Benefits Of Papaya For Skin, Hair And Health
Benefits Of Papaya For Skin, Hair And Health
Papaya is available throughout the year. It has a delicious sweet taste with a soft butter like consistency. This pear-shaped fruit is usually 7 inches long. The inside flesh is rich orange in colour with a slight shade of pink or yellow. Papaya has a lot of hidden benefits for skin, health and hair. Not just the fruit itself, but other parts of papaya also are very beneficial. Like ‘Papain’ commonly known as papaya enzyme is helpful in digesting proteins. It is extracted from the tree and the fruit to make dietary supplements, and is also used as a major ingredient in some chewing gums.
Skin Benefits Of Papaya:
Papaya, which is rich in so many healthy components, is best for skin care as it promises and works to provide you with healthy and glowing skin.
1. Being a good source of Vitamin A and Papain, this fruit helps in removing dead skin cells along with breaking down the inactive proteins.
2. The best feature of papaya is its ‘Low Sodium Quality’, thus resulting in very little retention of water. In simple words it means, it helps you keep your skin hydrated.
3. Papaya is actually a wholesome fruit as it contains more Carotene when compared to other fruits like apple, custard apple, guava and plantains. Not being an expensive fruit, papaya is a common man’s fruit which is beneficial in many ways.
4. The application of finely grounded paste of raw papaya on the face for 25 minutes helps reduce those unwanted pimples and other embarrassing blemishes on the face.
5. Both, direct application and eating will help you achieve smooth, supple and soft skin.
6. Regular consumption or application of papaya also provides shine to the skin, which comes from within and is long lasting.
7. The mashed papaya can be used for treating the sore and cracked heels.
8. Papaya also acts as a natural skin exfoliator.
9. Application of papaya also helps in removing skin discoloration.
10. The peel of papaya can not only be used on the face, but it can also be used for whitening the legs.
11. The use of raw papaya helps you treating the ringworms as well. You just need to rub some slices of raw papaya on the ringworm patches and see reduced inflammation.
12. Papaya helps the skin by reducing the aging signs on the face.
How to Use:
Protection Against Heart Disease
Papayas may be very helpful for the prevention of atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease. Papayas are an excellent source of the powerful antioxidants vitamin C and vitamin A (through their concentration of pro-vitamin A carotenoid phytonutrients).
These nutrients help prevent the oxidation of cholesterol. Only when cholesterol becomes oxidized is it able to stick to and build up in blood vessel walls, forming dangerous plaques that can eventually cause heart attacks or strokes. One way in which dietary vitamin E and vitamin C may exert this effect is through their suggested association with a compound called paraoxonase, an enzyme that inhibits LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol oxidation.
Papayas are also a good source of fiber, which has been shown to lower high cholesterol levels. The folic acid found in papayas is needed for the conversion of a substance called homocysteine into benign amino acids such as cysteine or methionine. If unconverted, homocysteine can directly damage blood vessel walls and, if levels get too high, is considered a significant risk factor for a heart attack or stroke.
Promotes Digestive Health
The nutrients in papaya have also been shown to be helpful in the prevention of colon cancer. Papaya's fiber is able to bind to cancer-causing toxins in the colon and keep them away from the healthy colon cells. In addition, papaya's folate, vitamin C, beta-carotene, and vitamin E have each been associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer.
These nutrients provide synergistic protection for colon cells from free radical damage to their DNA. Increasing your intake of these nutrients by enjoying papaya is an especially good idea for individuals at risk of colon cancer.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects
Papaya contains several unique protein-digesting enzymes including papain andchymopapain. These enzymes have been shown to help lower inflammation and to improve healing from burns. In addition, the antioxidant nutrients found in papaya, including vitamin C and beta-carotene, are also very good at reducing inflammation. This may explain why people with diseases that are worsened by inflammation, such as asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis, find that the severity of their condition is reduced when they get more of these nutrients.
Immune Support
Vitamin C and vitamin A, which is made in the body from the beta-carotene in papaya, are both needed for the proper function of a healthy immune system. Papaya may therefore be a healthy fruit choice for preventing such illnesses as recurrent ear infections, colds and flu.
