The amazing health benefits of papaya are practically visible. Just looking at the rich yellow color you know that it must be chock full of vitamin A, and you'd be right. It's more than just a vitamin A vessel, it also contains B vitamins like thiamin, riboflavin and niacin and Vitamin C as well.

The papaya also has many minerals necessary for good health. What a great way to get calcium, iron, phosphorus and potassium. It's more than just a list of vitamins because it has other properties that make it the "food of the angels", as noted by Christopher Columbus when he first encountered it.


Papaya contains substances that help you digest your food. The digestive enzyme, papain, is similar to bromelain from the pineapple. Both are good for digestion and both reduce inflammation so they're perfect for sports related injuries.

The papain and chymopapain, another component of papaya, are also beneficial in the treatment of burns. The papaya enzyme, however, resembles the pepsin of the stomach more closely. The healing doesn't stop here but instead it just gets better.

This remarkable fruit digests easily, yet the fiber in it is a gentle remedy for constipation.The vitamin C, beta-carotene, vitamin E and folate found in the papaya also fight colon cancer. It actually binds to the cancer cells in the colon and gently whisks them out with the rest of the waste.

In some countries, the seed of the papaya is ground and used like black pepper is in America but it also has a use as a remedy for upset stomach, mucous and fever. The juice of this remarkable fruit also clears infection in the colon if it touches mucous or pus, it clears it away.

The papaya is so rich in vitamins and minerals that in 1992 the Center for Science in Public Interest, a group that does nutritional studies, studied over 40 fruits. They used a point system for not just the vitamins in the fruit but also the fiber and potassium. They ranked the papaya as the highest. Cantaloupe, strawberries, oranges and tangerines followed it.

The papaya is also beneficial in the prevention of heart disease in diabetics and atherosclerosis. It's because of the vitamin A, C and E and their antioxidant properties. It also reduces cholesterol because it prevents its oxidation. The oxidation of cholesterol changes it so it's able to cling to vessel walls. The paraoxonase found in papaya is responsible for this. The papaya is also a good source of fiber and fiber reduces cholesterol levels.

Since the papaya reduces inflammation, many arthritis victims find it benefits them. The beta-cryptoxanthin, similar to beta-carotene is one reason. An average size papaya contains 2313 mcg of this ingredient.

Studies found that its consumption reduced the potential of rheumatoid arthritis by as much as 41 per cent. The beta-cryptoxanthin also shows that it may prove to reduce the incidence of lung cancer. The anti-oxidant effects are part of it but also it encourages a gene that protects the body from cancer cells.

The amazing health benefits of papaya also include a protection against cataracts according to one ten year scientific study. The best thing about the papaya, however is that it's delicious. This tasty fruit has so many benefits, you'd almost expect to taste like medicine. Instead, you get a sweet delicious fruit and a daily dose of nutrients at the same time.

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