The papaya is considered to be one of the healthiest fruits to eat and to some the most nutritious fruit of all. In 1992, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a Washington-based consumer group that studies nutrition, compared forty fruits for their overall healthfulness. Based on a point system awarded to each fruit for the RDA percentage of the nine vitamins plus estimations for potassium and fiber, the papaya was number one, followed by cantaloupe, strawberries, oranges, and tangerines. Papayas are not only nutritious they are also delicious.
Papaya is rich in an enzyme called papain, a protease which is useful in tenderizing meat, and other proteins. Its utility is in breaking down the tough meat fibers and it has been utilized for thousands of years in its native South America. It is included as a component in powdered meat tenderizers. Papaya enzyme is also marketed in tablet form to remedy digestive problems. Papain is extremely useful since it retains proteolytic activity over a wide pH range, unlike other proteases. Thus, it is in more widespread use than bromelain, the proteolytic enzyme found in pineapple juice.
As a medicinal product, papain is used in some cultures to remedy gastrointestinal and similar ailments. The ripe fruit, when eaten fresh, improves food digestion and is reported to have a complimentary laxative effect. Its proteolytic enzymes work together to break down complex proteins to produce small peptides and amino acids that can be better utilized or transported to other parts of the body.
The Various Uses of the Papaya:
- Disinfectant
- Stomach Ulcers
- Aids in Fevers
- Indigestion
- Celiac Disease
- Crohn’s Disease
- Digestive Enzyme
So Why Take Enzymes?:
Important Things to Remember:
- The source of most health problems can be traced directly back to improperly digested foods.
- The human body is designed to break down only half of the food we eat.
- Cooked and processed foods overwork and drain the human body’s energy.
- Improperly digested food particles in the bloodstream distract the protectors and repairers away from doing their job.
- Fat is the best source of energy, fully digested fat is good fat.
- It has been clinically proven that the more enzymes you take the more quickly your body can restore, repair and strengthen itself.
- The combination of digestive enzymes, vitamins, ionic minerals and clean water gives your body the support it desperately needs.
- We have a choice, to add to the body’s ability to protect or repair, or to continually and slowly drain the body’s energy and enzyme reserves. Your choice will be a determining factor in your long-term health.