Papayas are one of nature’s most generous gifts to the world. They’re delicious, easy to eat, and good for your health, too! While this tropical fruit often goes overlooked, papayas have an array of great benefits that you should know about. Let’s look at some of the health benefits of this sweet, flavorful fruit.
How to Tell if a Papaya is Ripe
In order to fully enjoy a papaya, it is important to select one that is ripe and ready to eat. Papayas have a soft texture and a sweet flavor similar to melons when ripe, but will taste crunchy and bland if unripe.
In order to tell if a papaya is ripe, look for one that’s yellow and not green. The skin should be soft to touch. If it feels hard, give it a few days to ripen.
The fruit should also be heavy for its size, and have a sweet smell. Look for signs of bruising or blemishes on the fruit and avoid those ones as they can harbor bacteria.
Where to Find Papayas
Papayas are grown in warm climates and are available year-round. They can be found at grocery stores, farmer’s markets, and specialty stores such as Whole Foods Market.
Health Benefits of Papaya
- Papaya helps to decrease inflammation in the body.
Papaya is a great source of vitamins A and C, both of which are essential for proper immune function. Vitamin A plays an important role in the prevention of inflammation by acting as an antioxidant. Papaya also contains the enzyme papain, which aids in digestion and helps to break down protein molecules into smaller amino acids that can be absorbed more easily by the body.
- Eating papaya may help protect your eyesight.
Papaya is a good source of lutein and zeaxanthin, two carotenoids that have been shown to be protective against age-related macular degeneration. Lutein and zeaxanthin are found in high concentrations in the retina, which is responsible for vision. Vitamin A is also essential for maintaining healthy vision, so eating papaya can help ensure you’re getting enough of it.
The yellow pigment found in papaya indicates the presence of these carotenoids that can help prevent degenerative eye diseases like macular degeneration or cataracts.
- The high antioxidant content of papaya may help prevent cancer.
Antioxidants are compounds that help to protect cells from damage. Papaya has a high content of antioxidants, which may help to prevent cancer.
The vitamin C and beta-carotene in papaya are both important antioxidants. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps the body to fight infections and promotes healing after an injury or operation. Beta-carotene is another type of antioxidant known as a carotenoid that gives papayas their orange color.
- Papaya can help improve cardiovascular health.
The high antioxidant levels in papaya are extremely beneficial for your heart. According to Healthline, these special chemicals protect your body from free radicals and help reduce inflammation.
The high vitamin C level of papaya also helps to improve cardiovascular health, and it works wonders by boosting immunity! Vitamin C helps build up your immune system so you have a better chance of fighting off colds and infections when they come around, which can prevent the progression of many illnesses.
Papaya also contains high levels of potassium, a mineral that has been shown to lower blood pressure levels while lowering cholesterol levels as well; thus helping improve cardiovascular health over time too!
- Papayas can help promote digestive health.
Papaya is known for its digestive health benefits. The enzyme papain, found in papayas, helps to break down proteins and fats in the body. It also promotes healthy digestion by helping to eliminate toxins and cleanse the intestinal tract.
Papaya can be a good source of fiber, which supports digestive health. Additionally, pectin has been shown to be beneficial in maintaining regularity due to its ability to absorb water throughout your digestive system as well as help reduce cholesterol levels, because it prevents cholesterol from being absorbed into the bloodstream.
- Papayas may reduce asthma symptoms.
Vitamin C can help reduce inflammation and asthma symptoms by protecting body tissue from damage caused by free radicals. It’s also an immune system booster and plays a role in the formation of collagen, a protein that keeps skin firm and smooth. Collagen is good for the lungs and can also help suppress allergies.
The Vitamin E content in papaya also helps fight against inflammation, so it may help improve asthma symptoms as well.
Health Benefits of Papaya: Final Thoughts
Papayas are available all year round, and are an excellent addition to your daily diet as a snack or with a meal. They can be eaten fresh and the sweet, refreshing flavor will make you feel as if you’re in the tropics, even on a winter day. If you’re looking for a tasty way to get more fruits in your diet, try making papaya part of your regular eating routine.
As you eat papaya and other fresh produce, download the Lil’ Broc app in order to track and monitor the freshness of your produce in order to ensure that it is all eaten while fresh.