Papaya is also known as pawpaw is a popular fruit known around the world for its sweet taste and nutrition; many people concentrate on the fruit only and throw away the seeds, well this is good as it helps put a new papaya tree in the place the seeds were thrown.
In this article I want to tell you the amazing health benefits of papaya seeds; new scientific research done on these seeds has made the importance of these little seeds known to man.
These tiny, dark seeds are nutrient packed and they help in healing all forms of illnesses and they help to maintain a healthy immune system and a healthy body; they even eject worms and can even help as a natural contraceptive.
Though the tastes of these seeds are not pleasant to the taste buds, they are warehouses of nutrients that can’t be overlooked. Below are some of the tremendous health benefits of papaya seeds.
They are packed full with rich enzymes
The seeds of papaya are rich with high levels of Proteolytic enzymes; these enzymes help the body to get rid of parasites and they also break down the eggs of parasites.
It treats skin problems
They make the skin healthy and prevent aging; they prevent wrinkles, age line and other signs of aging, due to their rich nutrients, they can help the skin to rejuvenate. They are rich in various amino acids like leucine and glycine that prevent skin problems and rapid aging.
They aid normal digestion of food
These seeds are loaded with digestive enzymes that will enable your body to process, absorb and utilize the food with ease; it also normalize the acidic environment in the intestine and makes it uncomfortable for worms and other parasites to reside there.
These seeds in general support a stronger and healthier digestive system.
They increase appetite
These seeds increase appetite; vigor and vitality to the body.
They detoxify the body
These seeds have powerful detoxifying properties; they effectively get rid of toxins, waste and harmful byproducts of medications from the body.
They are packed full with powerful nutrients
These seeds have 80% of the nutrients that our body requires for healthy growth, development and maintenance; they help the body to produce new and healthy cells, consuming it regularly keeps the body healthy and strong.
They cure liver disease
These seeds help in keeping the liver healthy and they prevent and treat a lot of liver problems and diseases; they even heal scarring of the liver (cirrhosis) and taking them regularly will prevent liver problems from happening in the first place.
The Japanese believe that taking a teaspoon of papaya seeds every day protects the liver from diseases.
They are good for the eyes
These seeds help the eye to stay healthy; they help to generate new eye cells and provide all the nutrients needed by the eyes to be healthy. They also help people to recover from eye related diseases like cataracts.
They have anti-bacterial properties
They have powerful anti-bacterial properties that a small portion of these seeds keep bacteria at bay and prevent them from multiplying.
When you take these seeds, they will prevent bacteria from residing and multiplying inside your bodies; they also kill E.coli and other bacteria that cause food poisoning and cleanse the body of the highly toxic waste products of these bacteria. They also have anti-viral properties and can heal viral infections.
They fight internal parasites and their activities
The seeds of papaya contain Carpaine which is an alkaloid that kills intestinal worms and ameba parasites; they make the environment of the gastrointestinal tract hostile for these worms to live and multiply and they also help in breaking down proteins.
A study showed that Nigerian children who drank papaya seed juice for 7 days had a 75% reduction of intestinal parasites.
These seeds have the ability to dissolve the protective biofilm and fibrin that covers parasites and their eggs and protects them;
It can be used as contraceptives
These powerful seeds have the ability to reduce the production of sperm in men without any side effects; Asian women too use it to prevent pregnancy. Fertility comes back to normal when papaya seeds are no longer taken.
They prevent kidney disease
They cure kidney diseases and they also reduce the risk of kidney failure; they can also treat kidney poisoning effectively.
They fight inflammation
Papaya seeds are anti-inflammatory in nature; they help in the treatment of arthritis, swelling, redness, pain, joint diseases and other chronic diseases that have inflammation as the root cause.
They reduce the risk of cancer
These seeds contain milky sap that is powerful in preventing cancer; this milky sap is rich in Acetogenin which is a powerful cancer fighting compound.
These seeds can prevent cancer from happening and they are very effective in fighting cancer by stopping its growth and spread.
They can be used in place of pepper
These seeds have peppery taste with a little addition of bitterness; some people dry this seeds and use them in place of pepper, there are good substitute for pepper if it is not available.
They fight acne
Consuming papaya seeds regular help to clear acne and it scars; to make it more effective, you can blend papaya leaves and seeds together, add water and apply this mixture to the acne affected area and leave it for ten to fifteen minutes. Wash it off; you can repeat this twice daily.
It fights overgrowth of candida yeast
Their rich content of digestive enzymes help in changing the ecology of the intestines; it becomes favourable to good bacteria and less favourable to the bad ones like candida.
This makes it a powerful natural remedy in the treatment of candida yeast overgrowth; you can take the fresh seeds or concentrated papaya seed juice on an empty stomach two to three times daily.
It reduces period cramps and pains
These seeds relieve menstrual pain in women; this can be due to its powerful anti-inflammatory properties.
It absorbs excess fats and sugar
These seeds can burn fat; they have the ability to prevent the body from absorbing sugar, this can control weight, aid digestion process and prevents diseases.
It cures dengue fever
These seeds are powerful in curing this unpredictable and dangerous disease and it also increase the level of the blood. Take it regularly when you have dengue fever.
They aid weight loss
These seeds have the ability to help one lose weight; they prevent excess absorption of fat and sugar, they also aid in healthy digestion of food and all these can help an individual to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.
How to use papaya seeds for weight loss
Below are some suggested ways you can take papaya seeds to aid healthy weight loss.
- You can eat 12 papaya seeds with grapefruit tea every morning on an empty stomach; do this for 15 days and rest for 15 days, repeat this circle until you see result.
- You can add 15 papaya seeds to a glass of grape fruit juice and take this combination on an empty stomach every morning; this combination will get rid of excess fats and aid proper digestion of food.
- Try and chew few of these seeds daily or you can add them to your main meals, salads or drinks.
How to consume papaya seeds?
- Eat it raw: Some people can withstand its peppery and slightly bitter taste; it is not that bad and when eaten regularly, you will get used to it. You can start by eating the smaller seeds because the larger ones are more bitter, then as you get accustomed to the taste, you can eat the bigger ones and also increase the quantity. But as a learner, do not eat more than two tablespoons daily. If you still can’t stand the taste, you can try mixing it with honey.
- Use it in place of pepper: This is another way to consume papaya seeds; use mortar and pestle to crush the seeds and add it to you meals. You can also dry them and grind them into a fine or coarse powder to use when cooking. They can also be used to season meat; they can be added in salad dressings, smoothies, yogurt, fruit juices and other homemade drinks.
- You can crush or blend the fresh seeds and store them in an air tight container; put it in the fridge and it should be used before 7 days. If you want it to stay longer; store it in a freezer and thaw it before use.
Precautions
- Though found in a fruit and very tiny; these seeds are highly medicinal and should be taken in moderation. They can cause reactions when taken in excess.
- Pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid these seeds.
- Do not give these seeds to children below the age of five; their strong anti-parasitic properties can be too powerful for their stomach and this can end up causing stomach pain in young children.
- If you want to conceive, avoid these seeds.
- Patients on blood thinning medications should consult their doctor before taking these seeds because it contains papain which can increase the action of these drugs.
- Before you use these seeds to treat any ailment, please consult with a medical doctor or with an experienced herbalist.
