The Nutritional Institute

This delicious tropical fruit has been around for centuries and I don’t believe we give it enough credit. Did you know that you actually get superb benefits from eating both the flesh and the seeds? This fruit is certainly packed with punchy enzymes and flavonoids that will keep you looking young and feeling satisfied.

Here are the benefits of the papaya flesh:

• - Papaya is loaded with vitamin C, making it an infection fighter of note. It keeps your cells healthy and your immune system thriving. It is also a free radical scavenger, keeping you looking beautiful and fighting the effects of ageing.
  - It is naturally high in folate, vitamins B1, B6 and riboflavin. These help your body to convert protein, carbohydrates and fats into energy. They also help your body to absorb essential minerals like iron and calcium.
  - The high presence of flavonoids (beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin and cryptoxanthins), other potent antioxidants, and vitamin A, make them really good for eye health. This keeps the membranes in the eyes nourished. The vitamin A also helps reduce the chances of age related macular degeneration.
  - This satisfying fruit can assist with weight loss as it’s fleshy and fairly filling. Diabetics may even consume it in moderation because it has a relatively low glycemic index for a fruit.
  - The digestive enzyme in papaya, known as papain, along with the high levels of fibre, is incredibly good for digestive health: in health terms, papaya is perhaps best known for helping to deal with constipation, or even irritable bowel syndrome. It’s a really valuable fruit to consume after any surgery, along with probiotics, to help you eliminate effectively.
  - And to all the ladies out there suffering from menstrual pains, the enzyme papain may help to regulate and ease flow during periods.
  - The antioxidants, including vitamins C, E and beta carotene, help save the skin from free radical damage, keeping those wrinkles at bay.
  - And finally, the vitamin A can support hair growth and strengthening as it’s used in the production of sebum, helping to keep your hair moisturised, smooth and shiny. Additionally, papaya extract is a wonderful natural product that is used to rid dandruff.

The best way to consume papaya is chopped up fresh. It pairs really well with pineapple and banana. Other ways of incorporating it into foods would be to chop it up and freeze it, and use it in your smoothies. You can also dry it (with or without lemon juice) and have dried fruit with some nuts on the run, or add it to your homemade granola. You could even add it to your fresh daily juice or include it as part of a salad dressing.

Here are the benefits of the papaya seeds:
For years I’ve simply scooped these gelatinous beads into the recycling bin, only to recently discover the myriad of benefits… rather keep the seeds…

• - Eating small amounts every day can help detox your liver and they have been shown to help heal cirrhosis.
  - They are anti-bacterial and can kill bacteria such as E Coli, Staph and Salmonella, so they are a useful addition during a bout of food poisoning.
  - They can help fight viral infections and contain agents that can help the body resist the growth of cancer cells and tumours.
  - They contain isothiocyanate, which has been successfully trialled with colon, breast, lung, leukaemia and prostate cancers.
  - They can eliminate parasites as they contain an alkaloid ‘carpaine’ that kills intestinal worms and ameba parasites.
  - They are very anti-inflammatory and are therefore potentially helpful for joint disease, swelling, pain, redness and arthritis.
  - And finally, they have been known to be used in the treatment of kidney disease and renal failure.

The best way to consume the seeds is by rinsing them and then drying them (either in the sun, on some paper towel in the kitchen, or in a dehydrator set at no more than 50 degrees Celsius. Once they have dried, you can place them in a pepper grinder and use them as a pepper substitute. It’s a peppery taste at first, followed by a slightly bitter after taste, which you’ll get used to. You can also store these in the freezer and use them as you need them, or you can simply throw some of the wet seeds into a smoothie.

These seeds do come with a small warning. They are used by native tribes to prevent fertility. Research has shown that eating the seeds can reduce sperm production, without affecting libido. In terms of quantity, we’re talking here about taking a teaspoon of papaya seeds daily for three months. Studies on monkeys and rats showed no sperm production after 90 days of continuous seed consumption without any side effects. And when papaya seeds were removed from the diet, fertility returned to normal.