Papaya Cultivation; Chapter 5 - Nutritional value of Papaya

Papaya is a delicious tropical fruit which has a great taste, mouthwatering flavor and great health benefits. Originally from the tropics of America the taste and its numerous health benefits made it popular in all the continents.

 

Papaya enjoys a rich history, and has been used since very long for medicinal uses in day to day life. The Mayans used to worship papaya trees and called it the “Tree of Life”. It is said to be one of the favorite fruits of Christopher Columbus. The story goes that when his crew landed in America after a long sea voyage on meager meal, the native people welcomed them with extravagant feast, which caused digestive problems. The natives took the voyagers to the forest and offered them papaya and they got cured. The leaves, seeds and the milk of the papaya tree are used to cure intestinal problems and kill intestinal worms and parasites. Women from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh use them to prevent pregnancy and for abortion. Above all, papaya is a very delicious food that has been enjoyed lavishly by people as a part of cuisines and salads. 

Papaya comes loaded with nutrients. Every part of a papaya tree, from the fruit to the leaves contains some medicinal properties. The nutritional values of papaya per 100 grams are:
 

Energy-163 kJ
Calories- 39 kcal
Sugars- 5.90 gram
Carbohydrates- 9.81 gram
Dietary fiber- 1.8 gram
Fat- 0.14 gram
Protein- 0.61 gram
Vitamin A- 328 micrograms (41%)
Vitamin B1- 0.04 milligram (3%)
Vitamin B2- 0.05 milligram (4%)
Vitamin B3- 0.338 milligram (2%)
Vitamin B6- 0.1 milligram (8%)
Vitamin B9- 38 milligram (10%)
Vitamin C- 61.8 milligram (74%)
Calcium- 24 milligram (2%)
Iron- 0.10 milligram (1%)
Magnesium- 10 milligram (3%)
Phosphorus- 5 milligram (1%)
Potassium- 257 milligram (5%)
Sodium- 3 milligram (0%)

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