Reduce inflammation and joint pain – a wonderful property of papaya.
Description
Christopher Columbus called papaya “the fruit of angels”. He noticed that the Caribbean natives ate these fruits after large meals and never experienced digestive problems. And they were full of energy.
The papaya is pear shaped. The pulp is tasty and sweet, melts in the mouth. Ripe papaya pulp has a musky aroma and rich orange color.
The inner cavity contains a mass of black round seeds. The seeds are not suitable for consumption, as they contain a toxic substance that reduces the pulse rate and affects the nervous system.
Nutritional value
The nutritional highlight of papaya is the proteolytic enzyme papain, which is an excellent digestive activator. This enzyme is so powerful that it can digest a protein weighing 200 times its own weight. It helps our body’s own enzymes extract the most nutrients from the food we eat.
Papain can be used as a home remedy for wounds. The highest concentration of this substance is in the peel of unripe papaya. Papaya peel can be applied directly to the affected area.
Papaya is a rich source of antioxidant nutrients such as beta-carotene, vitamins A and C, flavonoids, B vitamins, folic acid, and pantothenic acid.
Papaya also contains small amounts of the minerals calcium, chlorine, iron, phosphorus, potassium, silicon, and sodium. Ripe papaya is rich in natural sugars.
Benefit for health
Papaya has wonderful medicinal properties known since ancient times. As one of the most easily digestible fruits, papaya is a great healthy food for young and old alike.
The health benefits of papaya are too extensive to mention all aspects, but here is a list of some of the most common diseases that papaya helps fight:
Anti-inflammatory effect. The ability of papain to significantly reduce inflammation is very relevant in the treatment of diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout and asthma.
Colon cancer, prevention. Papaya fibers bind to carcinogenic toxins in the colon and are expelled from the body during bowel movements.
Digestion. Papaya is widely known as a natural laxative that stimulates digestion. Eating papaya regularly relieves constipation, bleeding, and diarrhea.
Emphysema. If you smoke, drinking papaya juice will replenish your vitamin A stores. It can save your life, protect your lungs.
Heart diseases. The three powerful antioxidants found in papaya help prevent cholesterol oxidation. Oxidized forms of cholesterol can eventually lead to heart attacks or strokes.
Intestinal disorders. Papain, which is especially rich in unripe papaya fruits, is extremely beneficial for those who suffer from insufficient secretion of gastric juice, excess mucus in the stomach, dyspepsia and intestinal irritations.
Menstrual disorders. The consumption of unripe papaya juice helps to contract the muscle fibers of the uterus, which leads to the normalization of the menstrual cycle.
Skin diseases. The juice of unripe papaya is very useful in the treatment of skin conditions such as acne and psoriasis. When applied to wounds, it prevents the formation of pus and swelling. The pulp of unripe papaya is applied to the face to remove pigmentation and brown spots, papaya makes the skin smooth and tender. Try it.
Spleen. Enjoy papaya for a week – twice a day with meals until spleen function returns to normal.
Throat. Drink fresh juice from unripe papaya with honey regularly for inflammation of the tonsils, diphtheria and other diseases of the throat. It prevents the spread of infection.
Tips
Choose papaya, which has a reddish-orange skin, if you want to eat the fruit during the day. Avoid fruits that are dented and overripe.
If you want to slow down the ripening process, keep the fruit in the refrigerator. To speed up the ripening process, store it at room temperature.
Cut the papaya lengthwise and then into smaller pieces. The sweetest part of the papaya is concentrated at the end furthest from the stem.
You can also add papaya pulp to fresh lime juice. It enhances the flavor of the fruit. Or mix papaya pieces with other fruits like strawberries to make a puree.