Hidden inside every papaya is a secret world of healing. Its tiny seeds fight diseases, its leaves battle fevers, and its power is so strong that it can help mend broken skin. This isn't just a fruit; it is nature's pharmacy, wrapped in sweetness.
Carica papaya, a.k.a. papaya, comes from Central and South America; it is grown in places such as Sri Lanka, Tanzania, India, Hawaii, South Africa, and Australia.[1] Papayas are fruits that are shaped like spheres or pears. The inside of a papaya is a bright orange color, sometimes with a little bit of yellow or pink mixed in.[2] Its seeds make up 15%-20% of the fruit and can be turned into oil.[2] In fact, papaya seeds can make 30%-34% of oil, which is healthy in many ways.[3]
Papaya seeds are tiny, round, and black. They're covered in a slimy layer inside the fruit. They taste spicy, like black pepper, and eating a little bit of them can be good for your health. Papaya seeds are full of 22 grams of fiber and prevent constipation and other digestive problems.[2]
Almost every part of its plant can be used as a natural medicine all over the world. For example, in Jamaica, people have used papaya fruit to treat serious skin sores.[4] They put it on the wound to help clean it, grow new skin, heal faster, and make it smell better.[4]
Traditional healers in Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka use unripe papaya as a natural way to prevent pregnancy.[4] In Nigeria, it is used to treat malaria, high blood pressure, diabetes, jaundice, and stomach worms.[4]
Papaya leaves are used to help people with asthma, stomach pain, fever, and beriberi (a disease caused by a lack of vitamin B1) in India.[4] Also, people in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Malaysia use these plants to fight malaria and dengue fever; Vietnam and Australia use them to treat cancer.[4]
With this fruit, lab coats or prescription pads are not needed. For hundreds of years, it has been disguising itself as a doctor, chemist, and skincare guru, while being eaten as a dessert.