Health - Blackherbals.com

Family: CaricaceaeA native of Central America, it was introduced into E. Africa in the 16th or 17th century and isnow naturalized in some places. Papaya fruit is a rich source of nutrients such as provitamin Acarotenoids, vitamin C, B vitamins, dietary minerals and dietary fibre. Papaya skin, pulp andseeds also contain a variety of phytochemicals, including polyphenols.The unripe fruit is used traditionally among the Yoruba tribe of Nigeria for the treatment ofvarious human and veterinary diseases including malaria, hypertension, diabetes mellitus,hypercholesterolaemia, jaundice, intestinal helminthiasis and for the management of sickle cellanaemia.Also, among the Yoruba herbalists, hot infusion of the seeds of the unripe, mature fruits ofCarica papaya is employed in the local treatment of poison related renal and hepatic disorders.In some parts of the world, papaya leaves are made into tea as a treatment for malaria. Antimalarialand anti-plasmodial activity has been noted in some preparations of the plant, but themechanism is not understood and no treatment method based on these results has beenscientifically proven.Foremost among papaya's health-promoting agents is papain, papaya's signature enzyme, whichis found in both the fruit and the leaves. Both green papaya fruit and the tree's latex are rich inpapain, a protease used for tenderizing meat and other proteins. It is now included as acomponent in powdered meat tenderizers. Papain is also applied topically (in countries where itgrows) for the treatment of cuts, rashes, stings and burns. Papain ointment is commonly madefrom fermented papaya flesh, and is applied as a gel-like paste. Carpaine, an alkaloid present inpapaya, can be used as a heart depressant, amoebicide and diuretic.Women in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and other countries have long used greenpapaya as a folk remedy for contraception and abortion. Enslaved women in the West Indieswere noted for consuming papaya to prevent pregnancies and thus preventing their children frombeing born into slavery.Preliminary medical research in animals has confirmed the potential contraceptive andabortifacient capability of papaya, have documented papaya's dramatic anticancer effect against abroad range of lab-grown tumors, including cancers of the cervix, breast, liver, lung andpancreas. The researchers used an extract made from dried papaya leaves, and the anticancereffects were stronger when cells received larger doses of the tea. The papaya extract did not haveany toxic effects on normal cells, avoiding a common and devastating consequence of manycancer therapy regimens.Recent research also shows that C. papaya unripe fruit and dried leaves have been indicated insickle cell anemia management. Scientists have reported that extracts of the unripe fruit and thedried leaves have definite anti-sickling property.50