The papaya is the fruit of the Carica papaya L. plant, a large, woody herb belonging to the Caricaeae family. In Australia, it is often commonly referred to as pawpaw, although this name is given to the unrelated fruit of the Asimina triloba elsewhere in the world. The papaya fruit itself is pear-shaped or rounded, somewhat melon-like, contains numerous small black seeds, can range from 0.5 to 10kg and measure 20 to 40cm, depending on variety. When ripe the fruit develops an orange exterior, and the flesh can be various shades of orange, pink or red. The ripe flesh has a distinct sweet, musky taste and a buttery, soft texture.
Just recently I came across an eye opening book by Barry Thomson “Join Our Escape From Death Row-Cancer Jail”, where he in a most genuine and generous ways shares valuable information and his knowledge in effective fight against cancer and ill health. Among other very interesting information I red about simple but wonderful papaya and its healing properties. One chapter in this book awoke in me more desire to learn and research as much as I possibly could as on a professional level I deal with people suffering many different health issues and aliments who look for alternative ways to help them. I would love to share what I know as I believe it can make difference in everyday life of many others. I am also hoping that this will prompt other people to share their knowledge about improving our general well being and health. (this book is further described in comment #100 below)
Papaya, Paw Paw, Papaw, Tree Melon (botanical name Carica Papaya), it has oblong shape, normally greenish yellow, yellow or orange color. It is a large tree plant fruit usually reaching 2.5kg. It has bitter sweet taste and comes from tropical places with higher humidity, native to Mexico, countries of Central America, Thailand, Africa and Asia and growing well in Australia.
Papaya Uses:
The papaya has been used medicinally and for culinary purposes for centuries in many parts of the world including Central America, India, South-east Asia, many islands of the South Pacific and parts of Africa. Different parts of both the papaya plant and fruit have been utilized to treat a variety of ailments and illnesses. The flowers are used to treat jaundice, the inner bark to numb sore teeth and the juice as a topical treatment for warts, cancers, tumours, corns and skin indurations. The ripe fruit is eaten to prevent rheumatism and reduce urine acidity.
The green fruit is ingested in large amounts as a contraceptive and to cause abortion. It is also used as a local antiseptic as well as a meat tenderiser. The fresh latex has been used externally to treat a wide range of skin conditions including boils, warts, freckles, cuts, rashes, stings, burns, psoriasis, ringworm and cancerous growths. It is given internally as a vermifuge and also as a cure for dyspepsia. It is also applied to the uterine mouth as an irritant to induce abortion.
The leaves are poulticed onto nervous pains and elephantoid growths. They are also dried and infused to make a tea which is used as a vermifuge, an amoebicide, a purgative, to prevent and treat malaria, and as a treatment for stomach troubles and genito-urinary ailments. The fresh leaves are also used as a primitive substitute for laundry soap.
The seeds are used to promote menstrual discharge, evacuate parasitic intestinal worms, as a counter-irritant and an alexeritic. The seeds are eaten as a contraceptive by men, and are said to quench thirst. They can also be ground and used as a substitute for pepper. The root of the papaya plant is said to cure piles and yaws and can be used to make salt. Root infusions and decoctions are used to expel round worms, treat syphilis and remove urine concretions. Sinapisms prepared from papaya root are used as treatment for uterine tumours and a mixture of ground papaya root, salt and water is given as an enema for abortion.
Benefits:
Liver Cancer:
Papaya juice has been seen to have an antiproliferative effect on liver cancer due to its lycopene content. A study on the ‘antiproliferative activity of pure lycopene compared to both extracted lycopene and juices from watermelon (Citrullus vulgaris) and papaya (Carica papaya) on human breast and liver cancer cell lines’ showed that papaya juice may have anticancer properties upon liver cancer (HepG2 cell line) and was found to cause 50% cell death of HepG2 cells at 20 mL mg-1.
