Food Facts: What Is Papaya Good For?

One way to check for papaya’s ripeness is by pressing your thumb into the flesh. 2 In addition, red papaya is ripe when the skin green-yellow, and should have a bright orange-red flesh. Yellow papaya, on the other hand, is ripe when both the skin and the flesh turn yellow-orange. Recommended ways to eat papaya includes drinking its juice, which is sometimes added to other natural fruit juices because of its pleasing taste, but it’s also wonderful in salads, salsa, and of course, all by itself. 3

Each country that cultivates papaya has their own variety, developed from various breeding programs. The table below provides an oversight on the most popular selections: 4

Vitamin C is one of the strong points of papaya, providing 144 percent of the daily recommended value per serving, 5 which is great as an infection fighter as well as a free radical-scavenging antioxidant. This nutrient has various functions throughout your body. Various studies indicate that increased vitamin C consumption may help battle high blood pressure, reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, 6, 7 significantly lower the risk of developing gout, 8 improve iron absorption 9 and boost the production of immune system cells. 10

Other vitamins include vitamin A, which may help protect your eyes from age-related decline, 11 lower the risk of certain cancers 12, 13, 14, 15 and strengthen the skeletal system.16 Papaya provides folate, 17 and good amounts of fiber and potassium, a cell and body fluid component that helps control heart rate and blood pressure. 18

The B vitamins in papayas such as folic acid, pyridoxine (vitamin B6), riboflavin, and thiamin (vitamin B1) are called “essential” because they’re required by your body, but not produced by your body, so they need an outside source to provide what is needed to metabolize – that’s why including foods like papaya in your diet is important. 19

Other studies have shown that papaya has antioxidant effects, which may help lower the damage of oxidative stress in the elderly and those affected with prediabetes, mild hypothyroidism and liver disease. 20, 21, 22, 23 In other studies, papaya has been found to help reduce inflammatory markers throughout your body.24, 25, 26, 27

Papayas contain 212 amino acids and several enzymes, including papain, a proteolytic enzyme that may help ease muscle soreness. 28 Papain may also help relieve irritable bowel syndrome, constipation and heartburn. 29

However, it’s important that you consume papayas in moderation, as they contain fructose, which may be harmful to your health in excessive amounts.

Two genetically modified varieties of papaya were introduced to Hawaii in the 1990s, making papaya the first GM food to be introduced to the food supply in the U.S. For more information, read “Everything You HAVE TO KNOW about Dangerous Genetically Modified Foods.”