Some people seem to love papaya and that’s really wonderful for them! I know it’s a good fruit all right but it’s another thing altogether to want to eat this stuff. I’m sorry to say this but the smell and taste totally puts me off. The closest I can get is to use paw paw balms! So I’m really losing out on the goodness of this fruit because it can help one reduce wrinkles, and at the same time, maintain a flat tummy.
Reduces inflammation and promotes skin healing
Papaya contains several unique protein-digesting enzymes including papain and chymopapain. These enzymes have been shown to help lower inflammation and to improve healing from burns. In addition, the antioxidant nutrients found in papaya, including vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene, are also very good at reducing inflammation. (source: WhFoods.com). So when taken frequently, papaya can help restore skin elasticity since vitamin C also helps the manufacture of collagen too. Another thing to note is that paw paw is well known for having antiseptic qualities too when applied topically and that’s the primary benefits of those paw paw balms.
Promotes a flatter tummy
Papain also aids protein digestion as it helps break down protein in the food you eat. I didn’t know too much about the connection between weight loss and papaya until Jo of Lolita mentioned to me and upon research, I found out that the potassium and fibre in papayas help to tighten the tummy. I can’t seem to locate any research backing this up but various websites on the Net do promote this information. But I remember Jo telling me that she lost weight eating this stuff so it must be able to work some magic.
Do you like papayas?
I don’t have a tummy issue but I would love to enjoy the anti-inflammatory benefits for better skin. However, I can never ever acquire the taste of eating papayas. How about you ladies? Do you like papayas? Or are you like me, having a hard time smelling the fruit even?
AtelierGal
12 Jan 2011 at 11:26 amI’m about to create havoc in town later, should buy some back from Cold Storage! I shall try mashing it and use as a mask tonight!
sesame
12 Jan 2011 at 8:52 pmOkay, eat in moderation…seems like it might cause you to change color. I wonder what will happen if Milo eats this every day? An orange Jack Russell would look quite cute…kekeke…
Audris
12 Jan 2011 at 11:37 amTrying to lose the 1kg or so I put on over the hols 🙂 Timely article.
How about doing a papaya with freshmilk shake? Or squeezing lots of lime over the papaya?
sesame
12 Jan 2011 at 8:50 pmSounds bearable with the lime but I still don’t think I can bring myself to bite into it. And not fond of milk shake…so will pass that one.
Paris B
12 Jan 2011 at 11:38 amI love papayas. But word of warning. Eat too much of it and you’ll end up with a yellow/orange tint to your skin. It happened to me (was eating a slice nearly every day – no discernable benefits to my skin nor tummy 😛 ) It took me about 2 months of abstaining from papayas before my skintone went back to normal.
Fernleafify
12 Jan 2011 at 1:36 pmMaybe the yellow skin tone is an advantage after all 😉
Eating strongly coloured vegetables and fruit such as carrots and plums makes people more attractive, according to a new British study.
Researchers at St Andrews and Bristol universities studied the relationship between skin colour and attractiveness, and found people with a yellow skin hue were perceived as particularly healthy and attractive, the Grocer magazine reported.
They also established for the first time that yellow pigments, or carotenoids, from certain fruit and vegetables played a key role in producing yellowness in skin.
Got this from: http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20110108/tls-britain-health-carrots-aeafa1b.html
sesame
12 Jan 2011 at 8:41 pmFernleafify: What an interesting report. But I suppose we won’t get used to seeing ourselves too yellow or orange. I remember a reader telling me that she can’t eat any of the colored fruits or vegetable for she’ll immediately take on the orange hue.
sesame
12 Jan 2011 at 8:49 pmParis: Ah…I remember you mentioned you love papayas! 2 months for skin tone to revert to normal? Wow wee…that’s too long! I wonder if it has something to do with our original skin tone…like the orange/yellowness takes longer to dissipate for those with lighter skin tone?
susan
9 Sep 2015 at 11:06 pmhow should i use papaya to flatten my tummy and keep it flat until forever
Dia
12 Jan 2011 at 11:57 amI was just eating this the other day…then rubbed the skin on my face as a mask. It felt very good afterwards – hydrated but also tight. 🙂
I was thinking of eating more papaya ongoing to loose weight and as a mask but didn’t know that eating it too much can cause yellow skin tone! Have to be more careful then.
sesame
12 Jan 2011 at 8:46 pmI would love to use it as a face mask but unfortunately, the smell really turns me off. I’ve tried a papaya face mask and it took me awhile to get use to it.
