriasis and ringworm)
Unripe papaya may help with:
Ulcers
Menstrual irregularities
Papaya juice may help with gastrointestinal disturbances, such as relieving colon infections and indigestion.
Papaya Is Not Medical Care
Papaya is not a substitute for traditional medical care in treating and preventing health conditions. Always see a healthcare provider for your symptoms or health concerns.
Papaya Benefits in Traditional Medicine
While it is not a substitute for traditional medicine, papaya is believed to have pharmaceutical properties and is used in folk medicine to treat some health conditions.
Papaya pulp is used in African hospitals for burn and wound care. Papaya latex may be applied topically to treat burns and scalds.
Properties found in various parts of the papaya plant are being researched for their potential benefits in treating or preventing medical conditions such as:
Diarrhea
Whooping cough (pertussis)
Prevention of blindness in children (because of its vitamin A and C content)
Certain infections
Dandruff
Certain cancers (in combination with traditional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation)
Snake bites
Growth-related problems
Tuberculosis
Dengue fever
Malaria
Cardiovascular diseases (from antioxidants in papaya)
Sickle cell anemia
More research is needed to determine how components of papaya may be used in medicine for these conditions and more.
Nutrition Breakdown: What Makes Papaya Healthy?
Papaya is among the top five fruits based on nutritional scores. It is low in calories and high in nutritional value. Notably, it contains:
Thiamine
Riboflavin
Niacin
Vitamin A
Vitamins B1 and B2
Vitamin C
Magnesium
Potassium
Copper
Vitamin K
Iron (especially in the leaves)
Vitamin E
Zinc
Manganese
Lycopene (in red pulp papaya)
Nutrition Information For 100g of Fresh, Raw Papaya
The following is nutrition information for 100 grams (g) of fresh, raw papaya:
Water: 88.1 g
Energy: 43 kilocalories (kcal)
Protein: 0.47 g
Total lipid (fat): 0.26 g
Carbohydrate, by difference: 10.8 g
Fiber, total dietary: 1.7 g
Sugars, total: 7.82 g
Glucose: 4.09 g
Fructose: 3.73 g
Calcium: 20 milligrams (mg)
Iron: 0.25 mg
Magnesium: 21 mg
Phosphorus: 10 mg
Potassium: 182 mg
Sodium: 8 mg
Taste and Texture
The appearance, taste, and texture of papaya depends on the variety of the fruit and how it is prepared.
Fresh Papaya
Fresh, ripe papaya flesh is amber to orange in color. It is juicy and tastes sweet, similar to cantaloupe. Some have a musky quality. Ripe papaya has a soft, buttery consistency. Papaya seeds are edible, but are usually discarded because of their peppery, somewhat bitter taste.
Dried Papaya
Dried papaya can be a more convenient way to eat the fruit. It is sweet and has a chewy texture.
Papaya vs. Pawpaw
Papayas are sometimes called pawpaws, but the pawpaw is a distinctly different fruit. "Pawpaw" means "papaya" in Arawak (a language spoken by indigenous people in South America), but pawpaws and papayas are not related.
The pawpaw is a fruit native to the United States, with a growing range extending from northern Florida to southern Ontario, and as far west as eastern Nebraska.
It tastes like a blend of tropical fruits, including banana, mango, and pineapple. Similar to a banana, when ripe on the tree, the skin of a pawpaw is green to yellow and may darken to brown or black after it is picked or falls. Pawpaw flowers have an unpleasant, "rotting-meat" type of odor that helps to attract pollinators such as flies.
How to Eat and Enjoy Papaya
Papaya can be consumed in many forms, including:
Raw, ripe fruit
Jam
Added to teas and flours (leaves and seeds)
In salads, cakes, ice creams, and juice (often the green fruit)
Dried or candied
When choosing a ripe papaya, look for:
Skin that is turning from green to yellow (yellow ring around the stem) or completely yellow
A slight give when pressed but not completely soft at the stem end
One that is free of bruises, shriveling, or soft areas
No smell, or slightly sweet smell when uncut; sweet, not fermented, smell when cut
An overripe papaya may be too soft, mushy, and/or smell overwhelmingly sweet.
Slightly green papayas will ripen at room temperature in one to three days. They will keep for up to a week, but eating them within a day or two is better.
Preparation for a papaya is similar to that of a melon. The most common way to eat a papaya is:
Wash the papaya.
Cut it in half.
Scoop out the seeds.
Eat the flesh with a spoon.
Papaya can also be peeled, cut up, blended, frozen, or added to other foods such as cereal, salad, or yogurt. It also works well with pork, fish and seafood, or poultry. Pureed papaya may be used in soups, smoothies, and sauces.
Risks of Latex in Papaya
A latex allergy refers to an allergic reaction to natural rubber latex that comes from the sap of the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis). This latex is used in many products.
Because some foods have proteins that are similar to the proteins in rubber tree sap, people with a latex allergy may react to certain foods, including papaya. This occurs in approximately 30% to 50% of people who have a latex allergy, and is called latex-fruit syndrome or latex-food allergy syndrome. Other foods a person with a latex allergy may react to include avocado, banana, bell pepper, kiwi, chestnut, fig, peach, tomato, and others.
Summary
The papaya is a tropical American fruit. Its benefits include being high in nutrition, low in cost, and potentially useful in treating or preventing some health conditions. Different parts of the papaya, such as the flesh, leaves, and latex, contain substances that may help with health concerns, like skin conditions, GI problems, and some infections. Research is underway on ways the substances found in papaya may be used along with traditional medicine for conditions that include anemia, high cholesterol, and low platelet counts.
Fresh, ripe papaya is sweet and juicy with a buttery texture. Dried papaya is sweet and chewy. Papaya flesh can be eaten as is and is often added to other foods such as yogurt or salad. It can also be candied, pureed, or turned into jam. People with a latex allergy may react to certain foods, including papaya.
Read the original article on Verywell Health.