Protection against Macular Degeneration
Your mother may have told you carrots would keep your eyes bright as a child, but as an adult, it looks like fruit is even more important for keeping your sight. Data reported in a study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology indicates that eating 3 or more servings of fruit per day may lower your risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary cause of vision loss in older adults, by 36%, compared to persons who consume less than 1.5 servings of fruit daily. In this study, which involved over 110,000 women and men, researchers evaluated the effect of study participants' consumption of fruits; vegetables; the antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E; and carotenoids on the development of early ARMD or neovascular ARMD, a more severe form of the illness associated with vision loss. While, surprisingly, intakes of vegetables, antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids were not strongly related to incidence of either form of ARMD, fruit intake was definitely protective against the severe form of this vision-destroying disease. Three servings of fruit may sound like a lot to eat each day, but papaya can help you reach this goal. Add slices of fresh papaya to your morning cereal, lunch time yogurt or green salads. Cut a papaya in half and fill with cottage cheese, crab, shrimp or tuna salad. For an elegant meal, place slices of fresh papaya over any broiled fish.
Protection against Rheumatoid Arthritis
While one study suggests that high doses of supplemental vitamin C makes osteoarthritis, a type of degenerative arthritis that occurs with aging, worse in laboratory animals, another indicates that vitamin C-rich foods, such as papaya, provide humans with protection against inflammatory polyarthritis, a form of rheumatoid arthritis involving two or more joints.
The findings, presented in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases were drawn from a study of more than 20,000 subjects and focused on subjects who developed inflammatory polyarthritis and similar subjects who remained arthritis-free during the follow-up period. Subjects 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.
Papaya and Green Tea Team Up to Prevent Prostate Cancer
Choosing to regularly eat lycopene-rich fruits, such as papaya, and drink green tea may greatly reduce a man's risk of developing prostate cancer, suggests research published theAsia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Jian L, Lee AH, et al.)
In this case-control study involving 130 prostate cancer patients and 274 hospital controls, men drinking the most green tea were found to have an 86% reduced risk of prostate cancer compared, to those drinking the least.
A similar inverse association was found between the men's consumption of lycopene-rich fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, apricots, pink grapefruit, watermelon, papaya, and guava. Men who most frequently enjoyed these foods were 82% less likely to have prostate cancer compared to those consuming the least lycopene-rich foods.
Regular consumption of both green tea and foods rich in lycopene resulted in a synergistic protective effect, stronger than the protection afforded by either, the researchers also noted.
Practical Tips: Get in the habit of drinking green tea and eating lycopene-rich foods.
- Take a quart of iced green tea to work and sip throughout the day or take it to the gym to provide prostate protection while replenishing fluids after your workout.
- Pack a ziploc bag of apricots and almonds in your briefcase or gym bag for a handy snack.
- Start your breakfast with a half grapefruit or a glass of papaya or guava juice.
- Add papaya to any smoothie or fruit salad or use as a delectable garnish for fish.
- For a delicious summer lunch, cut a papaya in half, scoop out the seeds, sprinkle with lime juice and top with cottage cheese, a fresh mint leaf, and roasted almonds.
- Begin lunch or dinner with some spicy tomato juice on the rocks with a twist of lime. Snack on tomato crostini: in the oven, toast whole wheat bread till crusty, then top with tomato sauce, herbs, a little grated cheese, and reheat until the cheese melts.
- Top whole wheat pasta with olive oil, pine nuts, feta cheese and a rich tomato sauce for lunch or dinner.
Description
Papayas are fruits that remind us of the tropics, the regions of the world in which they are grown. Once considered an exotic fruit, papayas' rise in popularity has made them much more available.
Papayas are spherical or pear-shaped fruits that can be as long as 20 inches. The ones commonly found in the market usually average about 7 inches and weigh about one pound. Their flesh is a rich orange color with either yellow or pink hues.
Papaya has a wonderfully soft, butter-like consistency and a deliciously sweet, musky taste. Inside the inner cavity of the fruit are black, round seeds encased in a gelatinous-like substance. Papaya's seeds are edible, although their peppery flavor is somewhat bitter.
The fruit, as well as the other parts of the papaya tree, contain papain, an enzyme that helps digest proteins. This enzyme is especially concentrated in the fruit when it is unripe. Papain is extracted to make digestive enzyme dietary supplements and is also used as an ingredient in some chewing gums.
Hair Benefits Of Papaya:
Apart from amazing skin care benefits, papaya is also useful when it comes to hair care. According to hair care professionals, the benefits of papaya for hair can be gained by eating the fruit regularly or by the regular use of hair care products containing papaya as its major ingredients. Papaya can also help in creating the volume by nourishing the hair shaft. Other papaya benefits for hair are listed below:
1. Rich in nutrients, papaya may help prevent balding, thus helping boost growth and strength of the hair.
2. Papaya is also used for controlling dandruff.
3. Add papaya to your daily diet to help reduce hair thinning. Although no scientific evidence has been derived with this theory, but still many people have tried and found it worthy. Results may vary from individual to individual.
4. Papaya being rich in minerals, vitamins and enzymes also helps in removing the dirt, oil and chemical build up from the hair in a very safe way.
