The Science Behind Why Papaya is Such a Healthy Food

As far as health foods go, papaya is one that receives a lot of press. This fruit, which grows abundantly in tropical places, is known as a super food because of the numerous health benefits nutrients that are found in it provide. As well as vitamins, papaya contains antioxidants and proteolytic enzymes which are great for your body, but just how do these parts of the papaya's make up work inside you to deliver such profound benefits?

Here we take a look at the science behind the papaya and its nutritional value:

Antioxidants - A Key Part in Preventing Cellular Aging

Many people mistakenly think that antioxidants basically remove toxins from the body, perhaps because the word sounds a bit like 'anti toxin'. However, what antioxidants actually do is prevent cells from oxidizing. When cells oxidize, nasty bi-products are produced, which are known as free radicals. Free radicals attack cells, and are believed to be the main cause of aging - both in terms of physical appearance and overall health and cell regeneration. Eating foods rich in antioxidants like the papaya prevents this process, which means that it conversely promotes healthy cell repair and can keep you looking and feeling young. There is a lot of pseudo science around about what antioxidants are and how they work, but the truth is that they actually prevent natural harmful elements from attacking cells, rather than anything else.

Proteolytic Enzymes - Optimizing Your Protein Digestion

Part of a healthy diet is eating proteins, and for a lot of people these will come from sources like meat and fish. Proteins are made of chains of what are called amino acids, which are held together by links called peptide bonds.

The configuration of amino acids in a protein chain are what give it its characteristics, for instance determining that a cell will be a muscle cell rather than a brain cell, an eye cell, a blood cell and so on. When you eat protein, the body has to break the peptide bonds to reduce the food to the base amino acids, and then rebuild them into the kind of protein it needs. This means that the amino acids in that chicken breast you ate can be turned into whatever kind of cells your body needs to build for you to grow, heal or maintain your body.

Proteolytic enzymes are the enzymes that do the work of breaking down the proteins in your digestive system. Most people have inefficient digestion, and some foods, like red meats, are hard to digest anyway. By adding more proteolytic enzymes to your diet, you have more resources working on breaking down foods, meaning your digestion will become more efficient. This prevents gas and bloating, and means you get the best nutritional benefit from what you eat.

Papaya also contains very powerful proteolytic enzymes called like chymopapain, and these, when eaten or taken as a supplement, will aid digestion. Many people find that adding papaya to their diet in natural or supplemental form has a strong impact on their digestive efficiency, meaning they feel healthier and don't suffer from gastrointestinal problems like bloating or gas.

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