Papaya Information

Papaya is the term used to pertain to the papaya plant or the fruit. Papaya is believed to have originated from Mexico and it's neighboring Central American countries. It is a large, woody herb that can grow up to 12 feet in height with a single cylindrical trunk with leaves jutting from the top of the trunk connected by a long stem. Papaya's common names are: papaya, tree melon, kavunagaci, chich put, fan kua, mamao in Brazil, lechoza in the Dominican Republic & Venezuela and paw paw or papaw in Australia.

Papayas are generally classified into Hawaiian or Mexican. The Hawaiian papaya plant is smaller (about 8 feet) with fully grown fruits averaging about 1 pound and pear like in shape. While the Mexican papaya grows much taller with bigger fruits but are generally less tastier. The papaya fruit is green when young and turns yellow when ripe and the flesh varies in color from bright orange, yellow to pinkish. A properly ripened papaya fruit taste sweet and juicy. It contains papain that helps digestion and is good at tenderizing meat. The hollowed part of the fruit contains edible seeds that resembles and taste like  black pepper.

Papaya Nutrition Facts

Papaya is good for balanced nutrition. It has no cholesterol nor saturated fat and contains carbohydrates, Vitamin A, lots of C, Calcium, Iron and fiber that is good for the digestive system and the heart. Papaya also contains other vitamins and minerals like: Niacin, Foliate, Vitamin E, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, lipids and amino acids.

Chemical Composition of Papaya

Payaya as Herbal Medicine

But the papain in papaya can be an abortifacient if eaten in large quantities, otherwise eating papaya in moderation is relatively safe for pregnant women. Papaya also is known to have medicinal properties. It has been used as folk medicine with the following properties: laxative, analgesic, antibacterial, hypotensive, amebicide and cardiotonic.