Papaya

Papaya is a tropical fruit rich in antioxidant nutrients

GEEK TALK

Carica papaya

BUT WE TALK

Papītā (Hindi), Pappāḷippaḻam (Tamil), Lechosa (Spanish)

DID YOU KNOW?

Papaya was called as “The Fruit of the Angels” by Christopher Columbus, is a highly loved tropical fruit. It grows as a giant plant but not woody. It has a hollow stem and could reach a height of 20 to 30 ft. Both leaves and stems contain large amounts of white, milky latex.

Papaya is a rich source of antioxidant nutrients and is used as an ingredient in pharmaceuticals, beauty products, and cosmetics.

It has two main variants Hawaiian papayas weighing between 1.1 and 2.2 pounds per unit, and Mexican papayas, weighing up to 10.0 pounds per unit.

India is the leading papaya producer followed by Brazil and Indonesia. It contributed to a 38.61% share of the world's production during the year 2008–2010.

KITCHEN PHARMACY

Papaya’s nutrients promote the health of the cardiovascular system and also provide protection against colon cancer.

Papaya contains the digestive enzyme papain and therefore valuable for aiding digestion.

Papayas may be very helpful for the prevention of atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease.

Papayas are also a good source of fiber, which has been shown to lower high cholesterol levels.