Concept in Definition ABC

The Papaya, also known as milky, is an oval-shaped tropical fruit with a thin yellow skin, inside its pulp whose color can be appreciated be yellow or orange depending on the species of the plant, it has a very pleasant sweet taste, being widely used for its benefits especially at the level gastrointestinal.

This fruit is native to America, where it was known to the natives before the discovery, the Spanish took it to Europe and from there it went to Africa and Asia. Currently the main papaya producing country is Brazil.

Main nutrients of papaya

This fruit is rich in sugars or carbohydrates, Water, vitamin C, potassium, iron and calcium, in smaller proportions it also contains vitamins of group B, vitamin E, zinc, magnesium, sodium and iodine. Papaya is also rich in beta-carotene and a enzyme known as papain which confers a variety of benefits for gastrointestinal health as well as lutein important for vision.

Health benefits of papaya

Papaya is rich in a substance called papain, it is an enzyme capable of breaking down protein in its constituent amino acids which facilitates its digestion in the intestine.

When proteins are not digested properly they are capable of causing discomfort such as heaviness, bloating and overgrowth of bacteria that can cause flatulence.

Its high content of beta-carotenes gives it antioxidant properties that delay aging and delay the development of different degenerative processes as well as diseases cardiovascular

Another of its components, lutein, is important to maintain good vision since this substance is capable of protecting the retina from free radicals, especially the macula which is the part of the retina where the vision process takes place with higher precision.

Main ways to consume papaya

Papaya is a fruit that is eaten peeled and chopped both cold and hot. temperatureenvironmentIt is very pleasant if before eating it you add a splash of lemon. It can also be ingested in the form of a smoothie or as a meringue, the latter being prepared by liquefying the papaya with milk and adding a little sugar.

This fruit can also be candied and used to make cakes, especially Christmas cake, It can also be cooked to prepare the delicious milky sweet in which papayas are used green.

Photos: iStock - Juanmonino / Michael Luhrenberg