Ava
20 Feb 2017 at 11:26 pmHi Sesame… I am a traditional naturopathy, clinical herbalist, and holistic nutritionist. Based on the information in your article and your comments, you appear to have a natural aversion to this fruit – therefore it’s possible that it’s best you do not eat it and that your aversion is protective. In any case, there are a zillion other good foods. This isn’t a be all and end all to everyone – as we are each a little unique and require subtly different food choices. Ava Rockwell TND, CH, HN
EcoBeauty
12 Jan 2011 at 12:14 pmYes, it can definitely help you lose weight because it will improve your digestion. However, if you eat too much of it, you might get diarrhea. It’s also very good for the skin, makes it smooth and fairer–can find it in some whitening soaps and lotions.
sesame
12 Jan 2011 at 8:46 pmDiarrhea? Oh geez…I’ll definitely pass! Haha…but I think as with all things, eat with moderation.
Berry Mii
12 Jan 2011 at 12:30 pmPapaya is best when it’s not too ripe. So you can try to take the semi-ripe ones. It doesn’t taste or smell as bad as the ripe fruit. My auntie told me that the chinese newspaper did an article on the benefits of payaya, something about it’s the best fruit to take becuz of its high vitamins or something… … but as usual I wasn’t paying any attention. Now, your article is making me wonder what I missed from her speech. =\
sesame
12 Jan 2011 at 8:44 pmYes, I read that too – that the papains are found in those that are not too ripe.
Shimin
12 Jan 2011 at 1:08 pmI didn’t know that papaya can help to lose weight! All along, I only thought that papaya can help to make boobs bigger by blending with milk or cooking it in soup. But eating too much papaya will lead to yellowish skin. So must moderate the intake.
sesame
12 Jan 2011 at 8:42 pmAh…I remember that boobs increasing recipe! I think it’s supposed to work pretty well but I won’t be trying. Heheh.
As for the skin color, I guess better not to eat daily or like what Jo said, drink more water.
Reese
12 Jan 2011 at 1:54 pmLove papayas with a squeeze of lemon juice or just eat it with fresh passion fruit.
I thought for beauty purpose, green papayas would be better? not eating it but adding it to a juice.
Some health food stores also sell papaya powders as well.
sesame
12 Jan 2011 at 8:39 pmNever come across green papayas…what I understand is that the papaya shouldn’t be too ripe. Is that what you mean?
Papaya powder will be interesting…hopefully not so smelly. LOL.
Jo
12 Jan 2011 at 2:10 pmIn order to get the benefits of eating papaya, you need to EAT it before meal and not after meal.
When you eat fruit after meal, all it becomes in rotten bits in the intestines as it breakdown faster than the meat/rice which is “queuing in front of the intestine”.
To get fruits to work as digestive and to let the walls of your stomach receive the benefits, you need to eat FRUIT before meal. The fruits acid will help with the stomach acid to breakdown the meal faster.
Eating papaya 30mins before meal, the papain and the vitamins will search for fats (which will be from “storage”) and start breaking them down. Which is why if you eat plenty papaya, you can loose stools.
To dilute the effect of yellowness, drink 30% more water during the day to pass the excess out.
Jo of Lolita
sesame
12 Jan 2011 at 8:38 pmI remember you mentioned about eating before meal…and great that there is a way to negate the yellowness! 🙂
Bertha
25 Mar 2012 at 11:47 pmDear Jo,
I live in papaya country and have never heard of anyone getting a change of skin color. Here we eat papaya for or before breakfast every day and we feel great. Sometimes we blend the fruit with water and mango or strawberries or an orange or lemon juice or melon to avoid the strong and boring taste. Yes, you loose weight and your skin glows.
Ava
20 Feb 2017 at 11:28 pmThis is great information – even as a holistic nutritionist, I am bombarded with conflicting information but this is sound advice – I am going to do a papaya experiment, because it is a natural laxative, and I would like to get off of my Natural Calm if anyone is familiar. In any case, you can look for that on my blog avarockwell.com and rootcausenaturopathy.com
stella
12 Jan 2011 at 3:21 pminteresting, i never knew. i don’t particularly like papayas myself, the smell just puts me off. but since i don’t cook, i don’t complain about what my mom serves at home so i do eat papaya i think at least once a week or two? well, no complaints then, it can’t be bad for me!
sesame
12 Jan 2011 at 8:37 pmIt’s good that you at least eat it on some days. I don’t touch this fruit at all!
Ava
20 Feb 2017 at 11:29 pmIt’s so interesting that some are really repulsed by the scent!! And so funny Sesame that you won’t touch it lol. Kind of cute!
