The humble papaya is gaining credibility in Western medicine for anticancer powers that folk cultures have recognized for generations.
University of Florida researcher and a professor of medicine Nam Dang, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues in Japan have documented papaya’s dramatic anticancer effect against a broad range of lab-grown tumors, including cancers of the cervix, breast, liver, lung and pancreas. The researchers used an extract made from dried papaya leaves, and the anticancer effects were stronger when cells received larger doses of the tea.
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Health
Benefits
Sweet and tasty papaya makes an
excellent breakfast and is good in fruit salads. It can be blended with yogurt
to make a delicious digestive smoothie. It also works well as an added
ingredient in green salads. It tastes particularly good with lemon juice
squeezed over it. The health benefits of papaya include heart disease and cancer
prevention, cold and flu prevention and healthy digestions.
Papaya
Nutrition
Papaya is an excellent source
of vitamin C, with one medium papaya containing about 150% of the Daily value.
It is also a good source of vitamin A, in beta-carotene form. It is also a good
source of vitamin K, vitamin E and folate as well as the mineral
potassium.
Papaya for Heart Disease
Prevention
One of the health benefits of papaya is
related to the fact that it contains high doses of three vitamins involved in
heart disease prevention- vitamin A, vitamin E and beta-carotene. In addition,
the high levels of folate found in papayas can help lower levels of the heart
disease promoting amino acid homocysteine.
Papaya for Cold and Flu
Prevention
Foods high in vitamin C, such
as papaya, help boost the immune system. Vitamin C has been shown to help ward
off symptoms of influenza A, the common cold and pneumonia. Vitamin A provides
additional immune system support.
Papaya for Neural Tube Defect
Prevention
Because papayas are rich in
folate, they have applications in preventing neural tube defects. Eating
folate-rich foods pre-pregnancy and during pregnancy can help the fetal spinal
column to develop normally.
Papaya for Digestive Health
Papaya contains
special digestive enzymes, called papain and chymopapain, which help digest
proteins. Papaya is often used as a detoxification food and to give the
digestive system a break, because it is so rich in its own digestive enzymes.
Papaya also contains anti-oxidant vitamins C and E as well as folate, all of
which can help prevent colon cancer.
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