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Papaya (scientific name: Chaenomeles sinensis (Thouin) Koehne) is a shrub or small tree in the Rosaceae family, up to 5-10 meters tall, with elliptical ovate or elliptical oblong, rarely obovate, 5-8 cm long, 3.5-5.5 cm wide, petiole 5-10 mm long, slightly pubescent, with glandular teeth; the fruit is oblong, 10-15 cm long, dark yellow, woody, aromatic, and has a short pedicel. Flowering in April, fruiting in September-October.

Produced in Shandong, Shaanxi, Hubei, Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong and Guangxi.

It is commonly cultivated for ornamental purposes. The fruit is astringent and can be eaten by boiling or soaking in sugar solution. It is used as medicine to relieve alcohol, remove phlegm, relieve gas and stop diarrhea. The peel remains smooth and does not shrink after drying, so it is called smooth-skinned papaya. The wood is hard and can be used as bedposts.

Another species native to South America, the "papaya", was introduced to my country in the 17th century. It has now become a popular fruit and is often referred to as "papaya" (see the entry "papaya"). Here we only refer to the traditional Chinese "papaya".

Nutritional Value of Papaya

1. Papaya is warm and sour in nature, it can soothe the liver and stomach, relax tendons and muscles, activate bones and muscles, and lower blood pressure.

2. Papaya fruit is rich in more than 17 kinds of amino acids, calcium, iron, etc. It also contains papain, papain, etc.

3. The content of vitamin C in papaya is very high, 48 times that of apple.

4. Papaya can eliminate toxins such as peroxides in the body, purify the blood, and has a preventive and therapeutic effect on liver dysfunction, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension.

5. Papaya has anti-tumor effects, can prevent the synthesis of nitrosamines, a carcinogen in the human body, and has strong anti-cancer activity against lymphocytic leukemia cells.

6. The enzymes in papaya help break down meat, reduce gastrointestinal workload, aid digestion, prevent constipation, and prevent digestive system cancer.

7. Papaya can balance and strengthen the physiological and metabolic balance of hormones in adolescents and pregnant women during pregnancy, and moisturize the skin and nourish the face.

The efficacy and function of papaya

1. Strengthen the spleen and aid digestion: The papain in papaya can break down fat into fatty acids. Modern medicine has discovered that papaya contains an enzyme that can digest protein, which is beneficial to the body's digestion and absorption of food, so it has the function of strengthening the spleen and aiding digestion.

2. Anti-epidemic and insecticidal: Papain and papain have anti-tuberculosis and parasites such as tapeworms, roundworms, whipworms, and amoebas, so they can be used to kill insects and fight tuberculosis.

3. Promote lactation and fight cancer: The rennet in papaya has the effect of promoting lactation, and papain has the effect of resisting lymphocytic leukemia, so it can be used to promote lactation and treat lymphocytic leukemia (blood cancer).

4. Replenish nutrition and improve disease resistance: Papaya contains a large amount of water, carbohydrates, protein, fat, multiple vitamins and a variety of essential amino acids for the human body. It can effectively supplement the body's nutrients and enhance the body's disease resistance.

5. Anti-spasm: The papain contained in papaya pulp has the effect of relieving spasm pain and has a significant therapeutic effect on gastrocnemius spasm.

Medicinal Value of Papaya

[Alias] Iron-footed pear, autumn papaya, sour papaya.

【Medicinal part】Nearly ripe fruit.

[Functions and indications] Soothes the liver and relaxes the muscles, harmonizes the stomach and eliminates dampness. Used for dampness, stiffness, soreness and pain in the waist and knee joints, vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, beriberi and edema.

[Modern research] The fruit contains saponins, flavonoids, vitamin C and a large amount of organic acids such as malic acid, tartaric acid and citric acid.

It also contains catalase, peroxidase, phenol oxidase, oxidase, tannin, pectin, etc. It has antibacterial and liver-protecting effects. It has an inhibitory effect on mouse Ehrlich ascites carcinoma and mouse peritoneal macrophage phagocytosis.

