Papaya Benefits for Health – Papaya fruit has many properties, helps digestion, lowers cholesterol, reduces the risk of cancer, reduces the risk of heart disease, protects the liver, and for diabetics, papaya has a good low glycemic index.
Papaya Benefits
1. Good for digestion and weight loss
Often joked about by being referred to as bird food, this fruit has proven to be very good for digestion and helps lose weight because papaya contains an enzyme called papain and is high in fiber content. It’s low in calories.
2. Lowers Cholesterol
Papaya is a source of fiber, antioxidants and vitamin C. Eating this fruit means avoiding cholesterol. Add a bowl of papaya to your daily diet, then by chewing this delicious fruit, you can avoid heart disease.
3. Good for Diabetics
Although sweet, papaya has a low sugar content and a low glycemic index, making it very good for diabetic patients. Rich in phytonutrients and vitamins, papaya also helps reduce the risk of heart disease for diabetics and protects the liver.
4. Protects From Arthritis
Papaya has strong anti-inflammatory properties and is rich in vitamin C to strengthen bones and protect you from arthritis.
5. Reduce Stress
Reward yourself with papaya fruit to end a long and tiring day. Papaya helps reduce your stress, with high levels of vitamin C which are effective in keeping stress hormone production low.
6. Prevents Colon & Prostate Cancer
According to a Harvard School of Public Health study, beta carotene in papaya is effective in suppressing the growth of colon cancer and prostate cancer. Also, the antioxidants and flavonoids in papaya prevent radical damage in cells and help reduce the risk of cancer.
7. Boost Immune
No need to bother buying packaged vitamin supplements. Papayas are rich in vitamin C, and even provide double the recommended daily intake of vitamin C. This means that the immune system can be maintained by eating this fruit, so it can survive all types of infections.
8. Make Eyes Healthier
Containing abundant amounts of cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin, and lutein as well as vitamin A, papaya prevents macular degeneration due to aging and protects the eyes from possible damage.
9. Prevents Symptoms of Aging
Eat papaya to fight hair loss and as mentioned earlier, the antioxidants and flavonoids prevent radical damage in cells and make skin look younger.
10. Reduces Menstrual Pain
For women who experience menstrual pain every month, you can include papaya in your diet. An enzyme in papaya, called papain, helps regulate and increase blood flow during menstruation.
Side Effects of Eating Raw Papaya Fruit
Some side effects when you eat unripe papaya.
1. Can cause bloating
Eating too much papaya can increase the risk of bloating because of the fiber content in papaya. However, this also depends on the overall fiber intake for the day. Bloating usually occurs when a sudden increase in fiber intake exceeds the capacity of bacteria in the colon to break down fiber.
2. Can trigger allergies
For people who are allergic to latex, avoid eating papaya, taking supplements, or food products containing papaya. The reason is, people who are allergic to latex may also be allergic to papaya.
3. May be harmful to the esophagus
Unripe papaya fruit contains papaya sap which contains an enzyme called papain. Consuming a lot of papain can damage the esophagus. This is especially true for pregnant women.
Several studies have shown that the unprocessed papain in unripe papayas can be toxic to the fetus or cause birth defects. Meanwhile, for pregnant women, it is advisable to eat ripe papaya in moderation.
People Who Shouldn’t Eat Papaya
Papaya fruit is very beneficial for health. Even eating papaya fruit, can meet the daily requirement of vitamin C by as much as 157 percent. The content of lycopene is also able to ward off cancer which can be life-threatening.
People who can’t eat papaya
1. People with papaya allergies
Did you know, people diagnosed with latex allergy also have an allergy to papaya? This is because papaya contains the chitinase enzyme which can cause a cross-reaction between latex and the food contained in it. This is what causes you with this allergy to sneeze, have difficulty breathing, cough, and have watery eyes.
2. People with irregular heartbeat
Eating papaya can indeed reduce the risk of heart disease. However, if you already have an irregular heartbeat, you should avoid this fruit. Studies are showing that papaya contains small amounts of cyanogenic glycosides, amino acids that can produce hydrogen cyanide in the human digestive system.
Excess cyanogenic glycosides can make symptoms worse. So it’s best to avoid papaya if you experience this condition. If you want to eat papaya, you should first consult a doctor to determine the condition of the body.
3. Patients with hypoglycemia
Papaya is a fruit that diabetics love because it can help regulate blood sugar levels. However, this fruit is not a good choice for people with hypoglycemia or people suffering from low blood sugar problems. This is due to its anti-hypoglycemic or glucose-lowering effect. If consumed, this person will experience confusion, shakiness, and a fast heart rate.
4. Pregnant women
You certainly know that healthy food is needed for pregnant women and the growth of the fetus in the womb. Even so, papaya is one fruit that should be avoided during pregnancy. The reason is, this sweet fruit contains latex which is thought to trigger uterine contractions, and cause early labor. In addition, papaya also contains papain which is often mistaken for a prostaglandin by the body to induce labor, even weakening the membrane that supports the fetus.
5. Patients with kidney stones
Papaya contains vitamin C as an antioxidant in excessive amounts. Therefore, papaya is not recommended for those of you who suffer from kidney stones, because it can make them worse. Excessive consumption of papaya can lead to the formation of calcium oxalate kidney stones. In addition, it can increase the size of the stone making it more difficult to pass through the urine. Those are the people who are not allowed to eat papaya.
But in addition to people who should not eat it, of course, papaya has several benefits that cannot be underestimated.
