Papaya – The Anti-Inflammatory Total Body Support Superfood

2.18.2025 0 comments

Author: Trisha Houghton, CNS, ASIST

If you’re not eating at least 3-4 servings of papaya every week, you’re missing out! 

Papaya is one of the most amazing fruits on the planet. Not only is it absolutely delicious, but it’s packed with macro and micronutrients, antioxidants, fiber, and some very important enzymes!  

It can offer a pretty impressive array of benefits that will improve your health in virtually every single way.  

In this post, we’ll take a much closer look at papaya. We’ll examine both the nutritional content and the science-backed benefits of papaya that make it such a game-changer for your health.  

By the end, you’ll know exactly why you should add more papaya to your life.  

The Health Benefits of Papaya 

Let’s start off by looking at the nutritional value of papaya. 

According to the USDA [1], 100 grams of papaya contains:  

• 43 calories (nice and low in calories compared to other fruits!) 

• 1.7 grams of dietary fiber (great for your digestion) 

• 10.8 grams of carbohydrates (an excellent energy source) 

• 7.82 grams of sugar (quick-acting, but won’t spike your blood glucose) 

• 20 mg of calcium (around 2% of your DV) 

• 182 mg of potassium (around 6% of your DV) 

• 60.9 mg of Vitamin C (around 80% of your DV) 

• 37 mcg of folate (around 10% of your DV) 

• 47 mcg of Vitamin A (around 5% of your DV) 

All in all, it’s a pretty nutrient-rich fruit! 

Now, let’s take a closer look at the benefits it can provide you. Here are a few of the most prominent: 

Reduced Inflammation  

Papaya contains organic compounds and antioxidants that are powerful anti-inflammatory agents [2].  

One in particular, lycopene, is known to curb inflammation and can be highly effective at reducing men’s risk of prostate cancer and dysfunction.  

Better Vision  

Papaya is loaded with carotenoids (aka Vitamin A), the antioxidants that give it its distinctive, rich orange color. The antioxidant zeaxanthin is crucial for your eye health, as it can combat macular degeneration and protect your eyes against damage caused by blue light. The anti-inflammatory effects of papaya will also reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in your eyes, and the carotenes can even improve your vision. 

Anti-Cancer 

As mentioned above, the lycopene in papaya can reduce your risk of prostate cancer. Research has also linked the antioxidants in papaya to a reduced risk of both gastric cancer [3] and breast cancer [4]. 

What’s particularly fascinating is that the anti-inflammatory compounds in papaya will also curb the inflammation and oxidative stress that creates an environment favorable to carcinogens forming. By creating a less hospitable environment, you make it harder for cancer cells to grow. 

Lower Asthma Risk 

For people suffering from asthma, papaya can be a game-changer. Scientific evidence [5.6] indicates that papaya can reduce your risk of developing asthma, thanks to its high antioxidant content (specifically zeaxanthin, lycopenes, and carotenoids).  

Papaya leaf extract also has a potent anti-inflammatory effect that can combat inflammation in the airways that may contribute to or worsen asthma attacks.  

The fiber, Vitamin D, and antioxidants in papaya can also improve your immune system’s function and keep it from over-reacting (a common occurrence among people suffering from asthma). 

Better Blood Sugar Management  

Papaya has been linked to an improvement of blood sugar management for people with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, thanks to its high fiber content (3 grams per serving) and low sugar/carbohydrate content (17 grams of carbs per serving).  

The digestive enzymes in papaya—particularly papain and chymopapain—help your body more effectively break down fats, carbohydrates, and proteins into molecules that are easily absorbed into your bloodstream. These digestive enzymes can also prevent the rise of your blood sugar so you get all the energy your body needs without the negative side effects of high glucose levels (which lead to insulin spikes and subsequent crashes). 

Healthier Bones  

Papaya is rich in Vitamin K, a mineral that is crucial for healthy bones. Vitamin K aids in the absorption of calcium, helping your body take in enough calcium to form new bone tissue and rebuild damage to existing bone tissue. Higher Vitamin K intake has been linked to a lower risk of bone fractures, which makes papaya critical for keeping your bones healthy and strong as you age. 

Healthier Skin and Hair  

Papaya has long been used as a remedy to accelerate wound healing and improve skin health. The antioxidants in papaya can have powerful anti-inflammatory effects to prevent wrinkles and sun damage, the enzyme papain can reduce acne and treat scarring [7], the Vitamin A can improve sebum production in your scalp, and the organic compounds can actually increase hair growth [8]. 

Enhanced digestion  

The enzymes in papaya, chiefly chymopapain and papain, are powerful digestive aids. They can help enhance your digestive function by facilitating the breakdown of nutrients (fats, carbohydrates, and proteins) so they can be more easily absorbed into the body. 

But for people with digestive issues, they can also be a game-changer. These enzymes will reduce inflammation, curb stomach upset, and reduce nausea. In fact, papain is so potent that it’s often used in OTC supplements to treat stomach issues.  

The fiber in papaya will also feed your gut bacteria and improve digestive health. Papaya has long been used in tropical countries as a remedy for IBS, and it can reduce bloating and prevent constipation.  

As you can see, papaya offers a lot of pretty spectacular benefits. 

The Benefits of Papaya Seeds 

It turns out that the papaya fruit isn’t the only part providing you benefits. You can actually eat the seeds (swallow, don’t chew) in order to [9]:  

• Combat inflammation 
• Improve digestion (the seeds are very high in fiber) 
• Treat candidiasis and urinary tract infection 

• Treat sepsis and other infections 

• Combat free radicals and oxidative stress (thanks to their high antioxidant content) 

• Improve liver health 

• Boost your immune system function 

• Aid in weight loss (the fiber fills up your stomach and curbs your appetite) 

• Combat parasites and parasitic infections 

How amazing is that? The fruit and its seeds can both offer some marvelous benefits! 

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Are There Dangers to Eating Papaya? 

The good news is that papaya is safe for nearly everybody to eat. 

Why nearly? Well, it turns out some people are allergic to papaya—typically, the papain or chymopapain enzymes extracted from papaya [10]. Some people who apply papaya to their skin (a common remedy for speeding up wound healing) may find that it triggers an allergic skin reaction or rash [11]. 

Papayas are also higher in sugar, so people who are trying to curb sugar intake (such as those with Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes) may find it’s safer to steer clear of papaya. 

However, other than these very uncommon risks, there is nothing about papaya that poses a danger to your health!  

Wrapping Up 

As you’ve seen above, papaya can do some pretty amazing things for your health. 

From curbing inflammation to improving your vision, fighting cancer to lowering your asthma risk, improving your blood sugar management and digestion, and strengthening your bones, skin, and hair, there’s so much papaya fruit (and its seeds!) can do to help you age gracefully.  

For a longer lifespan, a better-functioning body, and a lower risk of disease and damage, it’s definitely a good idea to add papaya to your diet! 

Click here to learn more about Restore Gut and how it focuses on promoting digestive harmony by supporting your intestinal walls, so you can finally stop worrying about your digestion.

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