I know lots of people who love fruit, but I rarely hear anyone talk about the papaya – which is strange because papaya are delicious and not too heavy in sugar.
That’s why I’m going to tell you all about this miracle fruit and its leaves…and I’m going to recommend you start drinking the juice as soon as you can, ok?
The small but mighty papaya might hold the key to fighting inflammation and deadly, chronic diseases at the same time.
This Is A Papaya Tree
The papaya tree originally grew thousands of years ago in Central and South America.
Today, it’s cultivated and eaten around the world…but many say the best fruit still comes from the lower Americas.
Now, many of us are familiar with Papaya because it helps with digestion, like pineapple does. Supplement companies that focus on digestion often sell papain – the digestive enzyme found in papaya.
Unfortunately, outside of digestive benefits, it doesn’t seem like we are as well-versed about this tropical fruit as we are about, say…apples.
Ever heard, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away?” It’s a popular saying I heard jus about every week when I was growing up.
If you remember it, you get my point.
The fact is, it might be more helpful to recommend a papaya a day. Continue reading to find out just why that is.
You Can Juice The Leaves And Fruit
Everything in the Papaya is edible – even the seeds, though they can be bitter. The fruit is sweet, and it’ll make your juice delicious.
People use papaya in everything from fruit and salads to meat seasonings and soups.
Papaya is high in fiber, potassium, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, And Vitamin B9 (folate). It even has a little protein in it…which is great if you happen to be stranded on an island with nothing but papaya to eat.
But since that’s unlikely to happen, keep reading.
Papaya Are High In Antioxidants
This is great news if you’re concerned at all about aging and looking and feeling your best as you get older. There are cosmetic companies around the world that use papaya extracts as ingredients.
They claim papaya has the ability to fight wrinkles and other signs of aging. And it does!
Additionally, both the fruit and the leaves contain lycopene…an antioxidant that’s good for your eye health and eyesight.
They also contain other antioxidants that have been proven to fight cancer, control blood sugar, and even help to reverse the effects of liver disease.
The antioxidants in papaya are powerful and effective.
Papaya Are Proven To
Fight Breast Cancer
Based on years of research, papaya fruit and leaves have also been shown to fight breast cancer. I wish I could shout this fact from the rooftops because I know a number of women who have either succumbed to the disease or are fighting for their lives right now.
It’s a pretty amazing fruit.
Case in point…14 fruits and vegetables were studied for their effectiveness against breast cancer back in 2009. Of the 14, only papaya was found to have any effect against breast cancer – which is crazy.
Everyone needs to know this!
Most people go for carrots and carrot juice, first. They’ll even go to the extreme and eat raw garlic, which has been proven time and again to fight and kill cancer.
I’m not saying they’re wrong. All I’m saying is…based on the research, Papaya is ultimately more effective for breast cancer. If you’re using other therapies, I’d suggest adding in papaya.
Papaya Is Heart Healthy!
At this point, your doctor should have told you that both Vitamins C and A are good for your heart.
People who have enough of both in their daily diets are less likely to have heart attacks or heart disease.
To get the heart-healthy benefits, all you have to do is juice or eat the fruit raw.
You can also boil the leaves and make tea. Though eating the fruit can help with digestion, that’s not all this versatile plant can do.
Fight Inflammation
With Papaya Leaf Tea
Both the fruit and the leaves fight inflammation, but the leaves are the powerhouse in this particular area.
Because chronic inflammation is the cause for most of the diseases we know about, fighting inflammation is key to healing and recovery.
All you have to do to keep your inflammation under control is make a big cup of tea every morning or every night. Your choice.
You’ll have to figure out what time of day works best for your digestion and sleep schedule…but I know people who have done it at both times and felt just fine.
There’s no caffeine in papaya leaves, so it won’t keep you up all night or give you the jitters during the day. (Drink 1-2 hours before bed so you’re not back and forth to the bathroom all night.)
Warning: Papaya leaf juice and tea are strong. It might be a good idea to start off by drinking only 1-2 tablespoons a day. Increase as your body gets used to the cleansing properties of the tea.
Now…these are only some of the benefits of drinking papaya leaf juice and eating or juicing the fruit.
Other benefits of consuming papaya and papaya leaf include…
- Lowered blood pressure…
- Improving anemic conditions…
- Providing a boost of energy…
- Improved detoxification…
- Balanced blood sugar levels…
- Less joint pain…
- Decreased swelling…
- Improved skin tone…
- Better digestion…
- Versatility (can be eaten any time of the day ad in various meal types from soup to salad)…
There’s a lot this mighty, little fruit and its leaves can do to improve your health.
I’m curious…do you love papaya? If you’ve eaten it regularly, what are some of the benefits you’ve noticed?
