Papayas (Carica Papaya L.) are fruits that grow year-round in tropical places. They are easy to grow and inexpensive when local. Papayas can be eaten in a variety of ways. The flesh of the ripe fruit ranges in color from orange to pink and can be eaten raw. Unripe green fruit can be cooked and used in curry, salad or jelly. Both ripe and unripe papaya are a good source of some important vitamins. According to a study published by C. Miller in the "Journal of Biochemistry," titled The Vitamins (A, B, and C) of Papaya, the papaya is "only a fair source of vitamin B, a good source of vitamin A, and an excellent source of vitamin C. It also contains fair amounts of vitamins E and K.
Vitamin C
The vitamin most prevalent in papaya fruit is vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid. A single serving of papaya (1 cup) provides 144 percent of your Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of this vitamin. Papaya even contains more vitamin C than oranges, which are most commonly associated with the vitamin. Vitamin C is necessary for providing you with the nutrition necessary to promote healthy teeth and gums, absorb iron from the blood to maintain healthy tissue, and promote the healing of wounds.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is the second most prevalent vitamin found in papaya. One serving of the fruit gives you 31 percent of your RDA of the important antioxidant vitamin A, which is needed for many different tasks in your body including proper immune system function, gene transcription, embryonic development and reproduction, bone metabolism and healthy skin.
Other Vitamins
The B vitamins B5, B6 and B9, as well as vitamins E and K, are also present in papaya, but in smaller--although still significant--amounts. Approximately 5 percent of your RDA of vitamin E comes to you from one serving of papaya. This vitamin helps you form red blood cells and helps your body use vitamin K. You also get about 5 percent of necessary vitamin K from a papaya, which ensures that your blood coagulates--or clump together--properly.
You get between 1 and 13 percent of different essential B vitamins by eating a serving of papaya. These B vitamins serve several important functions. Vitamin B5 helps provide your body with energy by breaking down carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Vitamin B6 also helps your body convert proteins to energy and maintains proper brain function. Vitamin B9 is important because it helps produce and maintain new cells in your body.
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