Papaya juice is a tasty juice with some surprising health benefits. The leaves and seeds have their own unique health benefits including being anti-parasitic.
Health Benefits of Fresh Papaya Fruit
- aids digestion, contains enzyme papain (papaya enzyme) which helps digest protein
- can act as a mild diuretic and contains soluble fiber so aids constipation
- reduces blood cholesterol
- contains more vitamin C than an orange, vitamin A, potassium, folate, lutein and zeaxanthin
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Papaya Fruit
Nature : neutral, used to expel wind-dampness
Actions: aids digestion, reduces worm in the intestines, aids irritability, strengthens stomach and spleen, clears summer heat, lubricates lungs, stops cough.
Conditions: indigestion, intestinal worms, coughing, stomach pains, skin lesions and eczema.
Health Benefits of The Papaya Seeds
- anti-parasitic, helps eliminate worms from the body
- help support liver health, many have reported the seeds taken daily for a month helps improve liver function for those with liver cirrhosis
What to Do With Papaya Seeds?
Make papaya seed tea or chew a teaspoonful with honey… it tastes terrible if chewed without honey but with you can swallow it. Papaya seeds are said to have anti-parasitic properties and help rid the body of worms. Most of the time papaya tea is made with the leaves, but can be made with the seeds as well. The grounds (ground up seeds) can be brewed like coffee or steeped to make tea. The seeds can be left to sun dry on a paper towel or put in a dehydrator and used as Papaya Pepper (in a pepper grinder). They have a taste that can be described as a mix between peppercorn and mustard with a bit of a tangy middle.
Papaya Leaves, Potent Health Benefits
The more potent medicinal properties of papaya seem to be in the leaves and seeds. To buy the leaves you’d likely have to visit a health food store or find online. Many of the reported anti-cancer properties come from extracts from the leaf and tea made from the leaves and possibly stem; A study was published concluding that Papaya Leaf Extract and Papaya Leaf Tea have “dramatic cancer-fighting properties against a broad range of tumors” (from the Journal of Ethnopharmacology). This work is being further carried out by University of Florida researcher Nam Dang and colleagues in Japan.
How To Make Fresh Papaya Juice
Rinse and scrub fruit to clean. Slice fruit lengthwise, remove seeds and store in bowl. Then slice lengthwise again and remove flesh from the skin (peel). It’s ok to eat or juice the peel along with the flesh but it has a bitter taste.
The flesh can be put through a juicer or if you don”t have a juicer blend it into a puree. Add ice to chill. It has a thick texture so is best mixed with orange juice for a more drinkable texture and tangy and sweet taste. This raw juice can be mixed with
- coconut milk or water
- orange juice (best)
- carrot juice
- pineapple juice
Other Papaya Info
Side effects/contraindications: There are a few things to keep an eye on with papaya. Pregnant women shouldn’t consume green papaya, or papaya in medicinal amounts (as pregnant women should not take papain), also safety while breastfeeding is not known. Papain allergy, latex allergy. Papaya appears safe when taken in normal food amounts.
Conclusion, Papaya Fruit, Seeds and Leaves
Juicing fresh papaya at home makes a healthy and tasty addition to the juicing routine.
