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, worms, even diseases like Dengue. There’s a list below that illustrates the health benefits of consuming papaya seeds.
The vital nutrients papaya seeds contain are highly efficient in treatment of cirrhosis of the liver. You simply need to grind or crush 5-6 papaya seeds and have them with food or juice. Lime juice is especially recommended. Do this for a month. In addition, eating small quantities of papaya seeds regularly stimulates liver cleansing and protects against liver diseases.
Kidney health and renal failure can be prevented with the use of papaya seeds according to research from the University of Karachi. This also applies to diseases related to kidney poisoning.
Papaya seeds are potent anti-inflammatory agents, which makes them highly efficient in relieving arthritis, joint pain, swelling and redness.
Anti-bacterial and Anti-Viral properties
Even small quantities of papaya seeds have proved efficient in battling dangerous bacteria such as E. coli, Staph, and Salmonella. Plus, they are successful in fighting viral infections and healing dengue, typhoid, and a number of other diseases. For example, papaya seeds with milk is an excellent remedy for typhoid fever in Nigeria. These seeds are also commonly used in Costa Rica to fight against dengue fever. The same infection can be treated with juice from papaya leaves.
Making Papaya Juice:
- Get 2 papaya leaves.
- Wash and cut them into smaller pieces.
- Using a filter cloth, pound and squeeze the pulp.
- Bear in mind that only 2 tablespoons of juice can be squeezed out.
- Take two tablespoons per serving once a day.
Papaya seeds contain isothiocyanate, an agent that prevents the spread of cancer cells and tumors. It is especially beneficial for colon, breast, lung, prostate cancer and leukemia.
In addition, these seeds contain an alkaloid called “carpaine,” highly beneficial against intestinal worms and amoeba parasites. Papaya stimulates protein metabolism in the body creating an extremely unfriendly environment in the digestive tract for parasites to thrive. According to studies, 75% of children in Nigeria eliminate gut parasites by simply consuming papaya seed juice for 7 days.
Unlike the over-the-counter contraceptives that can pose great health risks if taken for a long time, papaya seeds are completely safe and effective natural contraceptives for both men and women. It’s known that both men and women on the Indian subcontinent and in parts of Southeast Asia have traditionally used papaya and its seeds as a form of birth control for centuries now.
There’s high content of the enzyme papain in both unripe papaya and papaya seeds. This enzyme is extremely beneficial for protein digestion; however it is best avoided by women trying to conceive.
Taking one teaspoon of papaya seeds every day for 3 months can significantly lower sperm count in men, leaving their libido intact. Still, this effect is only short-term; as soon as papaya seeds are no longer consumed, fertility comes back to normal.
How to Eat 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 health benefits of papaya seeds are numerous and the list above is not all-inclusive. There are however several things to be cautious about as excessive consumption may cause unwanted side effects, especially in pregnancy related issues.
Thus, pregnant or breastfeeding women should avoid papaya seeds or the enzyme-rich green papaya. On the other hand, papaya seeds have powerful anti-parasitic effects, but they may be too strong for infant digestive tract. Take caution to consult a doctor before giving these to children.
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