Are you eating enough papaya?

This amazing tropical fruit is one of the most healthful foods you can eat. The Mayans even considered it sacred for its medicinal properties!

Papayas are readily available in most supermarkets these days, year round. Always buy organic, though, because many if not most nonorganic papayas are genetically modified (GMO). Certified organic ones are not GMO, by law.

These super-healthful fruits are delicious in smoothies — and you can even include the seeds! (I used to throw them out until I learned that.

Blending them up in a smoothie is one of the best ways to consume the seeds, which are very nutritious. They help your kidneys and liver, and even help your body eliminate intestinal parasites.

You might not want to include all the seeds from one papaya in one smoothie, though, as they have a strong flavor (kind of like a cross between black pepper and mustard). Try using just a few at first to see how they affect the flavor. You can always save the rest for future smoothies.

One of the most powerful aspects of papayas is their enzymes. Papaya is rich in proteolytic (protein digesting) enzymes, including the well-known papain and several others.

If you have digestive issues, you should be eating papayas every day! This is especially true if you eat meat, because papaya enzymes help to break it down. It’s even used as a meat tenderizer.

My Micronized Purple Rice powder helps a lot with digestive issues, too. I know this from personal experience. After two years using this amazing wellness food, my entire digestive system is functioning so much more smoothly now!

Papaya improves your health in many other ways besides just digestion, though. Here are the main ones:

1. Heart disease

Traditional healers have used papaya for many years to help improve heart health. But if you’re taking aspirin as a blood thinner, be sure to check with your doctor, because papaya is high in vitamin K, which makes aspirin less effective.

2. Diabetes

Even though they’re sweet, papayas are actually low in sugar. They’re also rich in fiber, which helps with blood sugar control.

Diabetics should always eat foods packed with the most nutrients per calorie, and papayas really shine in that department. In addition to fiber and enzymes, they’re loaded with vitamins A, B, C, E, lutein, lycopene, folate, magnesium, and copper. 

3. Arthritis

You can actually make a tea from papaya seeds, and it is known as a very effective arthritis remedy. It helps with both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Just dry the seeds, grind them, and steep in hot water. Papaya leaves may be used as well.

Papaya seed tea is also very useful for edema (swelling), pain, and inflammation.

How do you like to eat papayas? And have you experienced health benefits from eating them?

Let me know in the comments below.