Health Benefits Of Papaya

In the tropics, the health benefits of papaya have been known for a long time. Find out what they are and how to use them.

You can reap the health benefits of papaya by using the fresh fruit, juice, or seeds. The kernels do not have to be fresh and can also be used dry, but the juice and fruit should be as fresh as possible so that all of the ingredients can be used.

Delicious health benefits of papaya

The health benefits of papaya are not only traditionally passed down, but also delicious. But what are the health benefits of papaya? There are many of them:

Papaya contains valuable enzymes that break down protein. This useful property is used, for example, in the tropics to tenderize tough meat. To do this, the meat is placed in papaya juice for a while. But what does that do for you?

For example, if you have digestive problems such as stomach pain because a high protein food (the Sunday roast, too much grilled meat, etc.) feels like a stone in your stomach, papaya is the best way to get rid of the feeling of fullness. Consume the papaya with your meal to prevent problems!

A glass of fresh papaya juice or a fruit salad with lots of papaya for dessert can help prevent digestive problems thanks to the enzymes. This is one of the first of papaya’s health benefits.

Which papaya do I use?

There are many types of papaya, basically all types are suitable. Since papaya is a tropical fruit that comes to us from far away, you should only use the health benefits if you really have ailments. In this way you protect the environment and do something for the climate!

Buy a fresh, ripe papaya, if possible from organic farming. If the papaya is yellow on the outside and has very few green spots or spots, it is fully ripe.

The pulp should be dark orange and smell wonderful. Cut the papaya in half and remove the seeds with a spoon. Don’t throw away the seeds!

The cores are also useful

The seeds contain more of this health-promoting enzyme than the pulp ! The kernels taste a little like cress, this comes from the mustard oils they contain.

They are spicy and also have an antibacterial effect in your digestive tract. In Latin America, the kernels are also eaten against worms. The kernels have to be chewed, only then will they work!

You can also dry and store the kernels and only use them if you have digestive problems or want to prevent them. You can use dried seeds like peppercorns.

As a preventive measure, you can use it to grind the seeds in a pepper mill and use them as a spice, for example like steak pepper. This gives you the spiciness of pepper but at the same time uses the effect of the enzyme to prevent digestive problems.

Can you use unripe papayas?

In Southeast Asia we know: unripe, still hard papayas with green pulp are edible. A salad made from grated, unripe papaya, spicy and seasoned is a refreshing snack there.

You can also use unripe papaya, but the content of the health-promoting enzyme in the fruit fluctuates.

Not only can you conjure up a Southeast Asian-style salad from unripe papayas, but you can also prepare it for chutneys, stews or soups. You can find recipes on the Internet, but in Europe it is difficult to find the unripe fruits.

How can you combine the fruit to reap the health benefits of papaya?

Not everyone likes the pure taste of ripe papaya. You can therefore season juice or pulp and combine it with other fruit to improve the taste. Goes particularly well with ripe papaya:

• Lemon juice
• Lime juice
• Fresh ginger
• Milk, also vegetable
• Animal or vegetable cream

Fresh papaya tastes particularly good as a milkshake. Simply mix papaya with milk and puree everything into a creamy drink. Season with a sweetener of your choice. Papaya tastes good to (almost) everyone, so everyone can enjoy the health benefits of papaya.