Papaya (Paw Paw) Seeds and its surprising health benefits ( A must read)!

In recent times, the seeds of papaya fruit has attracted attention as potential healthy food and while much evidence supporting the idea is unsubstantiated the seed are non toxic to the body as such can be tried just in case. Papaya (Paw Paw) seed can be eaten as a supplement or whole, as well you may ground the seeds up and use them when you would usually use pepper since the two tastes are somewhat alike.

However, while many people still throw them away, papaya seeds are not only edible as small amounts of them in your diet can be surprisingly beneficial for you. Be aware that chewing half a teaspoon of papaya seed is not like eating papaya (paw paw) fruit. They come with strong flavor, more like a cross between mustard and black peppercorns. If you can handle the flavor (which is not a big deal) , below in this article are some interesting ways to add them to your diet and some main health benefits of papaya seeds.

How Papaya seed can be eating

Part One...

• You can eat as a raw supplement in the following ways

1. Choose a small papaya as smaller ones tends to have a milder taste while the seeds of larger ones tends to be more bitter. You can with time when you get accustomed to the taste begin to get larger ones instead of relying only on small fruits.
2. Chew on a few seeds directly. Papaya seeds can be eaten whole but you can start off on the first week to chew on one or two seeds as too many at once can overwhelm your taste buds and digestive systems. So start small and take it up gradually to avoid upsetting your digestive system.

1. Gradually work your way to larger quantities: From the second week, gradually work up to 1/4 tsp (1.25ml) then to 1/2 tsp 92.5ml) and finally to a full 1tsp full which is equivalent of (5ml) daily.
   You can make things easier for your digestive system by taking a meal heavy in protein along with the papaya seed. In so doing, you get easily the highest amount of benefits from the proteolytic enzymes in the seeds as such improving your digestive health.
2. You can as well eat the seeds of papaya with honey: If the strong bitter taste of the papaya seeds is too strong for you to handle, you could try taking whole papaya seeds with 1 tsp (5 ml) of honey to lessen the effect.

Note: As you taking the papaya seeds with honey, you should still chew the seeds a few times before swallowing them. More so, the combination of honey and papaya seeds is thought to be an effective treatment against parasites, as such, taking your papaya seeds with honey has possible health benefits, as well, so take note!

Part two

• Papaya seeds can be used as a replacement for pepper

1. Crush the papaya seeds: You can use a mortar and pestle to crush up to 1tsp of papaya seed at once grinding them into a fine or coarse powder. If you want also, you can add the clean, dry seeds directly to your pepper grinder instead of using a mortar and pestle. To get best results, go for freshly crushed papaya seeds instead of seeds that were crushed some time ago.
2. You can use crushed papaya seed whenever you would use crushed peppercorn.
   Crushed papaya seeds work well as a substitute for black pepper and can be used in equal proportions. Be aware that both pepper and papaya seeds do not have same taste. Some have compared it to a blend between pepper and mustard, but when used in small quantities, the difference is not usually enough to negatively affect the food you use it on as a pepper substitute.
3. You can try seasoning meat with papaya seeds.

One great way to use peppery papaya seeds is to season steak, chicken, or pork with the crushed seeds before you cook the meat.
For example, you could crush 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) of papaya seeds and use them to season a single serving size steak. Rub the crushed seeds on the steak and let it sit for an hour before pan-frying in a little olive oil. The papain that is found in papaya seeds acts as a meat tenderizer. The flavor of papaya seed itself adds flavor to the meat, and it can also help for easy digestion of the steak after it gets into your stomach.

1. You can make a papaya seed salad dressing.

Another popular way to use papaya seeds is to mix them into a vinaigrette dressing, similar to the manner in which you might prepare a pepper vinaigrette.
For one version of papaya seed dressing, use 1 Tbsp (15 ml) papaya seeds, 1/4 cup (60 ml) papaya fruit, 1/4 cup (60 ml) red onion, 1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh cilantro, 1 clove garlic, 5 tsp (25 ml) ginger, 2 Tbsp (30 ml) apple cider vinegar, the juice of 1 lime, 1 tsp (5 ml) honey, 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil, 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) sea salt, and a pinch of chili pepper flakes if desired.
Blend all of the ingredients, minus the oil, in a blender until they form a liquid.
Slowly pour the olive oil into the blender or food processor as it runs to blend it in thoroughly.
This recipe produces 1 cup (250 ml) of papaya seed dressing. You can store it sealed and chilled for up to one week.

Part Three

• Some health benefits of papaya seeds
  Papaya seeds contain high levels of oleic and palmitic acids. Both are believed to help protect your body against cancer. The flavonoids in papaya seeds are believed to help prevent germs from causing infections and are also thought to protect the kidneys.

