Health benefits of pawpaw leaves
A lot of research has been done on the benefits of the pawpaw tree leaves because of it nutritious effects on the human body. Papaya or pawpaw is a very popular tropical fruit that is native to Southern Mexico and Central America, but it can also be found in some countries in Africa and Asia. Unfortunately, many people nowadays are suffering from cancer, and they can be found in every corner around the world. A lot of cancer patients are starting to seek natural healthy alternatives to chemotherapy, which has many side effects on the body. The papaya leaves not only can provide the human body with protection against developing cancer but studies have concluded that they can be used as a treatment for patients who were already diagnosed with some kinds of cancer. Read down below to see for yourself the many health benefits of pawpaw leaves.
What are the health benefits of pawpaw leaves?
The pawpaw fruit, also called the papaya fruit, is very famous for its many nutritious benefits, but unfortunately, a few people seem to know about the nutritious benefits of pawpaw leaves. Some people call the papaya fruit the fruit of the angels. It is not only delicious but it also has a great number of useful vitamins that the body needs like vitamin A and vitamin C. To illustrate, a large papaya fruit has about 230 milligrams of vitamin C and it could be considered as a great source of other useful minerals like calcium and potassium. If you have any digestion problems, the papaya fruit can really do you a great help, as it has an enzyme that is called papain, which helps a great deal with digestion.
That said, the pawpaw leaves health benefits are also plenty, and the the papaya leaves extract can be used for many different medical purposes. If you can consume its juice or tea regularly, then you can definitely supply your body with many of the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that it needs every day. Doctors usually advise everyone to consume a variety of different foods, but eating a papaya fruit or drinking a pawpaw leaf juice can do the trick. Pawpaw leaves have about 50 or even more useful nutrients and supplements including vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B, vitamin D, tannins, folate, karpain, dietary fibers, calcium, potassium, beta-carotene, antioxidants, and flavonoids. Your body naturally needs many of those nutrients in order to maintain its health and strengthen its immune system; thus, protecting you from disease and infections.
Both people in ancient civilizations and doctors today have acknowledged that prevention is better than cure, and it definitely makes sense. You should try to do your best in order to protect your body from any harmful diseases or infections. That can be done by simply eating the right foods that have all the necessary nutrients which your body needs, by getting rid of bad habits like drinking alcohol and smoking, and by also doing some sports on a regular basis. Working out will improve your self-esteem, strengthen your immune system, make you more motivated, and boost your metabolism.
The pawpaw leaves benefits
Here are some of the most common uses of pawpaw leaves. The information listed below was concluded after a lot of medical research that was done by medical researchers and professors from around the world. It is certain that the papaya leaves have many health benefits for many people, but they may also have some side effects for people with certain medical conditions. Make sure to read about the precautions of consuming papaya leaves at the end of the article.
1. Breaking down gluten
Gluten is mainly a protein composite that can be found in many kinds of grains including wheat, rye, and barley, and it mainly consists of two types of proteins; glutenin and gliadin. It is the gliadin that many people seem to have a negative reaction to. Gluten is the main reason for the rising properties of dough in the baking process, which makes it an important compound.
Many people may be allergic to gluten or its products, and gluten itself could be harmful to some people as well even if they are not allergic to it. A lot of people cannot really help not consuming it because it exists in wheat, and thus; exists also in bread and many other pastries. Pawpaw leaves are recommended for people who are having problems with the digestion of wheat gluten because the leaves have the necessary enzymes required for breaking gluten down; thus, providing protection from many diseases like celiac disease.
2. A remedy for acne
You may know how the symptoms of this disease look like, but you may be unfamiliar with its name. Anyways, it is a very common skin disease that many adolescents have sometimes, especially teenagers who are undergoing hormonal changes in their bodies. Its symptoms include red pimples, whiteheads, blackheads, and large lumps under the skin surface wherever there are oil glands, especially on the face, back, shoulders, and chest. Doctors usually prescribe many medications or antibiotics to those suffering from it, but of course, it is always better to use a natural cure that does not have any side effects.
You can naturally cure this disease by applying a mask of pawpaw leaves to your face. Make the mask yourself at home by smashing the leaves or blending them with some water and then applying the mix to your face like any other mask. You can also apply the mix to your body on any of the affected areas.
3. Dengue fever treatment
There are mainly four very related viruses that cause the dengue fever, which is usually caused by mosquito bites. Those viruses are also related to the viruses that cause yellow fever and the West Nile infection. Statistics have proven that about 390 million people suffer from the dengue infection every year, especially in many of the tropical regions on the planet including India, Southeast Asia, Southern China, The Pacific Islands, Africa, Mexico, Central America, and some countries in South America as well. The dengue fever is mainly transmitted by the bite of an Aedes mosquito that is infected with the dengue virus. The virus cannot be transmitted from a person to another, but it is transferred to the mosquitoes when they bite people who are infected with the virus.
