Papaya Benefits – Why is Papaya a Wonder Fruit?

Papaya had once been referred to as the angle among fruits by Christopher Columbus. Though it is rather a poetic way of describing papaya, it is actually true. There are various papaya benefits and that has made it an extremely popular choice of fruit. Unlike many healthy eatables, papaya tastes good and sweet. It has a vibrant color and that too adds to its popularity.

Besides, impacting the heath in a direct manner, papaya also helps in serving the skin and hair as well. Previously it was not very easy to find papaya as it is generally grown in a tropical climate. However, that is not an issue anymore as papaya is now readily available almost throughout the year.

Papaya benefits

Papaya benefits are endless and some of the health benefits of having papaya are mentioned below.

Prevention of asthma

One of the lesser-known papaya benefits is that it helps to reduce the chances of developing asthma. It has been found that people who consume a high amount of beta-carotene nutrients are less likely to get asthma. Papaya is especially rich in this particular nutrient and thus helps in preventing asthma.

Health of bones

It is important to consume a decent amount of vitamin K to make sure your bones maintain their strength. People lacking in vitamin K are more likely to suffer from bone-related problems and diseases. Vitamin K helps in calcium absorption and thus reduces the excretion of calcium through urine. Papaya is rich in vitamin K and thus it helps in keeping the bones in good shape.

Cancer

Another one of the papaya benefits is that this fruit helps in reducing the chances of getting cancer. It has the antioxidant of beta-carotene that generally offers protection from prostate cancer in young men. Thus, including a generous amount of papaya in your daily diet might save you from getting cancer as well.

Help you digest food

There is an enzyme named papain that helps in digestion and papayas are rich in them. Having some papaya after a heavy meal can thus help you to digest your food smoothly. Moreover, papaya contains high amounts of water and fiber. Both of these elements help in preventing constipation and help in keeping the digestive system healthy.

Diabetes

People who have diabetes need to consume food that is high in fiber. Papaya contains high amounts of fiber and thus both type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients can benefit from having papaya. Single small-sized papaya has 3 grams of fiber in it and it equals only 17 grams of carbohydrate.

Diseases of the heart

The list of papaya benefits also includes its role in reducing the chances of heart diseases. Papaya has a lot of vitamins, fiber, and potassium that help it to keep heart-related diseases at bay. People with problems of heart should take more potassium and reduce their consumption of sodium. Papaya helps this cause by offering an ample amount of potassium and keeps the heart healthy.

Immunity booster

A single serving of papaya can provide you with the required amount of Vitamin C and thus enhance your immunity. When you have strong immunity, you are more likely to ward of various diseases and remain healthy. Thus, daily servings of papaya will not only keep your organs healthy but also will help you to fight diseases.

Losing weight

One of the major papaya benefits is that it helps to lose weight. It contains very low amounts of calories and yet is high on fiber. Papaya thus keeps you full without affecting your weight. Moreover, the fiber helps to regularize your bowel movements and make the process of losing weight easier.

Keeping eyes healthy

If you want to keep your eyes healthy and strong, you must eat papaya. It contains a lot of Vitamin A that saves your eyes from getting degenerated. No one wants to lose their vision because of age-related issues and having papaya will ensure that you never face that.

Prevention of signs of getting old

No one wants to look at their age when they are older. Everyone wants to look young and fresh as they did in their youth. One of the papaya benefits is that having papaya daily will actually reduce the signs of you getting older. Papaya contains high amounts of Vitamin E, C and various antioxidants that helps in preventing the skin from the damages of age. Your problems related to wrinkles and acne can be solved by having papaya daily.

Stress buster

Though it is hard to believe, having some papayas after a hard day’s work will relieve you from your stress. The Vitamin C present in papaya helps in de-stressing your mind and keeps you fresh even after a tiring day.

Hair benefits of papaya

Besides having several health benefits, papaya also has a positive impact on both skin and hair. There are various hair benefits of papaya and some of the major benefits are mentioned below.

Helps hair to grow

One of the hair benefits of papaya is that it helps your hair to grow in length and thickness. Papaya contains folic acid that helps in improving the circulation to the follicles of hair. It helps in promoting the growth of hair and also enhances its volume. Thus, if you want to look your hair amazing and long, you should start including papaya in your daily diet chart.

Natural hair conditioner

With papaya, you will not need to use the market-bought hair conditioners anymore. Papaya can do wonders for your hair and can restore life in it. It also helps in making the hair hydrated and soft. Papaya contains a high amount of Vitamin A and that promotes sebum production. It is a natural oil of the body and helps in conditioning the hair.

