Unripe Papaya – Health Benefits, Uses and Important Facts

Raw or unripe papaya is packed with health benefits. It is touted to be a powerhouse of nutrients, and it is available all year round. 

The raw papaya plant is a fruit plant that is good for your health. The papaya tree is called Carica papaya Linn and is a member of the Caricaceae family. It was brought to India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Hawaii, the Philippines, and South Africa from southern Mexico and Costa Rica, where it was first found. Papaya is commonly called papita, papaia, pawpaw, papayabaum and arabd-kharpuja.

What is unripe papaya?

Unripe green papaya is raw papaya that comes from a small perennial plant called Carica papaya. It is mostly found in tropical areas. Green, unripe papaya is thought to be good for your health because it is full of important nutrients like vitamins, proteins, phytonutrients, and enzymes like papain and chymopapain.

Health benefits of unripe papaya:

1. It helps the body digest food. Green papaya has an enzyme called papain that helps the body digest food when it doesn't have enough gastric juice. It helps when the intestines are irritated or when the stomach has too much mucus.

2. Calms inflammation: The anti-inflammatory properties of green papaya help people with asthma, osteoarthritis, gout, and rheumatoid arthritis. It also has vitamin A, which makes the inflammation in smokers' lungs go down. Tonsils that are swollen can also be helped by fresh green papaya juice.

3. Gets rid of toxins: Green papaya helps the body get rid of toxins or free radicals. Green papaya's laxative fibres bind to cancer-causing toxins and get rid of them when you go to the bathroom. It also helps with diarrhoea, piles, and constipation.

4. Green papaya is good for skin infections. Green papaya is good for the skin in many ways when it is eaten. When green papaya is put on psoriasis, acne, skin discoloration, freckles, or inflamed skin, it can make a big difference.

5. Arrests Bad cholesterol: Green papaya is full of nutrients, and green papaya that isn't ripe yet is full of antioxidants that help prevent strokes and heart attacks.

6. Helps with menstrual pain: This food is good for women who are having a hard time. When you eat unripe papaya, the muscles in your womb tighten, making your period easy and regular. It also stops the period from stopping.

7. Regulates Bowel Movements: Because green papaya is anti-parasitic and anti-amoebic, it can help control bowel movements, which can help with constipation, indigestion, acid reflux, ulcers, heartburn, and other stomach problems.

8. Green papaya keeps your heart healthy by keeping your blood flow steady and keeping an eye on the amount of sodium in your body. This makes it less likely that your heart will get sick.

9. Helps you lose weight: Lots of people eat raw papaya to lose weight. Papaya is full of vitamins A, E, and E, which can help you lose weight.

10. Boosts the growth of mammary glands: The enzymes in green papaya make mammary glands grow and increase the production of hormones that make breasts bigger. The vitamin A in it makes the ovaries make more oestrogen and other female hormones.

How to cook raw papaya?

Raw papaya can be eaten raw in salads if it is grated, or it can be cut into cubes and steamed for 5–7 minutes, cooked on the stove with a little water, or pressure cooked for one whistle.