We have plenty of papaya trees in our farm and it is one fruit I love to have very often. The botanical name of papaya is Carica Papaya. With only 43 calories per 100 grams, it is an ideal fruit to have daily. Papaya has high amounts of vitamin C, vitamin A and magnesium.
Papaya is very very good for people suffering from constipation and is an ideal fruit to include in the diet when trying to lose weight as it is full of nutrients but has less calories. Though papaya is a great fruit to be had everyday by people of all ages, I would suggest to be cautious while buying papaya as many of the vendors use calcium carbide to artificially ripen it .
I always eat papaya that is grown in our farm, few months back when I was traveling, I had a bowl of papaya from a shop. My god, within half an hour I had diarrhea and was feeling very sick, till today I am terrified of having papaya from outside. One good tip while buying papaya is to check whether papaya is of uniform color throughout or not, if the whole fruit is of uniform color chances are very high that it has been ripened through artificial means.
Papaya Health Benefits:
1. Papaya For Constipation:
I can confidently say papaya is very good for treating constipation as I have seen my own family members use it. It works really well as it is high in dietary fibre, all you have to do is have a bowl of papaya before going to bed.
2. Papaya For Digestion:
Papaya is not only easily digestible but aids in digestion too. I found a study supporting this use (the study was done on preparation made with papaya), you can read it
here. Ripe papaya is a wonderful tonic and can be given to both elderly and children as it is easily digestible. Papaya has low amount of sugar in it so even diabetic patients can include papaya in their diets.
3. Papaya For Weight Loss:
Since it is very filling and highly nutritious, it is ideal to include papaya in our weight loss diet. Papaya is also full of antioxidants (you can read about the study proving it’s antioxidant properties
here). The unripe fruit has more antioxidants than the ripe fruit so it is a good idea to include raw papaya in our diet too. We take raw papaya in the form of kootu (semi gravy made with lentils and raw papaya) in our home.
4. Papaya seeds For Deworming:
Even the papaya seeds have medicinal uses and it is used for deworming in certain countries. This use has been proven through clinical research to be a very effective, cheap and above all without any side effects at all. You can read about the study
here.5. Papaya For Hair & Skin:
Since papaya is rich in vitamin A and vitamin C, it is very good for both skin and hair when taken internally. I also love to use papaya externally on my skin in the form of face packs and scrubs. I tried a turmeric and papaya face mask yesterday which is very good for acne prone skin, I have given step by step instructions for it below.
Papaya Side effects:
Papaya is usually well tolerated by everyone but rarely some might be allergic to it. Pregnant women should avoid eating raw papaya as it can cause uterus contractions. Generally pregnant women are advised against taking both ripe and raw papaya and I was so very happy to see this traditional belief proven through clinical research, you can read about the study
here. Another proof that we should take the advise of our elders seriously….:)
How To Use Papaya For Skin Care:
METHOD:
1. Remove the skin of the papaya and grind the flesh into a smooth puree in a mixer. I used fresh papaya from our farm.
2. Add good quality gram flour | besan to it.
3. Get fresh turmeric paste by rubbing an organic turmeric against a coarse stone along with little water.
4. Add the turmeric puree to the gram flour mixture.
5. Now add enough buttermilk to make a smooth paste, your homemade face pack is ready…
NOTES:
- I used homemade buttermilk for this recipe. Using buttermilk does not make our skin greasy.
- It has been a long time since I tried a new homemade face pack and I loved this papaya face pack very much.
- This pack is great for acne prone skin and is gentle enough to be used on even very sensitive skin.
- If you don’t have buttermilk you can use rose water too..
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Am priya, I am having hair fall problem past 6 months…I lost my hair… Please provide how to improve my hair density naturally?
Though not related to this post but I could not find any other way to ask. There are many websites claiming that original kasthuri manjal is white turmeric ( also known as amba haldi in Hindi) not the yellow one. Would you please elaborate differences between two and their uses? There can not be no one but you to clear my doubt.
Both are different, kasthuri manjal is curcuma aromatica and white turmeric is curcuma zeodaria (it closely resembles ginger). kasthuri manjal is only used externally whereas zedoary is used in cooking and it has anti inflammatory properties. Kasthuri turmeric is a wonderful antiseptic and it keeps the skin blemish free…
Awesome blog Rampriya!!! Keep up the good work.
Hi Ramya, how do you make the buttermilk?
What are the benefits of including papaya in the diet, particularly for people suffering from constipation and those trying to lose weight? Additionally, why should one be cautious while buying papaya, and what is the potential issue associated with its artificial ripening using calcium carbide?
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