Most people enjoy papaya in the form of fruit, leaves and flowers to eat. It turns out, papaya seeds also have a ton of benefits for health and beauty, you know!
Papaya is known as a fruit that has lots of nutrients. Quoting WebMD, papaya is packed with nutrients such as vitamins A, C, and E. Meanwhile, papaya seeds contain many polyphenols and flavonoids which help to improve health. This is because these two compounds can act as antioxidants in the body.
Citing various sources, here are a number of benefits of papaya seeds for health and beauty, as reported by CNN Indonesia.
First, it protects kidney function. The kidneys play an important role for the body as a 'machine for removing toxins or waste and excess fluid from the body. A study found that consuming papaya seeds can protect and improve kidney health.
Second, fight infection. The nutrients contained in papaya seeds are also believed to be able to destroy various types of fungi and certain parasites that can cause infections in the body. Drinking a concoction made from dried papaya seeds and honey is also thought to significantly kill parasites in the intestines. However, further research is still needed regarding the benefits of papaya seeds for fighting fungal and parasitic infections in the human body.
Third, reduce the risk of cancer. Papaya seeds contain antioxidant and nutritional components so they are useful as anticancer agents. A test found that black papaya seeds can reduce inflammation and fight the development of cancer cells. Meanwhile, in different tests, papaya seeds were effective in reducing the growth of prostate cancer cells. These studies provide promising results although further studies are still needed.
Fourth, helps treat acne. No need to use chemical drugs, papaya seeds can help treat acne. This time combine it with papaya leaves for extra benefits. Make a paste from papaya seeds and leaves. Apply this paste on the acne and leave it for about 15 minutes then rinse. Make sure there is no remaining paste on the skin. Papaya seed and leaf paste helps repair skin tissue experiencing acne.
Fifth, maintain the digestive system. You may often hear about the benefits of papaya for maintaining digestive health. Apparently, papaya seeds are also useful for improving digestion. The fiber content makes the digestive process smooth until the secretion process. Constipation can also be prevented.
Sixth, increase fertility. Papaya seeds are useful for increasing fertility. For men, papaya seeds can increase sperm production. Meanwhile, in women, papaya seeds can help produce and improve the quality of egg cells.
Seventh, prevent obesity. Quoting NDTV Food, the fiber content in papaya seeds can actually help prevent excess fat or obesity in the body. This is because papaya seeds can help smooth the digestive system, so that the body can absorb nutrients well.
Apart from that, papaya seeds also play a good role in regulating blood pressure, so papaya seeds can improve heart health.
