Raw Papaya – Health Benefits, Uses and Important Facts

Green papaya is the same fruit as orange papaya, with a firm white flesh that hasn't ripened yet. The unripened fruit of the papaya tree, which is called raw papaya or green papaya, is beneficial to health in many ways. The papaya tree, or Carica papaya Linn, is a type of fruit tree in the family Caricaceae. Originating in southern Mexico and Costa Rica, it made its way to India, Sri Lanka, Hawaii, the Philippines, Australia, and South Africa. Papita, papaia, pawpaw, papayabaum, and arabd-kharpuja are all names for papaya.

What is raw papaya?

Raw papaya is the unripened fruit of the tiny perennial plant Carica papaya. Its natural habitat is the tropics. It is believed that the vitamins, phytonutrients, proteins, and enzymes found in green, unripe papaya, such as papain and chymopapain, are beneficial to health.

Is raw papaya healthier than ripe papaya?

The enzyme activity of green papaya is higher than that of mature papaya. It promotes metabolic health thanks to the presence of papain and chymopapain, two powerful enzymes involved in the digestion of fat, protein, and carbohydrate.

Nutritional value of raw papaya:

With vitamins C, B, and E, potassium, fibre, magnesium, and very few calories, green papaya is a superfood that delivers on all fronts when it comes to health benefits.

Health benefits of raw papaya:

1. Aids in the digestive process:

 Papain, an enzyme found in green papaya, aids digestion and is especially useful when gastric juice production is low. It's useful when stomach acid is low or intestinal inflammation is present.

2. Anti-inflammatory:

Asthma, gout, osteoarthritis,  and rheumatoid arthritis patients can benefit from green papaya because of its anti-inflammatory characteristics. Vitamin A is also present, reducing lung irritation from smoking. Fresh green papaya juice can also reduce swelling in the tonsils.

3. Stimulates regular bowel movement:

The green papaya's antioxidant properties aid the body in eliminating harmful substances. The laxative fibres in green papaya bond to cancer-causing chemicals and flush them out with a bowel movement. Constipation, piles, and diarrhoea are also helped by this.

4. Treats skin infection:

Skin infections can be treated with green papaya. Ingestion of green papaya has numerous benefits to the skin. Psoriasis, acne, skin pigmentation, freckles, and irritated skin all respond well to green papaya.

5. Controls Bad cholesterol:

 Green papaya is nutrition dense, and unripe green papaya is rich in antioxidants that protect against cardiovascular disease.

6. Reduces menstrual cramps: 

This diet is helpful for ladies who are experiencing difficulties since it reduces menstrual cramps. Eating unripe papaya causes your uterine muscles to contract, which eases and regulates your period. Moreover, it prevents the period from ending.

7. Cardiovascular health:

 By regulating blood pressure and salt levels, green papaya protects cardiovascular health. This lowers the risk of cardiac illness.

8. Weight management:

 Many people find success in their weight loss efforts by eating raw papaya. Vitamins A, E, and E, which are abundant in papaya, contribute to weight loss.

9. Aids in milk production in new moms

 New mothers can benefit from the galactagogue component found in raw papaya, which increases milk production. To aid lactation, it is utilised as a therapy in several forms of traditional alternative medicine, including as Ayurveda.

How to prepare raw papaya?

It's classified as a fruit, although it has zero sweetness when it's unripe. The skin is delicate enough to peel with a regular vegetable peeler, revealing the white flesh beneath. In the event that the peel begins to bleed a white liquid, rest assured that this is merely the papaya's natural latex and that you can continue as normal. Both the fruit's flesh and its seeds are edible; the latter have a mildly peppery taste and can be ground up and used as a spice once they have dried.

Young papaya needs to be sliced in half and the seeds spooned out before it can be shredded. After that, you can use a julienning shredder or a cheese grater to shred the material. On the other hand, in Thailand, shredding is traditionally done with just a knife. To achieve this, peel the papaya and hold it in one hand while cutting deeply into the flesh with a sharp knife to create numerous, long slits. Then, as seen in the image below, repeatedly remove the top layer by slicing it thinly into a dish. Do this until all of the papayas have been shredded. The central seeds will remain linked to the pocket at the core.

How to eat raw papaya?

1. Raw or green papaya is best consumed raw, in the form of salads, where it can replace crunchier vegetables like cucumbers or green peppers.
2. Adds a delicate sweetness and a refreshing bite to savoury foods.
3. Smoothies, fruit salads, and sweet treats are common uses for these fruits.