Papaya is a traditional breast enhancement food in my country. It is extremely rich in vitamin A, and a lack of vitamin A will hinder the synthesis of estrogen. Chinese medicine believes that papaya is sweet and mild in nature, can help digestion and strengthen the stomach, nourish and promote lactation, and has a therapeutic effect on people with indigestion. Papaya can be eaten with milk, or used to make dishes or porridge. Red dates are traditional foods that regulate endocrine, replenish blood and nourish the skin; red dates with lotus seeds can also regulate menstruation, replenish qi and nourish the body.

Papaya side effects and contraindications

1. It is suitable for people with nutritional deficiencies, indigestion, obesity and postpartum milk deficiency. It can be cut into small pieces and eaten fresh, or put into rock sugar to make papaya juice. Papaya in the south can be eaten raw or stewed with meat as a vegetable. Xuan papaya in the north is mostly used for medical treatment and should not be eaten fresh.

2. The papain in papaya is slightly toxic to the human body, so it is not advisable to eat too much each time. Eating too much will damage the bones, waist and knees. In addition, people with allergies should be careful when eating papaya. People with weak constitutions and weak spleen and stomach should not eat frozen papaya. Papaya should not be eaten during pregnancy because eating papaya at this time will cause uterine contraction and cause abdominal pain.

3. It is not suitable for people with weak lower back and knees due to deficiency of essence and blood, and deficiency of true yin. It is not suitable for people with food injury but not spleen and stomach deficiency, and with a lot of stagnation.

4. Avoid lead and iron.

How to eat papaya

Papaya milk

Ingredients: 150g papaya, 200cc milk (about 1 large cup), 1 small box of vanilla ice cream, 1 teaspoon of sugar (optional)

Method: Peel and cut papaya into pieces. Put it into a blender, add 200cc of fresh milk, sugar and ice cream, and blend at medium speed for a few minutes.

Made from fresh papaya and fresh milk, it is absolutely fresh and fragrant. Drink it on the spot. If you need to take it away, leave it for no more than 30 minutes (in winter) and 20 minutes (in summer) to ensure the best flavor.

The calcium in fresh milk and the vitamin C in papaya are both nutrients needed by the human body and are suitable for daily drinking. Fresh papaya will taste slightly bitter in winter, which is normal. Please feel free to eat it.

Ingredients: half a papaya, 1 egg yolk, 1 tablespoon of honey, 200ml of milk, half a lemon.

Method: Cut papaya into pieces, blend it with milk and egg yolk into juice, then add lemon juice and honey.

This will make the juice more palatable. If you add a little whiskey, the taste will be better. It can be used as a meal.

Ingredients: 360 grams of papaya, two cups of fresh milk, appropriate amount of white sugar, appropriate amount of crushed ice.

Method: 1. Select fresh and ripe papaya, peel and core it, cut it into large pieces and set aside.

2. Put papaya pieces, fresh milk, white sugar and appropriate amount of crushed ice into a juicer, blend into thick juice and then drink.

Efficacy: Moisturizing and nourishing the skin.

Papaya Fruit Plate

Cut more than 80% ripe papaya into several pieces, peel, scrape the pulp, and cut into fresh fruit plates. The taste is soft, smooth, juicy, fragrant and sweet. If you can't finish it in one go, it's best not to peel or scrape the remaining part. You can wrap it in plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator and eat it within a few days.

Do not freeze it to avoid a bad taste. Some papayas that have been through the winter cold may taste slightly bitter, which is normal, so please eat it with peace of mind.

Papaya milk coconut juice

Ingredients: 1/2 papaya, 250cc fresh milk, 1 tablespoon honey, 50cc coconut juice, 1/2 cup crushed ice.

Method: Peel the papaya, cut it in half, remove the seeds, and cut it into pieces. Put all the ingredients into a juicer and blend for about 30 seconds, then pour it out and drink it.

Efficacy: It is rich in vitamin C and carotene, can effectively relieve fatigue, and is also helpful for people with indigestion.