A community health expert, Mrs Karounwi Israel, says pawpaw seeds can help in the management of diabetes, stop cancer growth, kill bacteria and heal viral infections.
Israel, the President of KARIS, a non-governmental organisation, which teaches people on many wonders of plants and fruits, spoke with newsmen on Wednesday in Lagos.
The expert advised people not to discard pawpaw, also known as papaya seeds because of its many health benefits. “Pawpaw is a good source of vitamin B and C, and one of its numerous health benefits is that it helps in the management of diabetes, but its seeds are also important to human health.
“Papaya seeds contain vital nutrients that help to heal cirrhosis of the liver, kill bacteria, heal viral infections, stop growth of cancer cells, inflammatory disease and kidney problems,” Israel said. She explained how the seeds could be used in the management of diseases.
“Take five or six dried papaya seeds, grind them or crush them and take them with food or juice, do this every day for 30 days, you will have amazing results. “Eating a small amount of fresh pawpaw seeds can also help to kill bacteria such as e.coli, Staph, Salmonella and also work well for food poisoning cases.
“It is also a good anti-viral agent helping to heal viral infection and can also help to detox the liver,” Israel said. According to her, pawpaw seeds contain isothiocyanate which works well for colon, breast, lung, leukaemia and prostate cancer.
“It also contains an alkaloid “Carpaine” that kills intestinal worms and amoeba parasites.
“Pawpaw seeds are anti-inflammatory making them great for arthritis, joint diseases, swelling, pains, and redness,” Israel said. She said that pawpaw seeds could also be used to make tea and substitute for pepper in food because of its peppery nature.
“As a precaution, pregnant women should not use papaya seeds, this is because it can extend to breastfeeding and may be too powerful to young children’s gastrointestinal tract.
“Additionally, the seed is not too good for men who are trying to impregnate their wives as it can reduce male fertility,” Israel said.
She advised people to always go for medical check to avoid emergency.