Health Benefits of Papaya

You're right!!! Quite by accident, I discovered papaya helps me get back to sleep when I wake up in the middle of the night. My grocery store had a sale on papayas and I decided to buy a couple. I had first tasted papaya when I went to Vietnam a few years ago and I liked them. I ate a small papaya before going to bed and slept through the night. That was incredible. I didn't have a papaya the next night and when I woke up in the middle of the night I had trouble getting back to sleep like I usually do. The next night I had a papaya before bed and once again slept through the night. These things are like a magic sleeping potion.

I believe the use of the wonderful Papaya fruit is beneficial in so many ways. I just returned from a trip to Central America and like so many who travel...had some digestion issues. Papaya to the rescue. I also notice that when I eat Papaya I sleep better.

I even eat a few of the peppery black seeds which is believed to resist parasites.

Here's a blend I made last night. SO GOOD:

One half large papaya, one quarter ripe cantaloupe, one pear, five drops stevia, quarter cup of Almond milk and a few cubes of ice...blend: You get a beautiful and really delicious (mild) cool drink packed with enzymes.

Slept a long and peaceful night. Here in South Carolina the grocery store Publix carries Papaya.

I'm conducting some experiments using Papaya...the whole fruit and not just the pepsin enzyme pills. I'm hoping some folks read this who might also experiment with Papaya and see if they find what has impressed me.

First, I've noticed that eating Papaya (about five level teaspoons per serving) helps me sleep. I'd often wake up at 2 or 3 am, not with reflux but just "awake" and then had a hard time going back to sleep. After taking a "serving" of papaya late in the evening I noticed that my sleep patterns had changed and I usually sleep all or most all night. Also my dreams are a bit more vivid. I had not read about such an effect in reading about Papaya. (Attributable to better digestion?)

Second; of course Papaya contains the enzyme "pepsin" and that helps with digestion. I had also noticed that I could eat items that previously were taboo, such as milk products in any significant quantity, which caused me reflux. Same with coffee. I noticed that the negative effect from too much coffee is much diminished if I have two servings of Papaya daily. (A serving I'm calling five teaspoons.)

Next and third I notice I am "calmer" all the time. I rarely "feel" angst ... tensions that previously might trigger a sense of frustration. After years of fighting internal outbursts, as I've aged I have been pleased that those tensions have lessened in intensity but after being on regular servings of Papaya (perhaps 10 servings a week) unless I'm fooling myself, it seems I really am more relaxed. Even more than I have been which I attributed to just getting older.

I've experimented by eating various foods that were sure to cause reflux and when I do I eat a night cap of a serving of Papaya, no reflux.

Now to confuse things a bit, I have also been consuming WITH the fruit of the Papaya, the little black Papaya seeds. The seeds are peppery and provide an interesting "taste offset" to the mild soothing fruit. I have read in a number of places that the seeds provide an anti-pathogen effect (especially anti parasitic). I consume about 20 percent of the seeds with the fruit.

We are told in the Book of Genesis that God gave us the seeds for food also, and so when I eat fruit, if the seeds are edible I'll eat them too. So, in keeping with that admonition, I don't leave out the seeds of the Papaya. I first got used to the seeds by eating with a spoonful of the fruit, just a few seeds. "Wow, " I thought; "Those seeds will get your attention." But some folks may not be able to tolerate the seeds because they are "strong" tasting. I'd also like feedback from those who only eat the fruit.

Finally, as I've been regularly eating Papaya, it seems the foods that are gas producing, are less problematic.

Now, I know that the enzyme pepsin is acting as a digestive aid, but what is of great interest to me is that many other issues seem to be at work.

I'd certainly appreciate anyone else using Papaya and reporting back to the EC community to confirm or correct any of my impressions AND any other observations of Papaya usage.

I love Papaya mixed with Mango in a smoothie, by the way. And when I splurge, I'll mash up four tablespoons of Papaya in a bowl of vanilla ice cream. The mild Papaya does not overpower the flavor of the ice cream. Whereas, other fruits are rather strong and tend to "take over" the accompanying taste. There is such a wonderful refreshing mildness to Papaya.

By the way, again; I use either the small Papaya or the large ones. Both are effective.