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The papaya originates in South and Central America, and it was the Spanish and Portuguese explorers who took papayas to other subtropical lands. The papaya was so revered by the explorers that Christopher Columbus called it "the fruit of the angels."
Hawaii is the major U.S. producer where genetically modified papayas have contaminated organically grown papayas.
Today Brazil is the world’s leading producer of papayas, and other large commercial producers include the United States, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.
Health Benefits of Papaya
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Nutrients
Papayas are a good source of antioxidants such as carotenes, vitamin C, and flavonoids. They are also a good source of folic acid, vitamins E and A, potassium, and dietary fiber.
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Digestion
Papaya, especially when green or unripe, contains papain, an enzyme that aids digestion. This protein-digesting enzyme is used as an ingredient in many meat tenderizers, and is also found in digestive enzyme dietary supplements. Papain is used to treat indigestion, chronic diarrhea and constipation, hay fever, sports injuries and allergies.
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Parasites
Papaya and its seeds have proven anti-parasitic and anti-amoebic activities, and their consumption offers a cheap, natural, harmless, readily available preventive strategy against intestinal parasites.
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Nutrient Values of Papaya per 100g
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Sugars
5.90g
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Dietary Fiber
1.8g
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Sodium
3mg
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Zinc
0.07mg
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Potassium
257mg
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Magnesium
10mg
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Copper
0.016mg
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Calcium
24mg
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Vitamin C
61.8mg
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Vitamin E
0.73mg
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Vit. B3 (Niacin)
0.338mg
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Vitamin B6
0.019mg
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Vit. B1 (Thiamin)
0.027mg
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Vit. B2 (Riboflavin)
0.032mg
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Carpaine can be dangerous in high doses
References:
The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray, Joseph Pizzorno, and Lara Pizzorno.
Benders' Dictionary of Nutrition and Food Technology.
USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.
PubMed. PMID: 734216
PubMed. PMID: 18364324
PubMed. PMID: 17472487
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