What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Papaya Regularly

 What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Papaya Regularly

Papaya 

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.1 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.

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

Bioactive substances

Minerals (macro and micro)

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)

Secondary metabolites

Vitamins

The alkaloids and flavonoids found in several parts of the plant have antimicrobial and medicinal properties.1 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:

Clearing mucus/congestion from the airway

Gas

Prevention against conditions such as dystentery and skin conditions (like psoriasis and ringworm)

Relieving fluid buildup

Sedation

Unripe papaya may help with:

Erectile dysfunction

Menstrual irregularities

Ulcers

Papaya Benefits in Traditional Medicine

While it is not a substitute for medicine, papaya is believed to have pharmaceutical properties and is used in folk medicine to treat some health conditions.

Koul B, Pudhuvai B, Sharma C, et al. Carica papaya l. : A tropical fruit with benefits beyond the tropics. Diversity. 2022;14(8):683. doi:10.3390/d14080683

 Papaya pulp is used in African hospitals for burn and wound care.1 Papaya latex may be applied topically to treat burns.

Properties found in various parts of the papaya plant are being researched for their potential benefits in treating or preventing medical conditions such as:

Anemia

Cardiovascular diseases (from antioxidants in papaya)

Certain cancers (in combination with traditional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation)

Certain infections

Dandruff

Dengue fever

Diarrhea

Growth-related problems

High blood sugar2

High cholesterol

Low platelet count

Malaria

Prevention of blindness in children

Sickle cell anemia

Snake bites

Tuberculosis

Whooping cough (pertussis)