In its entirety, the papaya tree is one of the best gifts from Mother Nature to mankind. Both its fruits and leaves have abundant health benefits that are too good to be missed.
Papaya leaves are like the one-stop remedy for most kinds of ailments. You can either brew dried papaya leaves or juice fresh ones.
Nutritional Value Of Papaya Leaves
The leaves of papaya are rich in dietary fiber, vitamins A, C, E, and folate as well as antioxidants, flavonoids, and carotenes. They contain important protein-digesting enzymes like papain and chymopapain.
It also contains essential phytonutrients like flavonoids (kaempferol, myricetin quercetin), alkaloids (carpaine, pseudocarpaine, dehydrocarpaine) and phenolic compounds (ferulic acid, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, anthraquinones). All these contribute to the various health benefits that papaya.
5 Health Benefits Of Papaya Leaf Tea
A cup of papaya leaf tea a day can help your body with the following benefits:
1. Aids In Proper Digestion
Papaya leaves have papain and chymopapain that assist in the breakdown of food. It is also rich in carpaine that is capable of destroying harmful microbes and intestinal parasites. It also has a protective effect on the mucosal lining of the gut. Even in people suffering from gluten intolerance, papain can subdue the toxic effects of wheat by-products on the gut.1
Therefore papaya leaf tea is very soothing for people suffering from gastric ulcers, gastritis and inflammatory conditions like IBS and gluten intolerance.2
2. Boosts Platelet Production
Scientific research has proved that papaya leaves have anti-parasitic properties. A study showed that when papaya leaf juice or tea was consumed twice a day for 5 consecutive days, platelet count was raised in dengue fever patients.3
The digestive enzymes and phytochemicals in the leaves are responsible for their platelet boosting activity.
3. Regulates Blood Sugar Levels
Regular intake of papaya leaf tea can help positively regulate diabetes. It can reduce bad cholesterol and triglycerides, thereby preventing, atherosclerotic changes in the body. In diabetics, it helps to improve insulin sensitivity, regenerate healthy pancreatic cells, and prevent the chances of liver toxicity.
4. Prevents Cancer
Papaya leaves have been used in folk medicine to prevent cancerous changes in the body. Long-term scientific studies have proved that their high levels of saponins and polyphenolic compounds give them the ability to fight cancer.
Even people undergoing chemotherapy can empower their body to combat cancer by having papaya leaf tea every day.4
5. Relieves Skin Infections
Papaya leaf extract, unripe papaya flesh, and crushed papaya seeds have been used as a balm on acne, boils, and other wounds for ages. The proteolytic enzymes in it help in removing slough from the wound, helping in faster healing. Its antimicrobial activity also prevents the wound from getting infected.5
Recipe For Papaya Leaf Tea
It is extremely easy to prepare papaya leaves for brewing purposes. All you have to do is dry and crush them. Drying can be done by keeping a bunch of leaves in the sun until they become dry and brittle.
For quicker drying, you can bake the leaves in a preheated oven at 225 degrees Fahrenheit, but make sure not to burn them. You can store them in muslin bags or airtight glass jars.
Instructions:
- Boil 1-2 tablespoons of dried papaya leaves in 2 liters of water in a saucepan.
- Simmer until the concoction is reduced by half.
- Strain the extract and serve in cups.
Despite the benefits, papaya leaf tea is not recommended if you are pregnant, nursing, or on anti-clotting medications. However, if you are healthy otherwise, you can make it a part of your diet.
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