Papaya and its Body Fat-Burning Payoff

by Sri Regine Lherisson-Bey

Papaya is a precious and very generous gift from mother Gaia: a large, sweet, delicious fruit with an average weight of 1.5 lbs. Its numerous benefits are mostly overlooked however. For people who must or want to reduce excess body fat, papaya is an amazing fruit that may assist in restoring health and fitness, while enjoying its sweet taste and fulfilling pulp.

Benefits of Papaya

The papaya fruit is a potent antioxidant that features large amounts of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), beta carotene (Vitamin A), folate (folic acid), and fiber. All of these components of papaya contribute to better health and a more fit body due to detoxification and the regulation of metabolic functions.

Papaya also contains Xeaxanthin, a common carotenoid, pigment, and antioxidant compound that neutralizes the health-damaging effects of blue light. It is similar to lutein and protects the eyes. Blue light adversely affects the eyes and skin.

Papaya trees are natives of Central America and Mexico but grow in most tropical regions of the world, mainly India, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Indigenous people from the Caribbean, Mexico, and many subtropical areas of the world intrinsically know about the virtues of the Carica papaya tree. All parts of the papaya tree are used: the fruits as nourishing and slimming food, the seeds as vermifuge, as well as the leaves for their anti-inflammatory properties and blood sugar regulating powers.

Papaya flowers are also edible and are primarily consumed in salads and for several useful medicinal ends.

Papaya leaves also assist in restoring gastro-intestinal functions. Due to its large content of papain, an enzyme that easily breaks down protein bonds, papaya is used as meat tenderizer and as a component of marinades for culinary purposes.

Papaya Nutrition Facts

Per cup:

Water: 85%

Vitamin A: 398 mcg

Vitamin C: 88 mg

Iron: 0.8 mg

Vitamin K: 46.2 mcg

Folate: 107.2 mcg

Potassium: 267 mg

Protein: 0.17%

Fat: 0.15 %

Fiber: 0.6 %

Sugars: 14 g

Carbohydrates: 15.5 g

Ash: 0.15 g

Calories: 238 kj

Papaya seeds

As it is the case for all fruits, seeds are important because they represent information encoded in the plant’s DNA. Beware of ‘seedless papaya’.

Eating ‘seedless papaya’ might be the equivalent of buying a computer without hardware. No seed means that the fruit cannot receive any command to deliver beneficial nutrients to the organism consuming it.

Papaya juice

Many people enjoy papaya juice as a robust and refreshing drink that is known to help control one’s appetite as well as provide multiple necessary nutrients that are essential to a healthy and fit figure. When consumed with regularity, papaya is very likely to yield a well-deserved payoff for the time and efforts invested in its acquisition and preparation.

Sri Regine Lherisson-Bey with Mary Higgins Clark (D),
author of 51 bestselling books. Ellis Island, NY _ June 1999.

Sri Regine Lherisson-Bey, Ph.D. and doctorate degree candidate in Natural Medicine, is a Mind-Body Therapist, Wellness Coach, and published Author voted Wellness Expert by peer consensus in 2005. Therapist Lherisson-Bey is the author of the Kindle bestseller HOW TO DETOXIFY YOUR LIFE NATURALLY as well as the weight management program GET SLIM EFFORTLESSLY. From an original CD, the publication has evolved into an instructional picture book, an eBook, and an effective weight management program. Therapist Lherisson-Bey’s works have been featured on TV, radio, and in several magazines in the past 33 years.

In my books HOW TO DETOXIFY YOUR LIFE NATURALLY and GET SLIM EFFORTLESSLY, I provide valuable information on sensible nutrition, preventative health, as well as awareness of natural remedies for the wellness of body and mind.