Symptoms include headaches, strong fevers, mild bleeding, muscle and joint pain, nausea, vomiting, eye pain, fatigue, and skin rash. In order to avoid infection, try to protect yourself from mosquito bites. If you get infected with dengue, make sure to see a doctor if you start feeling worse after the fever goes down. Until today, there is no medicine that is known to cure the virus, and usually, doctors prescribe pain relievers to dengue patients. Avoid using aspirin as it could make the bleeding worse in case there is any. The papaya leaves cure for dengue is not going to eliminate the fever, but it will help with eliminating its symptoms. Any fever is accompanied by high temperatures, and the pawpaw leaves can lower the body temperature in case of an infection. The leaves can also be used to cure high temperatures in case of flu and malaria infections. Drinking the papaya leaves juice two times a day is the best treatment option if you are going to use papaya leaves. The juice may taste bitter, but it has proven to be very effective against the fever. You may find the right steps of preparing it at home below.
4. Relieving indigestion
Some people may exhibit stomach problems after eating certain foods, and they usually tend to take medications to relieve heartburn and stomach pain. The best choice, in this case, is to supply your body with a big load of helpful and necessary nutrients from a natural pawpaw leaves drink instead of subjecting your body to the side effects of the chemicals used in medications. Pawpaw leaves include plenty of natural enzymes like protease enzyme, papain, and amylase enzyme that help your stomach break down carbohydrates and proteins, which makes the digestion much easier. They also contain karpain, which eliminate the stomach growl causing bacteria. You can very easily prepare a tea from pawpaw leaves at home, which will definitely relieve your stomach pain and also strengthen your immune system.
5. Papaya leaves for cancer
Since the papaya leaves have a huge amount of antioxidants, useful nutrients, and digestive enzymes, it was already well known a long time ago that they can help against the development of cancer in body cells. However, recent research has concluded that they can also contribute to the treatment of some kinds of cancer. It was concluded that a homemade remedy can be prepared from the papaya leaves can fight the cellular changes of cancerous cells and stop their development.
The main research was done by doctor Nam Dang at the University of Florida, and he discovered the extract of the dry papaya leaves cannot only directly kill cancer cells but it can also slow down the growth of tumor cells. Different kinds of cancer cells were tested, and it was found that the extract was effective against many of them. The cancer cells that were tested included liver, cervix, breast, lung, pancreas, and breast cancer cells. In the same research, it was found that the same papaya leaves extract fastens the production of the Th1-type cytokines that strengthen the immune system. Other researchers have proven that the main enzyme in the papaya leaves helps destroy the layer of fibrin that surrounds cancer cells and prevents them from getting destroyed by the white blood cells of the immune system.
Such researches were revolutionary and they led to many further experiments with the extract of the dry papaya leaves. Many doctors, unfortunately, do not have any natural alternatives to help against the growth of tumor cells except chemotherapy, which has many dangerous side effects including hair loss, fatigue, nausea, bleeding, and anemia. Thus, a cure from the dry papaya leaves can save the lives of many people from around the world and eliminate their sufferings from the side effects of chemotherapy.
Many other kinds of research have been made that are similar to the research mentioned above about the effects of the papain enzyme that is responsible for the anticancer effects in the papaya leaves. The studies made until now were made on animals’ cells; however, there is a consistent research concerning the treatment of humans who are diagnosed with cancer using the papaya extract.
A homemade remedy for cancer and cancer prevention
In any case, if you have cancer, you should always follow up with your doctor, as it is a very serious disease that requires constant tests and treatment. You should definitely inform your doctor that you are going to use the papaya leaves extract as a treatment because the papain enzyme, which is found in the papaya leaves, can interfere with the treatments, especially with blood thinning medications. Anyways, there are some kinds of cancers that do not have any medications or treatments, and in that case, using a homemade remedy from papaya leaves or other natural components could be the best and only choice.
There have been many reports online and also some publications about people who are treating themselves from incurable cancers with the use of the papaya leaves extract. A very well known case is that of Stan Sheldon from Australia, who had lung cancer. Stan treated himself with the natural papaya leaves by making a homemade tea and drinking it on a regular basis for two months, which proved to be very effective, as the tests that had been made again after two months showed that both his lungs became free of any traces of cancer. He also stated that the disease did not appear again and that he passed his recipe to other cancer patients in his community, which helped them a great deal as well. Stan’s drink, of course, proved that cancer treatment is one of the main health benefits of pawpaw leaves tea. Here is Stan’s homemade papaya leaf tea recipe:
- Fetch 5-7 papaya leaves of a medium size, cut them well, and then place them in a pan with 2 liters of water.