Ava last post is: Miscellaneous Qoutes
Soos
12 Jan 2011 at 7:02 pmI’ll have to tell my husband about this, as he eats 1/2 papaya every morning. He has lost weight by eating that and a banana in addition to his cereal and coffee.
I’m the one buying the papayas at the open market, and I’d rather eat blueberries, bananas, kiwi, apple or oranges!
sesame
12 Jan 2011 at 8:33 pmOh he has lost weight? My hubby eats banana but without the papaya. I wonder if I should tell him cos he will stuff himself with that if he knows! 😛
Lily Evangelene
12 Jan 2011 at 8:34 pmMy dad loves papayas. He will always be seen with a papaya and offering me with some. I love papayas especially when they taste really sweet. You need to choose the right one, or they taste bland. I love papayas blended with milk and I also love bananas blended with milk. Papayas and Bananas sound like a good rhyme and give my tummy a good time. Btw, I am starting a new blog called Green Promises. I am all for the greens!
Jiya
13 Jan 2011 at 1:37 amI Love papayas. I eat it everyday and i feel guilty when I skip a day without eating it. It’s miraculous in curing acne if being eaten and applied in face daily.
<3
sesame
13 Jan 2011 at 8:33 amYou eat daily? Do you get the yellowness or orange hue in your skintone that the others talked about?
Swathy
13 Jan 2011 at 2:30 amyayyyyyy….I love papaya 🙂 its amazing as a face mask too…
sesame
13 Jan 2011 at 8:32 amOh…sounds really nice. Wish I am not so averse to the smell. 🙁
angel
13 Jan 2011 at 12:18 pmLols.. I’ half half.. Not really like papaya.. When you eat too much it give you yellow skin!! Actually not only papaya. But tomato, carrot, pumpkim too.
sesame
13 Jan 2011 at 6:30 pmYa…I heard. I guess it’s good to alternate eating colored fruits. My safe bet is apples. 🙂
N.
13 Jan 2011 at 1:10 pmGosh, I hate papaya. I just can’t stand it. But maybe mixing it with something in the form of a milkshake or something would be bearable.
sesame
13 Jan 2011 at 6:28 pmThat won’t be bearable for me either.
babybunii
13 Jan 2011 at 1:52 pmIt will not have tat strong smell if its not tat ripe.
Nowadays , i always buy papaya home and cook for awhile.. i like eating it warm..
It helps to move my bowels.. but eating it before food is not good for the stomach esp when ur stomach is weak..
Heard tat green papaya can boost the bustline, not sure if yellow papaya has the effect too?
is hard to get green papaya in supermarket..
sesame
13 Jan 2011 at 6:28 pmI am also not sure if we have it here. We used to have a papaya tree at home and I guess that’s why I grew averse, being forced to eat it as a child.
Fresh
13 Jan 2011 at 3:08 pmWhen I am not travelling, I eat a side plate portion of Papaya every evening for a snack.
No difference in my color tone!
Where is the problem in havng some color rather than have a white washed look?
I eat a banana every morning with freshly squeezed juice of BeetRoot, Celery, Green Apple and Bottle Gourd.
Green Papaya is what the Thai Papaya Salad is made of. Yummy!
sesame
13 Jan 2011 at 6:25 pmI guess for some ladies, the color might be too yellow and unflattering. I don’t know…since I don’t eat it. 😛
Your diet sounds really healthy!
fwy
14 Jan 2011 at 9:57 amI love papaya for their high fibre; and since it is a tropical fruit, it is cheaper. In fact, I consume papaya in the morning either before or after my breakfast on a daily basis. No wonder my waist is so small and I had problems buying pants and skirts. You can always mix them with a salad or with other fruits if you do not like to eat papaya on its own.
sesame
14 Jan 2011 at 3:31 pmI still don’t like papaya in salad. Kind of yikes for me. Maybe the green one is bearable.
Liesl
17 Jan 2011 at 1:05 amI’ve been eating papaya everyday (almost) for past two years. So far I’ve not turned yellow or orange. I take about two slices per day. But I have also seen a friend turned orange after taking carrots orange and papaya juice daily for a month. Took her a long time to get back to her original shade. Someone told me before if one eats too much orange food, going under the morning sun for about 20 mins daily can help to prevent skin turning orange.
sesame
17 Jan 2011 at 10:17 amI guess it depends on individual…I know a reader mentioned she can’t eat any such colored fruits or vegetables at all and her condition sounds like the friend you mentioned.
