Papaya -- a tropical fruit which can be enjoyed raw or consumed as a refreshing juice -- is sometimes called the tree melon. Australians know it as the "pawpaw." By whatever name, papaya is a food that offers health benefits, including improved digestion. Thanks to an enzyme in papaya, it can soothe stomach upset caused by overeating, and may even help to treat ulcers. Consult your doctor before using papaya to treat indigestion.
Features
Papaya -- botanically known as Carica papaya -- is the fruit of a small tropical tree indigenous to Mexico and South America. The nutrient-rich flesh of the papaya is a vivid orange-pink, with a sweet, rich flavor, and contains papain, a proteolytic enzyme that promotes digestion. Papaya has been employed in traditional and herbal medicine to treat a myriad of ailments, including skin conditions such as warts, corns, ringworm and tumors; constipation; edema; rheumatism; and cancer. Green, or unripe, papaya contains more papain than the fully ripened fruit; herbalists and natural healers prescribe green papaya for acid indigestion and stomach ulcers. Papain is so effective at breaking down proteins that one of papaya's traditional uses is as a meat tenderizer.
Constituents and Effects
In addition to papain -- also called vegetable pepsin -- papaya contains protease inhibitors, alkaloids, beneficial flavonoids, saponins, tannins and anthraquinones. Papaya is high in vitamin C and is a good source of folate, carotene and magnesium. It is also high in dietary fiber, which can help prevent digestive diseases. Drugs.com credits papaya with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, as well as wound-healing abilities. Papaya also was shown to lower serum cholesterol and triglycerides -- or fats in the blood -- in animal studies.
Research
Not only does papaya aid the digestive system with its content of papain and fiber, but there is some animal research supporting its use as a treatment for gastric ulcers. In a clinical study published in 2009 in "Journals of Medicinal Food," researchers used indomethacin and ethanol to induce ulcers in rats, then administered extracts of unripe papaya. The extracts helped to alleviate the injuries, leading researchers to conclude that papaya may be useful in treating gastric ulcers.
Precautions
Papaya is generally recognized as safe by the FDA when consumed in normal dietary amounts. Drugs.com notes that papaya is unlikely to cause adverse effects, but adds that severe allergic reactions have been reported. Make sure you're not allergic to papaya before eating it to promote digestion. If you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, you should avoid papaya, especially if it is unripe or semi-ripe. There is anecdotal evidence that eating papaya for three days straight can have a contraceptive effect; Drugs.com advises that the use of papaya in pregnancy may be unsafe. For maximum papain intake, you can eat semi-ripe papaya; you can also buy papaya supplements online and in health food stores.
