Health Benefits of Papaya Seeds

Most of the time when we eat Papaya, we trash the Seeds. But little do we know how beneficial they are and how they can prevent and cure a plethora of ailments related to the liver, gut, worms and even diseases like Dengue.

The following is a list, that illustrate the benefits of eating Papaya Seeds.

Liver Health

Papaya Seeds contain vital nutrients that help heal cirrhosis of the liver. Grind or crush 5-6 Papaya Seeds and have them with food or juice, especially lime juice. This should be done for 30 days. Moreover eating small amounts of Papaya seeds regularly helps in detoxing the liver and keeps liver diseases at bay.

Kidney Health

Researchers at the University of Karachi have found that Papaya Seeds can be used to improve kidney health and preventing renal failure. The same works wonders for kidney poisoning related diseases.

Anti-inflammatory properties

Papaya Seeds are anti-inflammatory making them great for alleviating arthritis, joint disease, swelling, pain, and redness.

Anti-bacterial and Anti-Viral properties

A small amount of Papaya Seeds has been found to kill harmful bacteria like E. coli, Staph, and Salmonella. They also help fight viral infections and cures Dengue, Typhoid, and numerous other diseases. In Nigeria, Papaya Seeds with Milk is an excellent cure for Typhoid fever.

The seeds have been extensively used in Costa Rica to fight against Dengue fever. The juice from papaya leaves can help cure the same.

Making Papaya Juice:       

• Use 2 papaya leaves
• Wash and cut into smaller pieces
• Pound and squeeze the pulp through a filter cloth
• Only 2 tablespoons of juice can be squeezed out
• Two tablespoons per serving once a day

Arresting Cancer

Papaya Seeds contain agents that stop the growth of cancer cells and tumors. They contain isothiocyanate which works well for colon, breast, lung, leukemia and prostate cancer.

Destroys Parasites

The Seeds of Papaya contain an alkaloid called “Carpaine” that kills intestinal worms and amoeba parasites. Whereas the Papaya Fruit helps metabolize proteins and makes the gastrointestinal tract an extremely hostile place for parasites to live and thrive. Studies have shown that children in Nigeria have got rid of parasites in their gut 75% of the times, by consuming Papaya Seed Juice for 7 days.

Aids Digestion

Both unripe papaya and papaya seeds are high in the enzyme papain. Papain is a beneficial aid to protein digestion but best avoided for women currently or trying to get pregnant.

How to Eat Papaya Seeds

Papaya Seeds can be eaten raw (though that gives a strong, pepper-like but bitter taste), ground or crushed in Salad dressings, milk or honey.

Conclusion

The goodness of consuming Papaya Seeds are many and not limited to the above list. That being said, one should partake only small quantities of the seed and that also, not very frequently. Excessive consumption may lead to many side effects, notably pregnancy related issues.

As a precaution, pregnant women should not use papaya seeds or the enzyme-rich green papaya. This warning on their use would also extend to breastfeeding. Additionally, while papaya seeds do have strong anti-parasitic properties, they may be too powerful for young children’s gastrointestinal tracts, so a doctor should be consulted before giving them to infants.

This was posted by Anjan Gupta on FB