Living in wellbeing is possible only when you are able to bring a balance to the various activities of your life that includes good food, good exercise, peaceful mind and more. Eating healthy food is very essential and for this, including colorful fruits of different varieties is mandatory. Papaya is a fruit that is filled with a lot of benefits that your body is in need of. It is actually a Mexican fruit. It is an exotic fruit that has nutrients in it. It is extremely nutritious, helps in the digestion of food and also has a lot of medicinal properties. It is believed to have originated in Central Americas.
Papaya belongs to the family Carica Papaya. The papaya tree belongs to the Caricaceae family. The papaya tree has fruit that is somewhat pear shaped and comes in a wide variety of sizes. It mostly weighs around a pound. The seeds inside the papaya are black in color and look like peppercorn. The central part consists of a hollow cavity. The flesh of the papaya is very soft and orange in color.
Health Benefits of Papaya
The health benefits of papaya are many. Though it is a common fruit in tropical areas, the innumerable benefits are not known to the majority of the people. Let us check some of its benefits right here.
- Papaya is low in calories. It does not have cholesterol. It has a sumptuous amount of minerals, phytonutrients and vitamins.
- The flesh of the fruit is very soft and is very easy to digest. Plenty of dietary fiber is available in Papaya and it is very good for our stomach and intestines. This helps in easing the bowel movements. People who suffer from constipation should try to consume papaya on a regular basis to avoid constipation.
- Plenty of Vitamin C is present in Ripe Papaya Fruit. It has vitamin C in large quantity than in lemons and oranges. Vitamin C is very important in boosting our immunity, provides anti inflammations and even acts as a free radical scavenger.
- Papaya has potassium and calcium in it. This helps to maintain the cells and the body fluids, thus helping in controlling the heart rate as well as the blood pressure.
- It is a good source of B-Complex vitamins like riboflavin, pyridoxine and thiamin.
- The fruit is a good source of Vitamin A as well as various flavonoids such as B-Carotene, Cryptoxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin. Healthy mucosa is very essential for the well being of the body. For this, vitamin A is extremely essential. Vitamin A is also the main ingredient necessary for a healthy eyesight. So it is advised that kids should give papaya on a regular basis.
- The seeds of papaya to have a lot of medicinal value. It can cure a lot of ailments. These seeds make use of for application as an anti inflammatory, analgesic. Anti parasitic, used for the treatment of infections caused due to ring worms and also for treating stomach ache.
Storage of the fruit
Harvested mature papaya skin, usually turns into yellow color as the process of ripening continues. Papayas can ripen right on the tree. But care should be taken to pick it before it is too ripe, as it will fall on the ground and will not be good to eat. While buying papaya from the stores, make sure to by intact skinned ones without any injury.
Serving the Fruit
You can peel the skin and consume it. Do not consume the skin as it is very bitter. Remove the skin using a peeler, cut into halves and remove the seeds with your fingers. Cut it lengthwise or you can cube them out. It is a good ingredient of fruit salads. You can also make shakes, salsa and sorbets with papaya. Raw papaya can be cooked and consumed or it can be picked.
You stay healthy when you eat the right food. Papaya is one such fruit that can make you healthy and strong, and can also help you stay away from a lot of infections.
