Christopher Columbus once said that papaya is “the fruit of the angels” after discovering its delicious taste, soft consistency and rich texture. The fruit is popular around the world for many reasons, including its beauty benefits. You’ve probably heard of this already, as papaya is often used for whitening purposes, but the fruit has a lot more to give. It’s also good for the health and can help manage weight and prevent diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure. It also contains about 300% of your recommended daily vitamin C intake. Surprising, isn’t it? Keep reading to learn more mind-blowing facts about papaya!
What is Papaya?
Scientifically called Carica Papaya, papaya is a fruit that originates from Central America and Southern Mexico. The fruit has numerous names like Papita (Hindi), Omakaya (Malayalam), Pappali (Tamil) and, as said earlier, the “Fruit of the Angels.” Papaya is famous all over the world, hailed as a versatile fruit that can be eaten ripe or unripe and dried or cooked.
What are Papaya’s Properties?
Papaya offers many beauty benefits thanks to its properties, including:
Antioxidants. Dried papaya will have an ample amount of antioxidants, which are beneficial in strengthening the immunity and eliminating the free radicals in the body. Moreover, the fruit contains more beta-carotene than carrots.
Fiber. The fruit is very rich in dietary fiber, which helps absorb the cancer-causing toxins in the colon and get rid of them via the bowel movement. Because of its rich fiber content, papaya aids in digestions and make the skin glow.
Bioflavonoids. The bioflavonoids, or vitamin P, are semi-essential nutrients that function as nature’s modifiers and respond to the biological changes inside the body. Bioflavonoids in papaya help the body react against viruses, allergens and carcinogens. This gives protection against harmful diseases.
Vitamins and Minerals. The fruit is very rich in vitamins and minerals necessary for healing wounds, reducing the risk of cancer caused by oxidative stress, boosting immunity and combating common illnesses like a cough and cold. The vitamins in papaya include vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant, and vitamin A. On the other hand, the mineral content of papaya includes, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, manganese, copper and potassium.
Beauty Benefits of Papaya
Because of its active enzymes, Papaya can make your skin look flawless, reduce pigmentation, erase wrinkles and control acne breakouts. Read on to learn more.
Clears skin pigmentation. If you have a lot of acne marks on your skin or suffer from uneven skin tone, papaya can be a great help. The skin lightening properties of papaya may help clear blemishes while the beta-carotene, phytochemicals and enzymes help promote fair skin.
Helps moisturize the skin. For those who have dry skin, papaya might be the best natural solution. You can make a face mask out of it to make your skin supple and soft. The enzymes in the fruit remove all the traces of flaky and dry skin.
Controls acne breakouts. The papain (an enzyme) in papaya helps treat acne and prevent it from coming back. Aside from the fruit, the leaves and its seeds also help diminish blemishes or scars.
Reduces the appearance of wrinkles. You can combat the signs of aging using the peel of a papaya, because the peel contains enzymes that help remove dead skin cells from the skin’s surface. This helps get rid of age spots and wrinkles.
Lightens skin. Papaya contains ample amounts of vitamins A and C. When these are combined with the papain, it will help lighten the skin.
Reduces the appearance of dark circles. The green papaya pulp helps get rid of dark circles under the eyes. This is because the pulp is a natural bleaching agent which erases skin discoloration.
Conclusion
The beauty benefits of papaya are undeniably good. This fruit isn’t just delicious and filling, it can also help make us look younger. However, always practice caution before making any major dietary changes. You may be allergic!
