Papaya Nutritional Values, Benefits and Side Effects

Papaya Nutritional Values, Benefits and
Side Effects

Probably, papaya is native to Central America. The papaya is a melon like
fruit with yellow-orange flesh enclosed in a thin skin that varies in color
from green to orange to rose. Today papaya can be found all year long
with the peak season being early summer and fall. Most of the papayas
imported come from Hawaii, but smaller quantities from Florida, California,
Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Central and South American countries are
becoming more available.

Look for papayas that are partly or completely yellow in color. Papayas
that are hard and green are immature and will not ripen properly. Uncut
papayas have no smell. Papayas that are cut should smell sweet, not bad
or fermented. Slightly green papayas will ripen quickly at room
temperature, especially if placed in a paper bag. As the papaya ripens, it
will turn from green to yellow. Place ripe papayas in a plastic bag and
store in the refrigerator. Papayas will keep for up to a week, but it's best
to use them within a day or two.

There are two types of papayas, the Hawaiian and Mexican. The
Hawaiian varieties also known as Solo papayas, are found most often in
supermarkets. These fruits are pear shaped, weigh about a pound each,
and have yellow skin when ripe. The flesh is bright orange or pinkish,
depending on the variety. The Mexican varieties are not as common but
can be found in Latino supermarkets. Mexican papayas are much larger
then the Hawaiian types and can weigh up to 20 pounds and be more
than 15 inches long. Although the flavor is less intense than the Hawaiian
varieties, they are still delicious and enjoyable.

NUTRITIONAL FACTS ABOUT PAPAYA
Papayas are a rich source of vitamin A and C. One half of a small papaya
can provide 150% of the recommended dietary intake of Vitamin C. It is
low in calories, fat free, cholesterol free, and a good source of potassium,
folate, and fiber.

USE OF PAPAYA
The papaya enzyme called papain, is used as a meat tenderizer. It
breaks down tough meat fibers. Its use is nothing new. South American
cooks have been using papaya to tenderize meat for ages. It is sold as a
component in powdered meat tenderizer available in most supermarkets.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF PAPAYA

Consumption of papaya may cut risk of certain cancers.

Researchers conducted a study of 165 cases to evaluate the role of diet
in gallbladder carcinogenesis. They found that consumption of radish,
green chilli, sweet potato, mango, orange, melon, papaya, cruciferous
vegetables, beans, onion and turnip are linked with low risk of
gallbladder cancer. [3]

Papaya is a good source of nutrients and some phyto-chemicals such as
beta-cryptoxanthin and benzyl isothiocyanates. It is believed that these
phytochemicals may offer benefits on certain chronic conditions such as
cancers.
Dietary tocopherols and carotenoids have been believed to cut risks of
certain cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Researchers observed that
subjects that frequently consumed papaya, tangerine, orange or
watermelon had high plasma beta-cryptoxanthin concentrations. [2]

In vitro studies, isothiocyanates induced apoptosis in various cancer cell
lines and experimental rodents via modulation of multiple
signal-transduction pathways and apoptosis intermediates. Recently,
Japanese researchers recently has shown the benzyl isothiocyanate
extracted from papaya could also induce toxicity more preferentially in the
proliferating human colon epithelial cells than in the quiescent cells. [1]

Other possible benefits of papaya

Researchers suggested the use of Carica papaya to treat symptoms
related to venous and lymphatic vessel insufficiency, and other
free-radicals conditions. [4,6] Fruit juice of Carica papaya demonstrates
blood pressure lowering activities via alpha-adrenoceptor route in a study
of mice. [5]

Side effects of Papaya Consumption
Though marketers suggest that papaya consumption lowers high
cholesterol levels, researchers actually noticed a significant increase of
plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride level after four weeks of
excessive papaya consumptions in a study. [7] Definitely, more studies
are needed to confirm this observation.

THIS ARTICLE IS FOR YOUR REFERENCE ONLY. YOU SHOULD CONSULT WITH YOUR
DOCTOR FOR ANY QUESTION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2008 ZHION

REFERENCE
[1] Nakamura Y, Miyoshi N. Cell death induction by isothiocyanates and their
underlying molecular mechanisms. Biofactors. 2006;26(2):123-34. [2] Irwig MS, et
al, Frequent intake of tropical fruits that are rich in beta-cryptoxanthin is associated
with higher plasma beta-cryptoxanthin concentrations in Costa Rican adolescents. J
Nutr. 2002 Oct;132(10):3161-7. [3] Pandey M, Shukla VK. Diet and gallbladder
cancer: a case-control study. Eur J Cancer Prev. 2002 Aug;11(4):365-8. [4]
Savickiene N, et al, Importance of biologically active components and plants in the
prevention of complications of diabetes mellitusMedicina (Kaunas).
2002;38(10):970-5. [5] Eno AE, Owo OI, Itam EH, Konya RS. Blood pressure
depression by the fruit juice of Carica papaya (L.) in renal and DOCA-induced
hypertension in the rat. Phytother Res. 2000 Jun;14(4):235-9. [6] Imao K, Wang
H, Komatsu M, Hiramatsu M. Free radical scavenging activity of fermented papaya
preparation and its effect on lipid peroxide level and superoxide dismutase activity
in iron-induced epileptic foci of rats. Biochem Mol Biol Int. 1998 Jun;45(1):11-23.
[7] Rahmat A, Abu Bakar MF, Faezah N, Hambali Z. The effects of consumption of
guava (psidium guajava) or papaya (carica papaya) on total antioxidant and lipid
profile in normal male youth. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2004;13(Suppl):S106.