Not only is papaya a great tasting tropical fruit, it is filled with nutrients and has some incredible, and surprising, benefits to our health.
Let’s dive into what this fruit has to offer us.
Digestion
When people think about papaya for health benefits, it is most commonly thought of for digestion support. And it’s great for that! It is full of naturally occurring enzymes including papain, protease, lipase, and bromelain which all help in the digestion of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Plus, these enzymes help you better absorb the nutrients in your food. It is best to take papaya enzymes after you eat your meal and you can take them as needed throughout the day.
But papaya supplements can actually go beyond digestion support.
Immune Boosting Properties
Immune function and papaya have not usually been thought of together until recently. Papaya is rich in Vitamin C, E, B Vitamins, and antioxidants like beta carotene. Beta Carotene is well known for supporting healthy lungs.
Certain protease enzymes (papain & bromelain) have shown benefits in improving the composition, physical characteristics, and function of Mucus. When taken on an empty stomach, these proteases are absorbed into the bloodstream. That way they can exert systemic effects including effects on mucus.
Papain decreases the thickness of the mucus. At the same time, it increases mucus production and the ciliary transport of the mucus. The net effect is more mucus that is effective in neutralizing microbes and moving them out of the body. To read more on this topic, you can click here.
Heart Health
All those antioxidants present in papaya really help keep your HDL cholesterol (this is the good kind) in range. Having a proper balance of HDL and LDL cholesterol helps promote a healthy heart.
One study followed people who took a fermented papaya supplement for 14 weeks. After the 14 weeks, participants reported less inflammation and a better ratio of “bad” LDL to “good” HDL than people given a placebo.
Papaya Supplements
Papaya is a tropical fruit. That’s why you don’t see it in the grocery story very often. So, in the “off season,” you can take a supplement and still get the benefits of this fruit.
Our friends at American Health offer some great papaya enzymes in both original and super strength. While packaged as a digestive enzyme, you can receive the same benefits of eating the fruit as you can with the supplement form. To learn more about their products you can visit their website.
Read more about digestive enzyme supplements here.
Need more reasons to supplement with Papaya? If you get the right supplement like the American Health supplement above, you can stay away from sneaky GMOs.
Want to Learn More?
If you want to learn more about papaya or any other supplements we carry, come by and see us at the store. Our staff is happy to serve you. Want more personalized advice? You can book a wellness consultation with one of our experts.