Lori
31 Jan 2011 at 8:00 amI love, love, love papaya! I never really smell it but I love the taste and texture of it so much that I eat it everyday in rather large quantities! I have a vast supply of papaya because I moved to Puerto Rico seven months ago. For the first time in many years, I have been able to lose weight. I lost a total of 22 pounds without ever being hungry and I think it has a lot to do with the papaya I eat!
sesame
31 Jan 2011 at 9:13 amWow, another great testimony after papaya helping you to lose weight! Glad you enjoy the fruit as much too. 🙂
Ava
20 Feb 2017 at 11:32 pmI love it too… to me, it is fruit paradise. I am very anti-fruit when it comes to some. I advocate for lemons, limes, berries, cherries, pomegranate, figs, and avocados… and papayas. But not so much for other conventional fruits, especially during weight loss. In any case, moderation is key – esp for apples, bananas and things that taste like fruit ie., sweet potatoes! rootcausenaturopathy.com & avarockwell.com
Ava last post is: Miscellaneous Qoutes
Carrie
16 Mar 2011 at 4:46 amooooh! I am just like you, can’t stand the smell and taste of papaya despite knowing the fact it will do women good 🙁 Lots of Asian women also said by eating papaya (especially papaya milkshake, but can’t stand milk either! Ewwww) it promotes breast growth as well, or something along these lines… Sadly I don’t think I will ever benefit from this magical fruit, unless there’s this wonderful recipe to completely remove the smell of it =P
sesame
16 Mar 2011 at 9:24 amHaha…same here! Anyway, I also don’t like the mushy texture but I suppose the smell turns me off most!
LISIE
2 Feb 2013 at 2:21 amYou can use almond milk
haitiie
17 Apr 2011 at 10:22 amhey, i ate papaya almost everyday. i love papaya since the day i was born, i didn’t know that papaya can make your boobs bigger, is that true? but the fact that i have a big boobs, which a little too big for my tummy, and my mom’s boobs is not as big as mine, oh my god what should i do then? i want to decrease my boobies size. haha. should i eat less papaya?
but it’s true that papaya is good for your skin. i’m asian, sure my skin is yellowish, but not that yellow as papaya. 🙂
and yes, my skin is super ellastic, i’m 21 but i dont look like one, hurray.
if you don’t like the smell of papaya, try to mix them with lemon water, or some lime zest, with a lil sugar if you dont like the taste. enjoy papaya!
haitiie
17 Apr 2011 at 10:32 amoh i also eat papaya with yogurt. yum!
sesame
17 Apr 2011 at 8:31 pmOh add with lemon…hmm…that’s an idea. 😉
Haha…if you’re concerned about the size of your boobs, maybe cut down the intake of papaya and see if it helps?
Ava
20 Feb 2017 at 11:35 pmOk I need to get out of here I have work to do but I keep seeing so many good comments on Sesame’s article! Ok so I recently read that where these are native, Hawaii? And some place else I think that the women there try to eat as many as possible to make them fertile and give larger breasts… but of course, it isn’t true, right!!!! You would probably have to eat as many as you have. The thing is I am slightly obsessed with this fruit. I love its color… I love the smell… I love the tropical aspect of it… it’s origins and love affair with the sun and all manner of it’s perfection… but I don’t think it will make my breasts larger, but you can follow up when I post my blog piece about my papaya experiment at avarockwell.com
Ava last post is: Miscellaneous Qoutes
Bevvy
3 Jan 2012 at 12:56 amCan you miss the papaya with another fruit and still get the weight loss effect for a flatter tummy?
Rene
21 Sep 2012 at 9:04 pmNever knew pawpaw was that nutritional , I will countinue to eat. But then which of them ? The GREEN or YELLOW? Please reply.
Sesame
21 Sep 2012 at 10:23 pmI believe they’re both nutritious but the green ones are more common for inclusion in dishes.
amanda
31 Oct 2012 at 11:08 amsuper convenient!!!! at whole foods in the frozen fruit section 5oz pouches of papaya puree for smoothies, I usually just thaw them while working out for a refreshing snack afterwards like to mix in yogurt too
Papaya lover
18 Dec 2012 at 3:23 pmI have had papaya for more than 2 months,I eat it everyday as a cure for my digestion problems, I never knew about its benefits to skin,,,but I noticed a drastic change in my skin ,,,I was glowing!!! I couldn’t believe my eyes but I never looked yellow or orangish. This is something that I heard for the first time…..
