Papaya, a tropical fruit, is a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients and makes a tasty and juicy snack. The nutritional value of this fruit may be a good choice for decreasing your risk of colon cancer. Consult with your oncologist to determine the best course of action for preventing this type of cancer, but adding papaya to your diet may serve as a beneficial complement to traditional medicine.
Isothiocyanates
Isothiocyanates come from the breakdown of glucosinolates, compounds that are often found in fruits and vegetables. A study published in the 2009 edition of the journal "Forum of Nutrition" indicates that isothiocyanates present in papayas may reduce your risk of colon cancer through the inhibition of cancer cell growth and development. Because the research was carried out in a laboratory setting, human studies are needed to confirm the findings.
Vitamin C
Papaya is a source of vitamin C, containing 88.3 mg per cup. This meets your entire daily need if you are a woman and close to the amount you need if you are a man. In both cases, eating papaya may decrease your risk of colon cancer. Research featured in the March 2011 issue of "BMB Reports" notes that exposing colon cancer cells in a laboratory to vitamin C increased cell death, also known as apoptosis. Additional research is needed on humans to prove vitamin C's usefulness for this purpose.
Folate
The folate in papaya may provide a chemoprotective effect against colon cancer. Evidence in the August 2011 issue of "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" suggests that foods containing folate may be good for cancer prevention. Researchers polled more than 500,000 patients over the age of 50 about their dietary intake. Those who ate higher quantities of folate had a lower incidence of colon cancer. A 1-cup serving of papaya has 54 mcg of folate, and the daily recommended intake of this vitamin stands at 400 mcg.
Vitamin B-6
Papaya introduces a small amount of vitamin B-6 into your diet -- 0.05 mg -- which may influence your risk of colon cancer. You need 1.3 mg of this vitamin each day for basic health, although the amount needed to prevent cancer may vary. A study published in the April 2011 issue of "Molecular Nutrition and Food Research" correlates vitamin B-6 consumption with inhibition of colon cancer cell growth in rats. More research is needed to confirm this finding in humans.
References
- Linus Pauling Institute; Isothiocyanates; J. Higdon, Ph.D., et al.; September 2005
- "Forum of Nutrition"; Chemoprevention by Isothiocyanates; Y. Nakamura; 2009
- USDA National Nutrient Database: Papayas, Raw
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid); June 2009
- "BMB Reports"; Vitamin C Increases the Apoptosis Via Up-Regulation p53 During Cisplatin Treatment in Human Colon Cancer Cells; S.H. An, et al.; March 2011
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Pre- and Postfortification Intake of Folate and Risk of Colorectal Cancer in a Large Prospective Cohort Study in the United States; T.M. Gibson, et al.; August 2011
