Papaya Seeds Chock Full Of Amazing Health Benefits

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Papaya seeds are the part of the fruit most people throw out without a second thought.

Amazingly, papaya seeds are not only consumable but are also good for one’s health. They have been used to:

  • Ward off parasites
  • Improve liver health
  • Get rid of some nasty bacteria

The taste of papaya seeds might not be great but after getting past the taste, the health benefits can be raked in. Also, incorporating them into recipes may be an easier way to consume them.


This tropical fruit is loaded with:

  • Minerals such as Magnesium & Potassium
  • Protein
  • Carotene
  • As well as Vitamins A, C, and K.

Its seeds are also rich in flavonoid, phenolic compounds, magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium. New researches have shown many health benefits of papaya seeds. Read on to learn about the papaya plants or Carica papaya fruit, the seeds and its benefits.

1. Protection Against Heart Diseases

Both ripe and unripe papayas are very helpful for preventing diabetic heart diseases and atherosclerosis. Papayas are an ideal source of Vitamins A, C, and E, all of which are powerful antioxidants.

These three nutrients prevent the oxidation of cholesterol, which is the major cause of strokes and heart attacks. Papayas seeds can be very helpful in lowering high cholesterol levels in the body.

2. Helps With Weight Loss And Improves Digestion

Eating papayas seed can help you achieve your resolution to lose weight as they’re packed with digestive papain and are high in dietary fiber which improves digestion.

A medium sized papaya can have seeds that contain about 120 calories. These means that you can lose weight while eating these seeds to boost your daily calories.

3. Papaya Seed Helps To Heal And Prevent Liver Disease

Regular consumption of small amounts of papaya seed has been demonstrated detoxification of the liver and also boosts the liver ability to eliminate toxins from the body. This is made possible by the nutrition ability in the papaya seeds.

Papaya seeds have also shown promise in dealing with cirrhosis of the liver. Liver cirrhosis is the progressive degeneration of the liver, mostly caused by excessive alcoholism.

A renowned papaya-based cure for the liver cirrhosis is to crush five papaya seeds and blend them well with a tablespoon of lime water.

Taking this mixture on a daily basis for 30 days has been observed to bring significant enhancement to the liver.



However, this shouldn’t be used as an alternative to doctor’s guidance and medication. Papaya seeds have been proven to enhance liver health and even cure most liver disorders.

4. Helps With Battling Cancer

Consumption of Papaya seeds can help the body fight against the progressive development of cancerous cells and tumors.

According to several scientific studies, when certain immunomodulatory compounds are present in tumors and cancer cells, they help slow down the development and addition of more cancerous tumors and cells.

In fact, the isothiocyanates in the papaya seeds help to keep breast cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, and blood cancer at bay.

5. Kills Intestinal Parasites

Papaya seeds have a substance known as proteolytic enzymes that help to break down proteins. This makes the condition in the GI tract unfavorable for parasites and their eggs to inhabit.

These types of digestive enzymes help make the environment in the gastrointestinal less favorable for worm reproduction and growth, thereby significantly lowering the chances of getting a parasitic infection.

Papaya seeds have also been found to have a unique substance called Carpaine which serves to kill amoebae and intestinal worms. A study conducted in Nigeria involving children in 2007 revealed a great rate of improvement after the children were administered with a dose of papaya seed extract.

 

A simple and delicious method to reaping the anti-parasitic element of the papaya seeds is by including the papaya seed powder in a smoothie.

Consume the smoothie frequently, and the likelihood of getting parasitic infections or intestinal parasitosis will close in to near zero.

Studies done in Nigeria showed that drinking papaya seeds for seven days helped 75% of the children get rid of intestinal parasites.

6. A Good Anti-Viral and Anti-bacteria Agent

Papaya seeds are good anti-viral agents as they help in healing viral infections.

Papaya seeds have long been used in Costa Rica to tackle Dengue Fever infections. They also help fight and cure other viral infections such as Typhoid.

A small amount of papaya seeds have been found to kill bacteria infections caused by E. coli, Salmonella, and Staph. In Nigeria, papaya seeds, when coupled with milk, help to cure typhoid fever.

7. Strong Anti-inflammatory Agent

Papaya seeds provides great anti-inflammatory effects making them ideal for dealing with swelling, arthritis, joint diseases, redness, and pain.

8. It Prevents And Treats Kidney Diseases

Fresh papaya seeds have enormous results in the kidney. Researches have proven that these seeds have a positive therapeutic effect when it comes to treating kidney disorders. They not only help to treat fatal kidney diseases, but also perform a crucial role in avoiding kidney failure.

9. Acts As a Natural Contraceptive

Papaya seeds are a perfect natural contraceptive for both women and men, without any known side effects, unlike other medical or over-the-counter contraceptives that are known to cause adverse effects when used for longer time.

For a long time, both men and women in Southeast Asia and India have been using papaya seeds as a method of birth control.

10. Papaya Seed Aids In Digestion

Both papaya and papaya seeds have a high content of enzyme papain. Papain is a beneficial enzyme that aids in the digestion of protein. However, pregnant women shouldn’t eat papaya seeds.

For men, eating one teaspoon of papaya seeds every day for a period of 3 months can significantly reduce sperm count without affecting erection and libido. Moreover, the effect is temporary; when you stop eating papaya seeds, fertility gets restored.

11. Papaya Seeds High In Antioxidants

A report published in a synthetic organic and natural products journal known as Molecules revealed that the seeds of papaya fruits can act powerful antioxidants.

Papaya seeds have phenolic acids compounds as well as flavonoid compounds, which help protect the body from damages that might be caused by free radicals. These acids have powerful anti-oxidative properties.

12. Treat Ringworms

Most of the skin infections are itchy and could be contagious. If you have a skin disease, dry papaya seeds for two days and grind them into a fine powder. Apply the powder to the affected skin area and within a week, the ringworms will be a thing of the history.

13. Pepper Substitute

Papaya seeds can be grind in the pepper grinder and act as a substitute for pepper. Although a little bitter than pepper, they’re a better option to pepper.

How To Use Them

Papaya seed tastes more like black pepper or wasabi. Because of their bitter flavor, they are frequently utilized as a pepper substitute.

You can consume them straight from the papaya or eat them whole. Other people opt to grind them using a coffee grinder to turn them into powder form and sprinkle them on the food.

For those who might prefer to eat them whole, try mixing them with a teaspoon of honey to add a natural sweetness to them as they’re bitter for your taste buds.

The Bottom Line

As a precaution, breastfeeding women, as well as pregnant women, shouldn’t consume any enzyme-rich green papaya or papaya seeds.

Also, they should not be administered to children as their anti-parasitic properties might be too powerful for them. Consult your pharmacist or doctor before giving it to children.

The enzymes in the papaya seeds are powerful. You don’t need them in plenty and a single consumption; eat five or six seeds at once. Consume a freshly raw papaya, make a papaya juice or preserve them in a glass jar in the fridge for future use to experience the amazing health benefits of papaya.