Papaya - What Is It Useful Or Can Harm Us
Author: Ivan Red Jr.
Time for reading: ~1
minutes
Last Updated:
August 08, 2022
Although it is one of the most useful and healthy foods, papaya carries a risk of allergic reactions.
A real treasure trove of vitamins, this sunflower has a healing effect on the heart, supports the immune system and has pronounced anti-inflammatory effects. For some, however, it also hides a grim, dangerous secret.
Sweet and juicy with a soft texture, papaya is called the "fruit of angels" by Christopher Columbus. Exotic some time ago can now be found all year round in large chain stores.
Compared o rientirovachniya daily intake ( PMF ), a medium-sized fruit of about 300 grams contain 313% of the daily dose of vitamin C . And that's not all! It also contains vitamin A - 67% ODP, vitamin E - 11%, vitamin K - 10%. The calories in a fruit of the same weight are only 6% of the recommended daily dose.
As with avocados and bananas, papaya contains substances called chitinases , which are linked to fruit and latex allergy syndrome . If there is an intolerance to artificial rubber and latex products, the "fruit of angels" can be damn harmful, swallowed raw. Its heat treatment can deactivate the enzymes, but this is not certain and the risk remains too high.
When choosing papaya, you need to know when and how it will be consumed. If you are going to eat it raw for a day or two, the fruit should be reddish-orange in color, slightly soft to the touch. Yellowish ones do not have a pleasant taste and they need up to several days to ripen. After that, however, they spoil quickly.
If the papaya is green, it is only suitable for cooking or for the specific Asian salad. A few dark spots on the surface of the fruit will not damage its taste, but if it is bruised or too soft, its taste and nutritional characteristics are already extremely deteriorated.
Most people discard black seeds , but they are actually edible and have a slight peppery taste. They can be chewed whole or mashed as an addition to salads.
The highest levels of antioxidants in papaya are available when the fruit is fully ripe and healthy.