Refreshingly sweet in taste, papayas are bright, pear-shaped, exotic
fruits that you’ll easily find in the market throughout the year.
Enclosing hundreds of black, rounded gelatinous seeds, the soft, edible
orange flesh of papayas is actually nutritious, offering numerous health
benefits. Here’s why you need to include these ‘fruits of angels’ in
your diet.
Lowers cholesterol
Papayas are rich in fibre, vitamin C and antioxidants that prevent cholesterol build up in your arteries. Too much cholesterol build-up can block the arteries completely, causing a heart attack. Papaya extracts have also found to reduce lipid and triglycerides in diabetic rats . You may also want to read how to reduce cholesterol levels naturally.
Helps weight loss
One
medium sized papaya contains just 120 calories. So, if you’re planning
to lose weight, don’t forget to add this light fruit to your diet.
Besides, it also packed with a considerable amount of dietary fibre that
aids weight loss by promoting a feeling of fullness and controlling
craving.
Boosts your immunity
Your immune system acts as a
shield against various infections that can make you really sick. A
single papaya can fulfil more than 200% of your daily requirement of
Vitamin C, making it great to build a stronger immune system.
Good for diabetics
Despite
being sweet in nature, papayas are low in sugar content (8.3 gm in one
cup of sliced papaya) as well as glycemic index. This property makes papayas excellent fruits for diabetics. The vitamins and phytonutrients present in them prevents development of heart disease
in diabetes. Also, people who don’t have diabetes can eat papaya to
prevent it from happening. You may also want to read how to prevent diabetes with a fibre-rich healthy diet.
Great for your eyes
Papayas are rich in Vitamin A and flavonoids like beta-carotene,
zeaxanthin, cyptoxanthin and lutein which keep the mucus membranes in
the eyes healthy, preventing them from damage. Vitamin A in them also
prevents the development of age-related macular degeneration. The
best thing about papayas is that the carotenoids present in them are
more bio available than those present in other vitamin A rich foods like
tomatoes and carrots.
Protects against arthritis
Arthritis
can be a really debilitating disease and people who have it may find
their quality of life reduced significantly. Eating papayas are good for
your bones as they have anti-inflammatory properties along with Vitamin
C which helps in keeping various forms of arthritis at bay. A study
published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases showed that
people who consumed foods low in Vitamin C were three times more likely
to have arthritis than those who didn’t. Also read 9 ways you can fight arthritis with food.
Improves digestion
In today’s times, it is near impossible to avoid eating foods that are bad for your digestive system.
Often we find ourselves eating junk food or restaurant food prepared in
excessive quantities of oil. Eating a papaya daily can make up for such
occasional mistakes, as it has a digestive enzyme known as papain along
with fibre which helps improve your digestive health.
Helps ease menstrual pain
Women who experience
menstrual pain should help themselves to several servings of papaya, as
an enzyme called papain helps in regulating and easing flow during
menstrual periods. Here are some home remedies to relieve menstrual pain.
Prevents signs of ageing
All of us would love to
stay young forever, but no one in this world has managed to do it.
Still, healthy habits like eating a papaya daily will prolong the
process and may make you look 5 years younger than you are. Papaya is
rich in vitamin C, vitamin E and antioxidants like beta-carotene which
helps prevent your skin from free radical damage keeping wrinkles and
other signs of ageing at bay. Here’s how you can use papaya to keep your skin beautifully glowing.
Promotes hair growth
Apart from keeping the
skin healthy, papayas are very effective for maintaining healthy hair.
Vitamin A in them is utilised in production of sebum, a compound that is
crucial for keeping the hair smooth, shiny and moisturised. External
application of papaya extract to the scalp can help you get rid of dandruff.
The nutrients present in them help hair loss. They boost hair growth
and strengthening. Although there is no scientific evidence, papayas
are also thought to prevent hair thinning
Prevents cancer
Papaya
is a rich source of antioxidants, phytonutrients and flavonoids that
prevent your cells from undergoing free radical damage. A study
conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health’s Department showed the
richness of beta carotene in papayas protected against prostate cancer and colon cancer growth
Helps reduce stress
After
working hard for the whole day, it is a good idea to come home to a
plate a papayas. The wonder fruit is rich in several nutrients like
Vitamin C which can keep you free from stress. According to a study
conducted in University of Alabama, found that 200 mg of Vitamin C can
help regulate the flow of stress hormones in rats.