PAPAYA---- THE CANCER FIGHTING AND OTHER HEALTH BENEFITS , FRUIT .

CIEJAY AND ME PLANTED THIS FROM A SEED 6 MONTHS AGO AND IT HAS ABOUT 20 PLUS FRUIT NOW AND MORE COMING ON AND WE WILL BE EATING FROM THIS TREE IN ABOUT 2 MONTHS , NEXT TIME YOU BUY A PAPAYA , SAVE THE SEEDS AND PLANT A FEW TO GROW YOUR OWN TREE.

I love papaya and have always known that eating the fruit and drinking the juice was really good for your health and have for many years used the seeds and the meat as a tenderizer for any kinds of meat to improve the taste and to make it more tender, I was excited to read this article that I found on Yahoo about the cancer -fighting properties of one of my favorite breakfast fruits, papaya, and just think here in the LOS we can grow them in our own backyard .

When you think of eating a piece of fruit you probably think of a banana, apple, grapes or an orange. All of these are wonderful fruits, but most of them don't have all of the benefits of eating a papaya. In the tropics, where Papaya is grown, it is referred to as the "medicine tree" or "melon of health". Papaya's are filled with nutrients, a single serving of papaya has 150 percent of your daily allowance of Vitamin C, one of the most effective antioxidants in blocking LDL oxidation. It's also associated with high levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. Papayas are a great source of beta-carotene, an important antioxidant that helps fight free radicals, the beginning of disease. Papayas also supply about 2 percent of your RDA for iron, and 4 percent of your daily calcium allowance. It's also an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Folic Acid, Potassium, Copper, Phosphorus, Iron and Fiber.
Another wonderful attribute the papaya has over other fruit is papain. Papain is found in the unripe fruit as well as other parts of the plant. Papain is a powerful protein-digesting enzyme. Papain's action resembles that of two well-known digestive enzymes in the human stomach - pepsin and trypsin. The papain is a large part of what makes Papaya a recommended fruit and juice of practitioners of homeopathic medicine for people with stomach ailments. Practitioners believe Papaya helps treat heartburn, stomach distress, diarrhea, ulcers and even Montezuma's revenge. Eaten regularly, it lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, helps prevent strokes and fights heart and bowel disease, while clearing your complexion. Many also believe by consuming Papaya on a regular basis you can help to prevent or help heal from major illnesses such as cancer, arthritis, liver disease and celiac disease.Great information found on the www.

Malcolm


Researchers back cancer-fighting properties of papaya
AFP - Wednesday, March 10---- Yahoo News

A street vendor prepares papaya for her daily customers in Yangon. Researchers said Tuesday that papaya leaf extract and its tea have dramatic cancer-fighting properties against a broad range of tumors, backing a belief held in a number of folk traditions.
MIAMI (AFP) - – Researchers said Tuesday that papaya leaf extract and its tea have dramatic cancer-fighting properties against a broad range of tumors, backing a belief held in a number of folk traditions.
University of Florida researcher Nam Dang and colleagues in Japan, in a report published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, documented papaya's anticancer effect against tumors of the cervix, breast, liver, lung and pancreas.
The researchers used an extract made from dried papaya leaves, and the effects were stronger when cells received larger doses of papaya leaf tea.
Dang and the other scientists showed that papaya leaf extract boosts the production of key signaling molecules called Th1-type cytokines, which help regulate the immune system.
This could lead to therapeutic treatments that use the immune system to fight cancers, they said in the February issue of the journal and released Tuesday by the university.
Papaya has been used as a folk remedy for a variety of ailments in many parts of the world, especially Asia.
Deng said the results are consistent with reports from indigenous populations in Australia and his native Vietnam.
The researchers said papaya extract did not have any toxic effects on normal cells, avoiding a common side effect of many cancer treatments.
Researchers exposed 10 different types of cancer cell cultures to four strengths of papaya leaf extract and measured the effect after 24 hours. Papaya slowed the growth of tumors in all the cultures.

Tips for Preparing Papaya:
Papayas can be used many different ways. They can be eaten as is, added to a fruit salad or to a host of different recipes.
One of the easiest (and most delightful) ways to eat papaya is to eat it just like a melon. After washing the fruit, cut it lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and then eat it with a spoon. For a little extra zest, you can squeeze lemon or lime juice on top.
To cut papaya into smaller pieces for fruit salad or recipes, first peel it with a paring knife and then cut into desire size and shape. You can also use a melon baller to scoop out the fruit of a halved papaya. If you are adding it to a fruit salad, you should do so just before serving as it tends to cause the other fruits to become very soft.
While most people discard the big black seeds, they are actually edible and have a delightful peppery flavor. They can be chewed whole or blended into a creamy salad dressing, giving it a peppery flavor. ENJOY