Sesame
19 Dec 2012 at 9:12 pmGood that you haven’t changed color…it might not happen for all though. But certainly wonderful to know it makes your skin glow.
LISIE
2 Feb 2013 at 2:12 amYou can make a smoothie mixing 2 cups of papaya and one banana. I add 2 tablespoons of roasted sesame and a little bit of unsweetened almond milk. 🙂 The banana helps a lot with the flavor. You can add to the smoothie any other fruit you like.
Virginia Greenwood-Warner
5 Feb 2013 at 7:30 pmDislike the smell of Paw Paw but then somehow someone gave me a Papaya and oh wow – can’t get enough of this stuff. Doesn’t have the same smell as Paw Paw and it is sweeter.
Raven
15 Feb 2013 at 12:18 pmI have had the glow I buy the papayas dice them then freeze them. In the morning I take some from my frozen batch and juice with water or other fruits. I do go regular and the glow its’s amazing. It’s not like a halo but my face has this oil that makes it look glowie not shiny. Before I started eating papaya months ago only because I heard its best at preventing certain cancers. After a while people kept asking me what was I doing or if I was prego because I had a glow to my face. After a while I stop taking the papaya and the glow was gone face went back to dull. Before I knew what was making my face glow I retrace my steps on what I did different and I remembered I stop drinking the papaya. I then came online to read up on it and that’s what confirmed it for me. So I went out and got more froze them and started drinking by juicing in the morning it’s the first thing I drink in the morning before eating breakfast. I also take it with chia seeds in gel form when I juice my papaya.
Raven
15 Feb 2013 at 12:38 pmP.S : I also mix cucumbers with my papaya when juicing it in the morning. I do the same thing buy and dice cucumber and mix with papaya and freeze. Cucumbers helps with the skin as well and helps to grow hair and nails this daily in the morning is a power house. I don’t care for the taste but seeing the way my face looks and going regular motivates me.
Millye
31 May 2013 at 11:50 pmI am Caribbean, I grew up on this stuff, can’t get enough of it..I do papaya smoothies 2x daily…love it
Sesame
1 Jun 2013 at 4:03 pmWow, 2x daily. That’s a lot of papaya! But do you see the benefits as mentioned in the post?
Olabisi
3 Aug 2013 at 12:20 amI don’t like pawpaw at all. But somehow I was moved to buy some today. I haven’t had anything but the pawpaw all day and I can already tell it’s doing something to my stomach. I think I’m gonna stick to it for awhile as I’m trying to lose my tummy fat. 🙂
Sesame
3 Aug 2013 at 10:27 pmI know…I dislike the smell and taste but glad it’s doing something for you to stick it out.
Theresa
7 Apr 2015 at 4:11 pmI love papaya, I eat unripe and ripe papaya every day, and drink lemon with Luke warm water and honey, It helps a lot of my addictions of drinking coffee 4 times a day, I feel I can only drink 1 cup per day, and sometime i feel not necessary to sip a cup of coffee in my breakfast, and my brother have addictions of alcohol consumption too he drunk 2 cans of beer every day now reduce to only 1 can a week. He say that he’s body feel its full and his stomach strange, he lose a lot of weight.
Last week my stomach is emty i grab papaya in the morning half slice of the whole fruit, and drink coffee, after 3 hours past it started my abdominal cramps, and stomach ache. I often go to toilet, it’s very uncomfortable for me, luckily it’s a Sunday no work so I stay home the whole day.
So pls if you love to eat unripe papaya, you should fill up your stomach first for breakfast before grabbing the tasty papaya fruit. And this nutritional fruit started to break down all those calories and fat deposit in your body..
Lilian
30 Nov 2016 at 2:34 amI Try Eat Paw Paw For Two Days It Really Flatten My Stomach So Much SomeOne Could Tell,not Too Ripe It Works.I Love Paw Paw So Much Can’t Tell If It Smells.
Chinenye
16 Sep 2018 at 5:51 pmI love pawpaw too. Started eating some in d mornings and noticed weight loss but gradually flat tummy. My issue is, I just want d general benefits EXCEPT the weight loss because I am not fat but tall n inverted triangle shaped. HELP! What do I do?