In order to use papaya as your hair conditioner, you will need to mix half a cup of ripe papaya with half a cup of yogurt. You will then have to apply this mix on the hair. You should leave the mixture o for an hour or so and then wash it off with a good shampoo. Your hair will feel and look fine and conditioned.

Dandruff control

Papaya also helps in controlling dandruff. Dandruff is the result of fungal infection. Papaya is rich in antifungal properties and that helps it to battle off the dandruff. You need to blend a papaya with seeds and take half a cup of it. You then have to apply that on your scalp and leave it for one hour at least. Finally, you will have to wash it off with a shampoo. Using papaya thus will not only fight dandruff but also will do that without any harmful chemical usage.

Skin benefits of papaya

Just like having positive results on the hair, papaya helps to enhance various skin conditions as well. The skin benefits of papaya are quite a lot in number and some of them are discussed below.

Helps with pigmentation

No one wants to have pigmented skin. You might have been left with the scars of acne or pimples and papaya can help you to get rid of them. There are skin lightening properties of papaya that helps to clear the pigmentations and blemishes of the skin. Besides cleaning pigmentation, papaya can also help to enhance your complexion with its enzymes, beta-carotene, and phytochemicals. These elements help o exfoliate the skin and thus clear it off dead cells.

In order to use papaya for removing pigmentation, you will need cotton balls and a tablespoon of juice of papaya. You will have to soak the cotton in the juice and apply it on your face. You should keep it on for at least fifteen minutes and then wash it off. The process is easy and doing it at least thrice a week with offers you miraculous results.

Dark circle remover

If you are bothered about dark circles under your eyes then also papaya can come to your rescue. The pulp of green papayas has a wonderful effect on dark circles and helps to vanish them. Green papaya is a natural agent of bleaching and helps to erase the discoloration of the skin.

You need to apply the pulp of green papaya directly on your dark circles and leave it for ten minutes minimum. You will then have to rub the pulp applied areas mildly with your fingers before cleaning them with a clean piece of cloth. Finally, you should wash your face with water. If you repeat this process on a daily basis, you will get positive results on your dark circle in no time.

Wrinkle control

Wrinkles are one of the most common skin problems that happen while aging. Papaya can help you out with this problem too as the peels of papaya decrease the signs of aging. Here are various enzymes in papaya peels that help in removing dead cells from the skin and keep it free of wrinkles.

You need to rub the peel of papaya all over your neck and face. You should then wait for like twenty minutes and wash off your face with cold water. Continuing with this process will reduce the signs of aging from your face and make you look younger and fresh.

Tan remover

If you have got badly tanned during vacation then you can take the help of papaya to remove it. There are enough amounts of Vitamin C and A along with papain in papaya that helps to lighten your skin.

You need to mash some cubes of papaya and mix one tablespoon of turmeric and honey with it. You then have to apply the paste on your face and leave it on for at least thirty minutes. Finally, you should wash it off with water. Doing this one in a week will have amazing effects on your skin and make it glowing.

Benefits of papaya leaves

The best part about papaya is that even its skin and leaves are beneficial for human usage. It is a fruit whose no part goes to waste. There are many amazing benefits of papaya leaves and you can easily apply them in your daily life. Some of the most important advantages of using the juices papaya leaves are mentioned below.

Helps with menstrual pain

Many women are helpless victims of terrible menstrual cramps. Several women take pills and other painkillers but they do more harm than good. A natural way of fighting menstrual pain is having the juice of papaya leaves. Drinking the juice will also have a calming effect on your PMS signs. Papaya leaf juice is enriched with healing properties and that helps in balancing the hormones and regularizing the menstrual cycle.

Helps with blood sugar

Having the juice of papaya leaves can significantly decrease your level of blood sugar. The juice enhances the flow of insulin and that balances the level of blood sugar. There are also strong antioxidant properties of papaya leaves and thus the juice helps to fight various complications caused by diabetes.

Takes care of the liver

Just like papaya, the juice of papaya leaves is equally good for your liver. It has cleansing agents in it that help to keep the liver clean. Moreover, the juice can also heal chronic diseases of the liver like cirrhosis and jaundice.

Treatment for dengue

A very common remedy to the fever of dengue is having the juice of papaya leaves. The dengue virus brings down the count of blood platelets and having papaya leaf juice brings the count back to normal.

Besides treating dengue fever, papaya leaves also help with malaria. The leaves are high with anti-malaria characteristics and thus can treat a malaria patient. There is acetogenin in papaya leaves and that helps in the prevention of both dengue and malaria.

These are the major papaya benefits that you can avail by including papaya in your daily routine and meals. You can use its skin, leave juice and even seeds for your benefit. Make sure to keep it in your daily diet to maintain a healthy lifestyle.