The PAPAYA and what you may not know about it. This tree possibly originated in the Andes as a wild species and has been taken all over the tropical world and does best in lowland humid areas. There are 22 species, some plants being hermaphrodites while others are distinctly male. Tip: Get rid of these male plants (tubular flowers in long clusters) as they don’t usually produce. Most other plants have hermaphroditic and self-fertilizing flowers. Fruit can be of small variety or shaped like a football. Inside fruit colors varies from mango orange to reddish orange. The redder the fruit the more Vitamin A is present. The fruit itself when ripe is 80% water, 10% sugars, loaded with calcium, Vit. A (unusual for a fruit) and collagen healing vitamin C. With a great tasting papaya, throw out the seeds and soon you will see little papayas growing. In about 9 months the plant will grow seed to fruit reaching 3-10 meters and producing 30 to 150 fruits a year for three years. BEAUTY TIP: USING ALL PARTS OF THE PAPAYA Eaten regularly papaya increases skin radiance and nail-strength, creates glowing eyes, and hair luster. Papain in papaya is a protein-digesting-enzyme that has renounced anti-cancer and skin-cleansing properties. This is found in the unripe fruit. Cosmetically, this papain in the semi-ripe fruit dissolves dead skin layers, creates healthy new skin due to its alkaline minerals, tightens the skin, lightens freckles, protects against skin damage and helps alleviate existing skin damage. Every part of the papaya can be used for healing from the latex of the scoured green fruit (papain), to the semi-ripened fruit for facials and eaten by women with breast cancer to the black peppercorn seeds to guard against or flush out parasites and for weight loss. FOOD TIP: Squeeze a ¼ of a lime on the orange red meat of the papaya to enhance and enliven the flavor.

June 13th, 2010

Posted in Natural Products