4. Papaya being rich in minerals, vitamins and enzymes also helps in removing the dirt, oil and chemical build up from the hair in a very safe way.
5. Papaya leaf extracts can be used as a conditioner for adding shine to dull, unruly and lifeless hair.
6. Using of papaya hair mask can result into thick, strong, shiny and healthy hair.
How to Use:
This papaya hair mask will help you add thickness, strength and shine to your hair.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Now that we have seen how Papaya is beneficial for the hair, lets discuss about the medicinal uses and how it helps cure many problems.
Health Benefits Of Papaya:
Papaya benefits are not just limited to skin and hair care. Several researches conducted on papaya also showed a lot of its medicinal properties. Many scientists have successfully concluded that papaya is beneficial for health related problems and some diseases too. Let’s find out what else papaya can do other than benefiting skin and hair.
1. Papaya acts as an antidote for hypertension. This is one of the most popular health benefits of papaya. The rich amount of potassium in papaya helps keeping the blood pressure in check along with improving the mental alertness.
2. Another of the most important papaya health benefit is that can help improve eyesight. Consuming 3 or more servings per day may keep your eyesight normal, along with improving and lowering the primary cause of vision loss in older adults.
3. Papaya also helps in boosting the immunity system of our body. The presence of Beta-carotene in papaya is required for the proper functioning and boosting of the immune system.
4. Papaya also prevents the body from recurrent ear infections, cold and flu.
5. Papaya also provides protection against heart diseases. As it is rich in nutrients too, it helps in preventing the oxidation of cholesterol, which helps preventing the cause of heart attacks or strokes.
6. Papaya can also heal external wounds. The pulp of this fruit can be applied directly on the wounds.
7. Papaya is also able to cure chronic ulcers on skins. All you need to do is to take papaya juice and mix some butter in it. Apply it on the affected area for quick drying and healing of long standing ulcers.
8. If one suffers from respiratory disorders like cough, bronchitis and breathlessness, then papaya can be helpful as it contains latex which is useful in the respiratory disorders.
9. Papaya despite being sweet in taste is also good for diabetic patients.
10. Papaya can also help you from cancer. Papaya’s fiber is able to bind to cancer-causing toxins in the colon, thus keeping them from harming healthy colon cells.
So we saw how papaya is good for health too. Till now we were talking about the papaya fruit, ripe papaya, mashed papaya and papaya peels. Now we will discuss about the benefits of its juice and also find out how it is helpful to us.
How to Select and Store
If you want to eat them within a day of purchase, choose papayas that have reddish-orange skin and are slightly soft to the touch. Those that have patches of yellow color will take a few more days to ripen.
Papayas that are totally green or overly hard should not be purchased, unless you are planning on cooking them, or unless you want to use green papayas in a cold dish like an Asian salad, as their flesh will not develop its characteristic sweet juicy flavor.
While a few black spots on the surface will not affect the papaya's taste, avoid those that are bruised or overly soft. Papayas are more available during the summer and fall; however, you can usually purchase them throughout the year.
Papayas that are partially yellow should be left at room temperature where they will ripen in a few days. If you want to speed this process, place them in a paper bag with a banana. Ripe papayas should be stored in the refrigerator and consumed within one or two days, so you can enjoy their maximum flavor.
Principle
|
Nutrient Value
|
Percentage of RDA
|
| Energy | 39 Kcal | 2% |
| Carbohydrates | 9.81 g | 7.5% |
| Protein | 0.61 g | 1% |
| Total Fat | 0.14 g | 0.5% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.80 g | 4.5% |
Vitamins
| ||
| Folates | 38 µg | 9.5% |
| Niacin | 0.338 mg | 2% |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.218 mg | 4% |
| Pyridoxine | 0.019 mg | 1.5% |
| Riboflavin | 0.032 mg | 2.5% |
| Thiamin | 0.027 mg | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 1094 IU | 36% |
| Vitamin C | 61.8 mg | 103% |
| Vitamin E | 0.73 mg | 5% |
| Vitamin K | 2.6 µg | 2% |
Electrolytes
| ||
| Sodium | 3 mg | 0% |
| Potassium | 257 mg | 5% |
Minerals
| ||
| Calcium | 24 mg | 2.5% |
| Iron | 0.10 mg | 1% |
| Magnesium | 10 mg | 2.5% |
| Phosphorus | 5 mg | 1% |
| Zinc | 0.07 mg | 0.5% |
Phyto-nutrients
| ||
| Carotene-ß | 276 µg | – |
| Crypto-xanthin-ß | 761 µg | – |
| Lutein-zeaxanthin | 75 µg | – |
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