Although most people throw them away, papaya seeds are actually edible, and small amounts of them in your diet can do wonders for your health.
They are extremely beneficial for a number of conditions including gut and liver disorders, parasites, even diseases like cancer. There’s a list below that illustrates the health benefits of consuming papaya seeds.
Traditional Chinese Medicine has been using papaya seeds for centuries to improve the vital functions of the liver by effectively removing harmful toxins.
It has been reported to be even beneficial for individuals suffering from liver cirrhosis. Papaya seeds contain vital nutrients that help heal liver cirrhosis. One method is to grind up 5 to 6 dried papaya seeds and mix them with a tablespoon fresh lemon juice. Drink this mixture two times a day for a month. Many people have had amazing improvements healing fatty liver disease and liver cirrhosis with papaya seeds.
Papaya seeds have potent medicinal values that are very beneficial for detoxifying the kidneys. The antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of the seeds protect the kidneys from toxin-induced inflammation.
3.Improve digestive health
The papaya fruit is one of the most effective foods for a healing of the digestive system. Its seeds contain powerful antibacterial and antiparasitic properties, making them powerful in removing the harmful microorganisms in your intestinal tract for a healthy digestive system.
Due to its potent anti-pathogen properties, consuming a tablespoon of papaya seeds can also help stop food poisoning by killing the bacteria that are causing the problem.
According to researchers, papaya seeds are rich in isothiocyanates and flavonoid compounds. These are phytochemicals known to keep tumors and cancer cells from spreading. It has shown that consumption of papaya seeds is highly effective in stopping prostate cancer, colon cancer, leukemia, breast and lung cancer from multiplying and spreading to other parts of the body.
5.Reduce high blood pressure
Studies in lab rats show promising improvements in cardiovascular health. Carpaine, a compound found in all of the papayas including the leaves and seeds, were found to be effective for reducing systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressure.
Papaya seeds possess strong anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation is a condition that promotes the favorable environment for the development of numerous health conditions such as arthritis, weight gain, diabetes, heart diseases, osteoporosis, cancer, and much more.
7.Worms and other parasitic infections
Papaya seeds are rich in proteolytic enzymes like papain, which can help to eliminate intestinal parasites from the body. In the same way, that proteolytic enzymes break down proteins from the food, it may also break down intestinal worms and their eggs.
Papaya seeds also contain an alkaloid called Carpaine that can kill intestinal worms and ameba parasites. Studies performed on children in Nigeria showed that drinking papaya seeds juice for a week helped to get rid of parasites in 75 percent of the time.
8.Antibacterial and antiviral
Papaya seeds have a strong antibacterial and antiviral properties. A small amount of papaya seeds can kill bacteria such as E.Coli, Staphylococcus, Salmonella and other dangerous bacterial infections. Papaya seeds also have good antiviral properties and help to heal viral infections. Some examples are dengue fever and typhoid.
For centuries, the Indian culture has been eating papaya seeds as a form of natural contraceptive. If you are planning to conceive, avoid eating papaya seeds. Studies in male rat show low sperm production from being fed papaya seeds for a controlled time.
How to consume papaya seeds
There are several ways to consume papaya seeds – raw, though this gives a strong bitter peppery taste, ground or crushed in salad dressings, milk or honey.
The benefits of papaya seeds, with their high levels of enzymes, are powerful. You don’t need many at a time, five or six seeds at once is more than enough. After you scrape them out of a fresh papaya fruit, it is the best to keep them in a glass of jar in the fridge.
Precautions and warnings
As a precaution, pregnant women, as well as breastfeeding women, shouldn’t use papaya seeds or the enzyme-rich green papaya. Also, antiparasitic properties of papaya seeds could be too powerful for kids so you should consult with a doctor or pharmacist before giving it.