- Heat the mix until it starts boiling, and then reduce the heat to a mild simmer. After that, keep it boiling for about 2 hours. By then, there should be about one liter left of the drink.
- Allow the papaya leaf tea to cool down and remove the leaves from the tea by straining it.
- Drink 50 ml of the concentrated papaya leaf tree three times a day before the main three meals for optimum results.
Make sure to read about the precautions of consuming papaya leaf tea at the end of the page.
Health benefits of pawpaw leaves juice
Some people think that making a tea out of the pawpaw leaves is the best way to consume them and benefit from their enzymes, but that is not the case, as juicing the leaves can actually extract more enzymes and phytonutrients from them. The tea is usually prepared from the dry papaya leaves, but the fresh leaves may actually have more enzyme and nutrients than the dry ones; however, it may be hard to find them fresh in many regions around the world. Many experiments have proven that the pawpaw leaves juice can be very beneficial when it comes to raising the low blood platelet count; thus boosting the immune system.
In order to prepare a papaya leaves juice, it is best to make it from fresh leaves of the papaya trees that can be found in many tropical regions. Make sure to pick up the young leaves that are found at the bottom sections of the trees, and it is also important to pick them from a fruiting tree so that you can know for sure that it is a papaya tree. If you cannot find a fruiting tree, then make sure you pick up the right leaves by comparing their shapes to the pictures of papaya leaves, as similar leaves of other trees could be toxic. After picking up the leaves, sink them and wash them well, and then remove the stems from them. You can prepare the juice using a juicer or by crushing the leaves and then using a filter cloth to extract their concentrated juice. About one tablespoon of the juice can be extracted from a crushed leaf.
When it comes to the right papaya leaves juice dosage, dilute the juice with water and drink it two times a day on an empty stomach for the best treatment results. You should know beforehand that the juice does not really taste so good, but it is a medicine after all, and it is not supposed to. You can make it taste better by mixing some sweet fruits with the juice. It not advised to add sugar, as it is harmful to your body after all, and it is better to keep your body well and healthy. The papaya leaf juice is the best-recommended way to treat dengue fever as well.
Papaya leaves benefits for skin
The way the skin looks is very important for many people, and it could be embarrassing sometimes for some people to have an unpleasant skin shape. There are many cosmetic products and chemicals that have a fast reaction on the skin, which treats it in a timely manner and makes it look better, but such products may have very harmful side effects, especially some of the whitening products that contain hydroquinone, which could lead to skin damage later on after continuous use. That is why it is very important to always choose the right product for your skin, and of course, it is best to treat it using natural products that do not have any side effects.
Many people use the leaves of the papaya tree or the papaya fruit in order to make useful facemasks to the skin. They not only heal acne and get rid of red pimples, white and blackheads, but they also leave the skin with a beautiful natural glow. The papaya helps remove the dry scaly skin, which sometimes builds up on the skin making it have a very unpleasant appearance. The papaya fruit mask is recommended for all types of skin except sunburned, windburned, sensitive, and irritated skin.
The juice of the papaya leaves also has very useful vitamins to the skin like vitamin C and A, which significantly improves skin health, and makes the skin look more radiant. The juice also is known to suppress the activity of the harmful free radicals that may lead to skin cancer, and its karpain content cleanses the skin of the unwanted toxins, providing the necessary protection against freckles and pimples. Many people also use the juice to treat open wounds and sores and use the papaya leaves for skin whitening. In addition, the papain enzyme that is found in the papaya fruit and leaves has lightening properties because it decreases pigmentation.
Pawpaw leaves for diabetes patients
Diabetes is a very common disease in many countries around the world, and many of its patients have to commit to lifetime medications that adjust the level of blood sugar in the body. Some of those medications have side effects, and it could be a great option to treat diabetes naturally by using the pawpaw leaves. It is, of course, very important to consult your doctor before making the final decision of using the leaves as a source of alternative treatment to your prescribed medications if you have diabetes.
Research has proven that the ingredients that are found in the pawpaw leaves can really enhance insulin sensitivity while decreasing the levels of the AST and ALT enzyme levels, which are the biological markers of the type II diabetes. Unfortunately, the diabetes disease can also lead to some harmful complications like stress, kidney damage, and an extra amount of fat on the liver. The extract of the pawpaw leaves has proven to have a great effect when it comes to reducing such complications that are caused by diabetes. Drinking the pawpaw leaves tea can also help break down the unwanted toxins and food in the body.