Use Papaya Seeds against Worms and Other Parasitic Infections
Like green papaya, the seeds contain high levels of proteolytic enzymes like papain which can help rid your body of parasites. In the same way that papain breaks down undigested protein waste in your food, it may also break down parasites and their eggs. Good levels of digestive enzymes in your diet are also believed to help normalize the environment in your intestinal tract, making it less hospitable to worms and other parasites the papaya seeds also contain a unique anthelmintic alkaloid called carpaine that has been shown to be very effective at killing parasitic worms and amoebas. In one study done in West Africa with Nigerian children, 76.7 percent of the children got rid of intestinal parasites after consuming papaya seeds daily for one week.

Papaya Seeds as a Treatment for Liver Cirrhosis
Liver cirrhosis is a disease, usually caused by excessive alcohol consumption over many years, wherein the liver shrinks and becomes hardened. In this state it is ineffective at removing toxins from the body, leading to a variety of serious health problems. Papaya seeds are often reported as an effective treatment for liver cirrhosis. One method is to grind up around five dried seeds in a pepper grinder, or crush up fresh ones in a mortar and pestle, and mix them with a tablespoon of fresh lime juice (these powdered organic seeds could also be used). Drink this papaya seed liver treatment down twice a day for a month. Many cirrhosis sufferers have had dramatic improvements with this powerful natural remedy but it does need to be used regularly as natural medicines takes time to rebuild the long years of damage in the body system/organs…Obviously consult your doctor first if you are being treated for cirrhosis of the liver, especially with regards to the papain enzyme that may interfere with medications.

Even for people without such obvious liver damage, a small amount of pawpaw seeds taken regularly is said to help with liver detoxification. It is worthy to note that in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine, papaya seeds are used to detoxify and strengthen the liver. Anything that can improve the vital functions of the liver will be likely to improve your health in general. As such it’s a good liver detoxifier.

Below are other Papaya Seed Remedies
Another one of the uses of papaya seeds could be to prevent or possibly even treat food poisoning. The seeds of papaya are believed to have a strong antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect on our digestive systems. Studies have shown an extract made from them is effective at killing E coli, Salmonella, Staph and other dangerous bacterial infections. Once again, their potent digestive enzymes like papain can help change the intestinal environment to one that is more favorable to the ‘good’ bacteria and less so to the bad ones that can cause so many digestive issues and health problems. In this way they may also be a helpful aid in the treatment of candida yeast overgrowth. By creating a supportive environment for healthy intestinal bacteria, both pathogenic yeasts and debilitating bad bacteria are much less likely to take hold within your intestinal tract.
More so, vanguard news papers reported on November 23 , 2016 during an interview with a community health expert, Mrs Karounwi Israel the President of KARIS, a non-governmental organization, which teaches people on many wonders of plants and fruits on uses of paw paw seeds including cure of cancer. Israel says that pawpaw seeds can help in the management of diabetes, stop cancer growth, kill bacteria and heal viral infections. Also “Pawpaw seeds are anti-inflammatory making them great for arthritis, joint diseases, swelling, pains, and redness,”

There are even reports of using papaya seeds to successfully treating viral infections such as Dengue fever in parts of Central America like Costa Rica. However, this is a serious disease so consult a knowledgeable healthcare professional if you contract Dengue fever.

Important notes on storage and Precautions

Store an excess in the freezer. If you do not plan on eating or using all your papaya seeds within the first few days, you should place them in a freezer-safe, airtight container and store the seeds in a freezer.
If you eat papaya seeds on a fairly consistent basis, you can store them in the refrigerator instead of relying on the freezer. If you do not think that you can go through your papaya seeds within a week or so, though, it is best to freeze some. When kept frozen, papaya seeds can retain their nutritional value for 6 to 12 months.
Defrost the seeds in the refrigerator overnight before use. Alternatively, you could soak frozen seeds in hot water for a few minutes until they soften.

Avoid adding them to smoothies or similarly sweet foods. Even though you could technically use papaya seeds in a smoothie, many people agree that the bitter, pepper-like taste tends to be a fairly unappetizing addition. Additionally, in low quality blenders, papaya seeds may not be thoroughly ground. A mortar and pestle, food processor, or pepper grinder are your best options if you want to pulverize papaya seeds.

Importantly, as a precaution, pregnant women should not use papaya seeds or the enzyme rich green papaya. This warning on their use would also extend to breastfeeding mothers. Additionally, while papaya seeds do have strong anti-parasitic properties, they may be too powerful for young children’s gastrointestinal tracts, so a doctor should be consulted before giving them to infants.

Furthermore, eating papaya seeds may temporarily but greatly reduce a man’s fertility to the point that would make pregnancy unlikely. As such, there’s a detailed look at the natural contraceptive potential of papaya seeds for men not interesting to have children at a certain period of time.

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Read also my former posts
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https://steemit.com/health/@kenhudoy/benefits-of-urine-therapy-is-it-safe-or-not-for-steemians-to-drink-own-urine-a-must-read

Sources: Web links…
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/11/pawpaw-seeds-cure-cancer/
http://superfoodprofiles.com/health-benefits-papaya-seeds
http://www.wikihow.com/Eat-Papaya-Seeds
Image sources: Google & wikihow
Video: Youtube