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Papaya helps losing weight:
Those who want to shed weights should have papaya every day. This is because the enzyme papain found in papaya not only helps in faster digestion but also in losing weight effectively and quickly.
A cup of sliced papaya would give you only 55 calories and would keep you full for a longer period of time. Hence it is better to have papaya in your diet if you want to lose weight quickly and have a flatter stomach.
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Other benefits of papaya:
Other benefits of papaya include protection against heart problems as it helps in reducing the oxidation of cholesterol in the arteries.
Papain is also good for skin and those who have papaya regularly can have glowing skin. The antioxidants and low sugar content makes it ideal for the diabetics and even helps in fighting cancer with its lycopene and beta-cryptoxanthin.
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Papaya tree, papaya bush or something else?
The papaya, scientific name Carica papaya, belongs to the melon tree family. The 3 to 10 meter high papaya tree is not a real tree, however, but a very special kind of plant. Although the appearance is tree-like, the trunk is not woody and therefore is not considered a tree or shrub in botanical terms, but is classified as an herb. That alone makes the tree melon growing in the tropical and subtropical regions worldwide something special.
The fruits of the papaya tree are therefore berries, which can vary in size and weight depending on the variety. The Hawaiian papaya variety weighs around 500 grams. Other varieties, for example in Mexico, weigh 3 to 6 kilograms. The skin of a ripe fruit is yellow-green, the sweet, juicy flesh is light orange to pink. The black kernels inside are the seeds of the papaya tree, which are edible and taste slightly peppery-hot.
Vitamins, minerals and calories from papaya
Of course, not only the enzymes are in a papaya, but also many other valuable nutrients. The pulp is a real vitamin C bomb, for example, as little as 100 grams cover almost the daily requirement of an adult. Vitamins A, E, B1 to B6 and folic acid are also found in the melon.
The fruit provides potassium, calcium and magnesium, but also manganese, iron, copper and zinc. But it is economical in calories: only 32 kcal per 100 g make the tropical fruit very suitable for diet. And the other nutritional values of papaya are also impressive, as they mainly contain water and fiber, some fructose and no fat.
The shell of a ripe papaya is yellow-green. The shell of a ripe papaya is yellow-green. The shell of a ripe papaya is yellow-green.
How to eat a papaya properly
As a healthy snack in between, the papaya can be eaten raw. To do this, halve the ripe fruit, recognizable by the yellow skin and the soft pulp. Then you remove the seeds and spoon the pulp straight from the bowl. Alternatively, you can peel the fruit, separate the pulp and seeds and mix it in the muesli or fruit salad.
The kernels are edible, but because of their pungent taste, they are usually dried and then used. Only the ripe tree melon should be eaten raw, an unripe fruit tastes bitter and is hardly edible. The unripe melon contains a lot of valuable enzymes.
Papaya recipes: smoothie, salad and more
There are many papaya recipes, the name “tree melon” already reveals it: A ripe papaya fits wherever a melon fits. From the tropical fruit you can conjure up a quick starter with raw ham or a carpaccio as a vegetarian variant. You peel an unripe papaya, cut it into pieces and cook it in a stew with meat or poultry.
Fans of Thai cuisine will love the fruity-spicy papaya salad in all variations – quickly prepared, it brings variety to everyday kitchen life. With bananas, oranges and other fruits to make an exotic smoothie, the tree melon is the ideal vitamin C supplier for gray winter days.
What is green papaya?
Green papaya is the same fruit as the orange papaya you’re used to, picked only in its immature form. Papayas are native to the areas of Veracruz and Chiapas in southern Mexico and in northern South and Central America. While papaya originated in these areas, it is now grown and harvested in many different tropical countries, is sensitive to frost and limits its growth to such areas. The papaya tree grows very quickly and is able to produce fruit in less than three years.
What is the difference between green papaya and orange papaya?
The orange papaya is the version of the same fruit that is harvested after ripening and fully ripening, while the green papaya is picked from the tree while it is still growing. Where the orange papaya contains thick, sweet, melon-like flesh, the green papaya has a crunchy skin and a crispy white flesh inside that is relatively tasteless. It is loved for its neutral taste because it can be used more for the purpose of adding crunch to salads and other foods without drastically changing the taste.
Are there any health benefits from eating green papaya?
Eating papaya fruit offers you an abundance of healthy compounds, including the higher amount of potassium than ripe papayas, and is very important because of its electrolyte content. The high content of papain, which are protein digestive enzymes, is also responsible for better digestion.
Green papaya also contains other active enzymes, including chymopapain, which helps break down carbohydrates, proteins and fats to promote a healthier metabolism and maintain a healthier weight. The level of protease enzymes in green papaya can also help keep the skin healthy and fresh.