Pawpaw fruit and weight loss
It is very common nowadays that people are starting to seek natural treatments and solutions for weight loss next to following a healthy diet and a regular workout schedule, which are the best healthy methods of losing weight. Unfortunately, there are some people still who prefer to use harmful medications to lose weight, but this process can be very harmful, as many of such medications may have many side effects. The papaya fruit, on the other hand, can be used as a natural alternative to such harmful medications; however, it should not be depended on as the sole solution of weight loss, as it is also very important to work out and eat the right foods that nourish the body and provide it with the necessary nutrients. You can lose weight by following the following diet two days a week for 2 to 3 months. The will, of course, help you lose weight, and it will also help your body get rid of all the unnecessary and harmful toxins.
Try to find fresh papayas in the market that are not very ripe. On breakfast, have a papaya salad made from one papaya fruit after your usual nutritious breakfast meal. After lunch, have a papaya juice. You can also make a juice from papaya and pineapple for a nutritious snack between lunch and dinner. Prepare the juice from half a papaya and a couple of slices of pineapple. On dinner, for dessert, have a sliced papaya. It is very important not to eat more amounts of the papaya fruit in order to lose more weight, as papayas may have some side effects for some people. Consult your nutritionist to make sure first before consuming more papayas.
The black papaya seeds also have health benefits, which may be a surprise to many people. They are known to be a great cure for kidneys in case of kidney failures, and they also help eliminate the unwanted toxins from the body and the harmful parasites from the digestive system. Papaya seeds are also used to protect the liver in some cases, especially for people who are suffering from cirrhosis, and they have many anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties as well. When it comes to weight loss, the seeds prevents the body from absorbing and storing extra-unwanted fats. You can easily consume the seeds by blending them or by taking them like pills. For optimum results, eat 8-10 seeds at breakfast for 15 days straight, and then stop eating them for 15 days.
Precautions of using papaya leaves
The papaya leaves are definitely very healthy when it comes to curing many diseases, and they also help prevent the body from microbes and infections. The leaves strengthen the immune system and boost the metabolism. Not only the papaya leaves are healthy, but the fruit itself and its seeds both have many health benefits. Smoking pawpaw leaves could be common among people in central Africa due to its psychoactive effects, but any smoke is dangerous to the lungs, and there is not enough research still on the side effects of smoking the leaves. There may be also some papaya leaves juice side effects in some situations that are mentioned below.
1. During pregnancy
The green papaya latex that is mainly rich in papain enzyme is used by many people in Asia in order to cause a miscarriage during pregnancy, and that is why it should be avoided by all pregnant women. On the other hand, a fully ripe papaya fruit has a small amount of papain, and it is actually useful and healthy for pregnant women because of its rich ingredients that include many vitamins and necessary antioxidants. It is important though not to eat an unripe papaya because it has a big amount of papain.
2. Before pregnancy
Women who are trying to get pregnant should also avoid unripe papaya fruits or seeds, as they are rich in papain, which interferes with the menstrual cycle if taken in large or regular doses. A research concluded that the papain enzyme can suppress progesterone, which is a very important hormone for preparing the uterus for conception in order to maintain pregnancy. Another study has also concluded that the papain enzyme can destroy a membrane that is vital for the development of the fetus. Again, a fully ripe papaya does not have a big amount of papain, and it is safe to use.
When it comes to papaya leaves and fertility for men, the papaya seeds, in particular, were used as well in some Asian countries for birth control because of their papain content, which also exists in green papaya and papaya leaves. So, if you are trying to get your woman pregnant, you should definitely avoid eating green papaya or drinking papaya leaves juice.
3. With blood thinning medications
If you are taking any blood thinning medications, the papain enzyme that is mostly found in the papaya leaves and the papaya green fruit can really increase the thinning effects of some medications like Warfarin. Consult your doctor if you are considering to use papaya as an alternative to such medications. For the same reason, you should definitely avoid eating papaya or drinking papaya leaf tea or juice several days before surgery, due to their blood thinning effects.
4. Papaya allergies
If you have a latex allergy, then you should definitely avoid the use of papaya, especially the leaves or the green papaya fruit because of their high enzyme content. In general, papaya allergies are very rare, but if you are allergic to papaya, you may also be allergic to other tropical fruits including pineapple, avocados, banana, figs, melons, and kiwis. Allergic symptoms include itching or swelling of the face, tongue, throat, lips, rashes, dizziness, and a difficulty of swallowing. There may also be other symptoms of a latex allergy, so make sure to consult a doctor immediately if you find out you are allergic to papaya or other kinds of tropical fruits.
Disclaimer
The information in this article is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this page is for general information purposes only.
Source: YEN.com.gh
