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Papaya is good for us |
Food |
 Papaya (Carica papaya) is a common man's fruit, which is reasonably priced and has a high nutritive value. This fruit is available throughout the year. About 17,000 hectares are under papaya cultivation in India. This is a tropical fruit and the tree requires minimum irrigation. The yield from a tree can be up to 100 fruits, each weighing about 1kg. The fruit is known by various names such as pepe (Bengali), papita (Hindi), pharangi (Kanada), boppayi pandu (Telugu), omakai (Malayalam), popai (Marati) and pappali (Tamil).
 Papaya is a wholesome fruit. It has more carotene compared to other fruits such as apples, guavas, sitaphal, and plantains. The pigment is similar to that found in carrots, beet root, dark green leafy vegetables like drumstick leaves, palak, curry leaves, etc. Carotene in food is converted into vitamin A in our body. The comparative low calories content make this a favorite fruit of obese people who are into a weight reducing regime. It has a good vitamin C content of 57 mgs for 100 gm. The unriped green papaya is used as vegetable. It does not contain carotene, but all other nutrients are present. The enzyme papain is found in the unripe papaya or only in the rind of the ripe papaya.
 Papaya, when consumed regularly, will ensure a good supply of vitamin A and C. Both are essential for good health. The common preventable blindness in Indian children is due to vitamin A deficiency. Eating a papaya helps to prevent this kind of blindness. The fruit is a good source of beta-carotene, which helps to prevent some forms of cancer. Different types of enzymes are present in a papaya. Papain, a substance present in it is an excellent aid to digestion.
Papaya has the property of tenderizing meat. So people cook meat with raw papaya to make it tender and digestible.
Meat tenderizing is done with papain but that is done at room temperature by smearing the enzyme powder on the meat and let it stand for an hour.
The unripe fruit is a rich source of papain, which is vegetable pepsin and is capable of digesting protein in acid, alkaline or neutral medium. Papain also exhibits pain relieving properties and the US food and drug administration (FDA) has approved its medicinal use to ease the discomfort of slipped discs (prolapsed inter vertebral disc). Papaya can be prescribed for dyspeptic patients, as the papain may help in the digestion of proteins. It is an ideal food for invalids because the flesh is easy to chew and swallow.
 Healing speeds up with pieces of papaya laid on wounds and surgical incision.
Papain is used in wound healing since it breaks down the proteins in the wounded area. Surgeons in the old days used to spread papaya rinds on the skin after closing for quicker healing. Now the pure enzyme is used.
A large number of people believe that pregnant women should avoid papaya, as it may cause a miscarriage. Scientifically speaking there is no evidence to support these beliefs. It is not advisable to consume the seeds. A toxic substance called carpine is present in traces in the black seeds of the papaya. Carpine, in large quantities, is said to lower the pulse rate and depress the nervous system. The fleshy part of the fruit is completely free from this toxic substance.
This low calorie, nutritive, "low budget" all season fruit must be included in your regular diet for a healthy life.
(Based on Net resources)
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