Protection Against Heart Disease:
Papayas may be very helpful for the prevention of atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease due to their high concentration of anti-oxidant vitamins and phytonutrients, in particular vitamin C. According to a 2003 study by Alul et al., ‘vitamin C inhibits oxidative modification of LDL-cholesterol directly through free radical scavenging activity, according to in vitro data, and indirectly by increasing glutathione and vitamin E within cell membranes, which has been demonstrated against the pre-oxidant combination of homocysteine and iron.’
Promotes Digestive Health:
The nutrients folate, vitamin C, beta-carotene, and vitamin E in papaya are helpful in the prevention of colon cancer. These nutrients have been shown to provide synergistic protection for colon cells from free radical damage to their DNA. A 2005 study by Powers, H et al, demonstrated ‘improved response in patients with adenomatous polyps using a combination of 100ug of folate and 5mg riboflavin’. In addition, the fibre in papaya is able to bind to cancer-causing toxins in the colon and keep them away from the healthy colon cells.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects:
Papaya contains the unique protein-digesting enzymes papain and chymopapain, which have been shown to help lower inflammation and to improve healing from burns. The antioxidant nutrients found in papaya, including vitamin C, vitamins E, and beta-carotene, are also very good at reducing inflammation and the severity of diseases that are worsened by inflammation, such as asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. A 1996 study published in Nutrition, found that ‘Essential nutrients such as vitamins C and E may protect against oxidant-mediated inflammation and tissue damage by virtue of their ability to scavenge free radicals and by their ability to inhibit the activation of NF-kB (and possibly other oxidant-sensitive transcription factors).’
Immune Support:
Papaya is rich in both Vitamin C and beta-carotenes, which are utilised in the body to make vitamin A. Both vitamins are needed for the proper function of a healthy immune system, which will help prevent illnesses such as recurrent ear infections, colds and flu. In vivo and in vitro studies compiled by Hendler et al, show that ‘Vitamin C favourably modulates lymphocytes and phagocytes, regulates NK cells and can influence antibody and cytokine synthesis under certain situations’.
Protection against Macular Degeneration:
The anti-oxidant vitamins A, C, and E, and carotenoids in fruits such as papaya, have been found to be protective against the onset and progression of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) and the more severe neovascular ARMD. These findings were reported in a study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology (Cho E, Seddon JM, et al.), which indicated that eating 3 or more servings of fruit per day may lower your risk of ARMD by 36%, compared to persons who consume less than 1.5 servings of fruit daily. Anti-oxidant rich fruits were shown to be far more effective in this respect, than anti-oxidant rich vegetables or anti-oxidant supplementation.
Protection against Rheumatoid Arthritis:
Papaya and other vitamin C-rich foods have been found to provide humans with protection against inflammatory polyarthritis (a form of rheumatoid arthritis which affects two or more joints). A study presented in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (Pattison DJ, et al.), of more than 20,000 subjects showed those who consumed the lowest amounts of vitamin C-rich foods were more than three times more likely to develop arthritis than those who consumed the highest amounts.
Promote Lung Health:
A series of studies conducted by Baybutt, R et al. found that a common carcinogen in cigarette smoke, benzo(a)pyrene, induces vitamin A deficiency, which is associated with lung inflammation, and emphysema. Vitamin A-rich foods, such as papaya, can help counter this effect, and greatly reduce risk of emphysema in smokers and those who are exposed to second-hand smoke.
Prevention of Prostate Cancer:
Research published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Jian L, Lee AH, et al.) shows that regularly eating lycopene-rich fruits, such as papaya, and drinking green tea can reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer in men. In this case-control study involving 130 prostate cancer patients and 274 hospital controls it was found that ‘regular consumption of both green tea and foods rich in lycopene resulted in a synergistic protective effect, stronger than the protection afforded by either’.
Antibiotic Activity:
Extracts of ripe and unripe papaya fruits and of the seeds have been found to be active against gram-positive bacteria, and in strong doses against gram-negative bacteria. Studies at the University of Nigeria have revealed that ‘the fresh crushed seeds yield the aglycone of glucotropaeolin benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) which is bacteriostatic, bactericidal and fungicidal. A single effective does is 4-5 g seeds (25-30 mg BITC)’.
