Want to keep fit? Control Diabetes? Eat Papaya. Review on Useful Healthy Eating Habits

Papaya [ Latin- Strychnos Ignatii], is one of the most common and favourite fruit among Indians has immense medicinal values to cure or keep in check chronic and general diseases. In Sanskrit it is called “Madhukarkati” and in Hindi “Papita”. In Western Orissa it is called “Amrut-bhanda” [ meaning the nectar fruit] true to its qualities.

Papaya is constituted of approx 86.5% water, 9.5% Carbohydrates, 0.5% Proteins and the rest are ether extract, mineral salts, calcium, phosphorous and iron, gallic, tartaric and citric acids. About 50 gms of Papaya contain 30 calories. It has Vitamin A and C in abundance. The most important element in Papaya is Pepsin, which helps in digestion and cures the digestive disorders. Pepsin is capable of breaking the tough elements of food like meat to help proper digestion. It can break open the outer layer covering certain germs like T.B. germs and hence very good for T.B. patients.

Papaya keeps the arteries supple by reducing cholesterol level in the blood. Papaya has the capacity to store good-effect of sunlight and hence has good amount of Vitamin D also in it. Vitamin C in Papaya keeps the skin glowing and cures bone deformities along with phosphorous content in it. Vitamin A ensures healthy growth of body, sharp eye sight and suppleness of limbs.

Not only the pulp but the milk of papaya is an ideal skin lotion to cure skin troubles such as eczema, leucoderma, oriental sore etc.

While what is mentioned below is mostly valid for ripe papaya fruit, raw papaya can be used as a vegetable to help cure all sorts of stomach ailments. Also to quickly tender meat, raw papaya can be added while cooking.

Papaya used as medicine for the following ailments/ diseases/ disorders.

1.Digestive and Allied disorders:

Use raw papaya as vegetable. Should not add lots of spices and chillies to it.

For chronic patients of constipation only ripe papaya is recommended at breakfast. In a week or two, the bowel movements become normal and the person can have normal breakfast there after.

2.Dysentry:

Daily consumption of ripe papaya and raw papaya’s vegetable helps cure this problem.

3.Piles:

Due to its purgative and healing qualities, regular intake of ripe papaya helps cure the piles. Eat ripe papaya in the morning with empty stomach and include raw papaya vegetable at lunch / dinner. Applying milk of raw papaya on the haemorrhoids after d*fecation makes the skin around anus firm and smooth. In case of itching, add coconut oil to the papaya milk and apply.

4.Jaundice:

Papaya eating improves the functioning of liver. Take 10 gms of fresh raw papaya milk and have it with a piece of sugar candy. Eat radish as salad and drink fresh sugar cane juice in addition to cure this ailment.

5.Worms in Stomach:

Take papaya vegetable and papaya raita with about 3 gms of essence of Pepsin mixed in it.

6.Heart Ailment/ High Blood pressure:

Papaya reduces cholesterol level and thus makes the artery non-blocking. Ripe papaya is a must for heart patients to be taken at breakfast or evening tea but not in night.

7.Diabetes:

In diabetes, all kinds of fruit eating is forbidden except Papaya which can be taken in all forms. The patient can drink water in which papaya leaves have been soaked for half an hour. In addition long walks and diet control is essential. Karela(bitter gourd) juice drunk over Papaya fruit brings speedy recovery.

8.Dark Freckles and Pimples on the Face:

Papaya offers both internal and external treatment for this. For internal treatment eat ripe papaya. For external, rub the pulp(quite cold) of ripe papaya over face . Leave for a few minutes and then wash with cold water. Continue for two weeks. The pimples will go making the face glow with shine.

Papaya is useful for cure / control of the following ailments also:-

Loose motions; Spleen, Liver troubles and stomach tumour; Plague, Cholera; High Fever; Pain in the body due to trapped wind; Stones in the Gall-Bladder; Menstrual Disturbance; Lack of milk in breasts of mother; Diptheria; Enlargement of liver in children; Vomitting; Gum-boil; Tonsilitis; Blood Impurity; Eczema and other skin diseases; Elephantitis; Scorpion-bite.

Papaya can be used for making good dishes such as Vegetable of papaya; Pickle; Kofta; Kheer and Halwa.

For details please refer to Diamond Pocket Books [ New Delhi] series “PAPAYA” by Ayurvedacharya Vipul Rao.

I have successfully tried papaya for control of diabetes and digestive disorders, reduction of blood cholesterol and have recommended to friends with positive results.

Caution: Too much eating of Papaya causes yellow colouration in the palm in hand due to presence of carrotene, giving rise to suspicion of jaundice [ which actually is not].