HEALTH BENEFITS OF PAPAYA FRUIT

HEALTH BENEFITS OF PAPAYA FRUIT

Christopher Columbus, an Italian voyager once referred to papayas as the fruit of the angels. The fruit which is extremely rich in Vitamin C has a wide range of health benefits making it a great fruit option to include in your diet. Here are some of the top health benefits of papaya.

1. LOWERS CHOLESTEROL

Papaya is rich in fibre, Vitamin C and antioxidants which prevent cholesterol build up in your arteries. Too much cholesterol build-up can lead to several heart diseases including heart attack and hypertension.

2. HELPS IN WEIGHT LOSS

Those looking to lose weight must include papaya in their diet as it is very low in calories. The fibre content in papaya leaves you feeling full and also clears your bowel movement making your weight loss regime easier.

3. BOOSTS YOUR IMMUNITY

Your immunity system acts as a shield against various infections that can make you really sick. A single papaya contains more than 200% of your daily requirement of Vitamin C, making it great for your immunity.

4. GOOD FOR DIABETICS

Papaya is an excellent food option for diabetics as it has a low-sugar content even though it is sweet to taste. Also, people who don’t have diabetes can eat papaya to prevent it from happening.

5. GREAT FOR YOUR EYES

Papaya is rich in Vitamin A which helps protect your vision from degenerating. Nobody wants to lose their ability to see due to diseases like age-related macular degeneration, and eating papayas will ensure that you do not see a day where you cannot see.

6. PROTECTS AGAINST ARTHRITIS

Arthritis can be a really debilitating disease and people who have it may find their quality of life reduced significantly. Eating papayas are good for your bones as they have anti-inflammatory properties along with Vitamin C which helps in keeping various forms of arthritis at bay. A study published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases showed that people who consumed foods low in Vitamin C were three times more likely to have arthritis than those who didn’t.

7. IMPROVES DIGESTION

In today’s times, it is near impossible to avoid eating foods that are bad for your digestive system. Often we find ourselves eating junk food or restaurant food prepared in excessive quantities of oil. Eating a papaya daily can make up for such occasional mistakes, as it has a digestive enzyme known as papain along with fibre which helps improve your digestive health.

8. HELPS EASE MENSTRUAL PAIN

Women who are experiencing menstrual pain should help themselves to several servings of papaya, as an enzyme called papain helps in regulating and easing flow during menstrual periods.

9. PREVENTS SIGNS OF AGEING

All of us would love to stay young forever, but no one in this world has managed to do it. Still, healthy habits like eating a papaya daily will prolong the process and may make you look 5 years younger than you are. Papaya is rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin E and antioxidants like beta-carotene which helps prevent your skin from free radical damage keeping wrinkles and other signs of ageing at bay.

10. PREVENTS CANCER

Papaya is a rich source of antioxidants, phytonutrients and flavonoids that prevent your cells from undergoing free radical damage. Some studies have also linked the consumption papaya to reduced risk of colon and prostate cancer.

11. HELPS REDUCE STRESS

After working hard for the whole day, it is a good idea to come home to a plate a papayas. The wonder fruit is rich in several nutrients like Vitamin C which can keep you free from stress. According to a study conducted in University of Alabama, found that 200 mg of Vitamin C can help regulate the flow of stress hormones in rats.

Papaya Varieties and Their Characteristics

Papaya Varieties and Their Characteristics

COORG HONEY DEW : Popularly known as 'Madhubindu' and is cultivated for table as well as processing purpose. The variety bears greenish-yellow oblong-shaped fruits with orange thick flesh and good flavour. The variety can be maintained pure by growing in isolation. Due to its excellent fruit quality it fetches good market value.

PUSA DWARF : It is a dioecious variety with dwarf plants and medium-sized (1-2 kg) oval fruits. The plant starts bearing from 25 to 30 cm above-ground level and is comparatively drought hardy. This variety is very suitable for high-density planting.

PUSA GIANT : Plants are vigorous, sturdy and tolerant to strong wind. It is a dioecious cultivar with big-sized (2.5-3 kg) fruits, suitable for canning industry.

PUSA MAJESTY : A gynodioecious line, tolerant to viral diseases and root knot nematodes. The variety is suitable for papain production and is comparable to C0.2 variety for papain yield. The fruits are medium-sized, 1- 1.5 kg in weight, round in shape and have better keeping quality. It starts fruiting 146 days from the time of transplanting. The variety is tolerant to root knot nematode.

PUSA DELICIOUS : This is a gynodioecious line with medium-tall plants, starts yielding 8 months after planting and has good quality fruits (10°-13° Brix). The fruit is medium-sized (1-2 kg) with deep orange flesh having excellent flavour. It is grown as a table purpose variety.

PUSA DWARF : Medium size fruits, oval in shape and suitable for high-density planting.

CO.1 : It is selection from cultivar Ranchi done by TNAU, Coimbatore. The plant is dwarf in habit, producing the first fruit within 60-75 cm from the ground level. Fruit is medium-sized, spherical, has smooth greenish-yellow skin, flesh orange-yellow, soft, firm. It is moderately juicy with good keeping-quality. The objectionable papain odour is practically absent in the fruits.

CO.2 : It is a selection purified from a local type at Agricultural College and Research Institute, Coimbatore. Fruits are medium-sized, obovate, greenish yellow, ridged at the apex, flesh red in colour, soft to firm, moderately juicy with good keeping-quality. It is a suitable type for extraction of papain. It gives 4-6g dried papain/fruit or 250-300 kg papain/ha.

CO. 3 : The fruit of this hybrid (CO. 2 x Sun Rise Solo) is larger in size when compared with Solo and exhibits all the desirable attributes of Solo. Total soluble solids (TSS) is as high as 13.8° Brix and average fruit weight ranges from 1-1.5 kg. The fruits have a good keeping quality. Each tree yields 100-120 fruits in two years.

CO. 5 : It is a selection from Washington and isolated for its high papain production. It produces consistently 14-15 g dry papain/fruit. It gives 75-80 fruits/tree in two years with an average yield of 1,500-1,600 kg dried papain/ha.

WASHINGTON : It is a table purpose variety. Fruits are round to ovate, medium-large in size with few seeds. When ripe, skin attains a bright yellow colour. The average weight of fruit ranges from 1.5-2 kg. Male and female plants are separate.

SOLO : It is a table purpose variety. The fruits are small with deep pink pulp and a sweet taste. Excellent for kitchen garden.

RANCHI : It is a variety from Bihar and popular in south India. The fruits are oblong with dark yellow pulp and sweet taste.

IIHR39 AND IIHR54 : Developed at IIHR, Bangalore. This variety bears medium sized sweet fruit with high TSS (14.5° Brix) and better shelf life.

TAIWAN-785 : This variety is cultivated for table as well as processing purpose. The plant is dwarf in habit, producing the first fruit within 60-75 cm from the ground level. Fruits are oblong with thick orange red sweet pulp. Each tree yields 100-125 fruits in one year. It has a good keeping quality and disease tolerant.

TAIWAN-786 : It is a gynodioecious variety cultivated for table as well as processing purpose. The fruits are oblong with a tasty sweet pulp having few seeds. The plant starts bearing fruits from 100 cm above the ground level. The fruit weigh between 1-3 kg and has excellent keeping quality.