Papaya Enzymes for Weight Loss: Benefits, Intake, and Potential Risks

In today’s world, obesity is one of the most burning health issues, and there is absolutely no magical solution for it. While synthetic drugs and various weight loss programs claim high for this purpose, a large number of people still prefer home remedies to lose excess weight and stay fit. However, it has been found that if a natural ingredient addresses the reasons for weight gain, especially a dysfunctional digestive system and slow metabolism, it may help you get slimmer successfully over time. Papaya is one such ingredient that eliminates undesired fat and keeps body weight under control with its potent enzyme content. Scroll down to find all the necessary information regarding papaya enzymes for weight loss.

What is Papaya? 

Papaya, also known as the ‘fruit of the angels’, is the fruit of a tropical plant called Carica papaya. It is native to Central America and Southern Mexico but is found in almost every part of the world. Unripe or green papaya is widely used in salads, sweets, stews, etc. As it ripens, the skin of the pear-shaped fruit turns orange or yellow, and its succulent flesh gets a beautiful yellow, orange, or red hue. The sweet fruit also comes with lots of black seeds that are bitter yet edible. Whether you consume papaya raw or cooked, it delivers excellent nutrition to the body and supports health in many ways. Moreover, it is rich in proteolytic enzymes that help break down proteins in the digestive system, thereby protecting the tissues in the body.

Ripe papaya is consumed uncooked as a nutritious fruit. But always cook unripe papaya before consuming as it may stimulate contractions due to the high level of latex in it. Hence, raw unripe papaya is not at all safe for pregnant women. (1)

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Nutritional Profile of Papaya

A small fruit of 125 grams offers almost 15 grams of carbs, 14% of the RDI of vitamin B9 or folate, and 157% of the RDI of vitamin C (2). In addition, it provides good amounts of protein (1 gm.), dietary fibers (3 gms.), vitamin A (33% of the RDI), and potassium (11% of the RDI) to the body. Papaya also contains other vitamins (B1, B3, B5, E, K) and minerals (calcium and magnesium) in trace amounts along with 59 calories. Besides, the fruit is a rich source of healthy antioxidants, such as carotenoids (particularly lycopene), which are absorbed by the body more easily than many other fruits and vegetables (3). Papaya comprises more than 500 digestive enzymes, and many of them are yet to be explored.

Health Benefits of Papaya

Papaya is easy to avail, inexpensive, and filling by nature. But above all, it has amazing healing potential. Here are the health benefits offered by papaya:

• Gives a significant boost to the natural immune system of the body
• Supports the digestive system to give relief from a number of ailments (constipation, upset stomachs, Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS, Crohn’s disease, colitis, ulcers, pancreatitis, liver disease, etc.)
• Scavenges free radicals in the body with antioxidants and protects it from oxidative damage (4)
• Promotes the healing of wounds and burns with strong anti-inflammatory properties
• Provides protection from macular degeneration
• Shields from certain autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis
• Inhibits the growth of cancer cells to reduce the risk of colon cancer
• Helps keep the body weight under control by eliminating excess fat

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Why Consider Papaya for Weight Loss? 

So, how does papaya help shed excess body weight naturally and seamlessly? Well, the fruit does not influence the fat-burning capacity of body cells at all, but its power lies in its enzyme content. Following are the ways it aids weight loss:

• Papaya improves the functionality of our digestive system so that the body digests the foods properly and eliminates the byproduct wastes regularly. This reduces the typical symptoms of the dysfunctional gastrointestinal tract, such as indigestion, heartburn, bloating, constipation, etc., to a great extent (5), which promotes weight loss.
• The enzymes in the fruit increase the body’s metabolic rate and facilitate the digestion of proteins in foods. As a result, the fats in the body get mobilized, and the intestinal walls become clean.
• Antioxidants in papaya detoxify the body significantly by flushing the wastes out of the body. This enhances metabolism and prevents heart disease (6), and uniformly eradicates excess body weight.
• Being rich in vitamins and minerals and low in calories, papaya is much better than many other calorie-dense foods. As a result, it ensures fewer calories, which stimulates fat-burning in the body to make up for the deficit.
• The fruit also comes loaded with dietary fibers and water. These are great for digestive health and also keep us full for a longer period of time. This reduces hunger pangs and helps in losing weight.

Digestive Enzymes Present in Papaya

Digestive enzymes are basically certain compounds that work as ‘catalysts’ in food digestion inside our gastrointestinal tract. They work directly on the consumed foods and break the nutrients down into micro-nutrients, thereby facilitating the absorption and releasing a lot of energy needed by our body (7). When the body fails to produce enough digestive enzymes, the food molecules remain undigested, and we experience several gastrointestinal disorders. Hence, it is important to indulge in edibles with high levels of natural enzymes. Scientists have revealed that raw green papaya holds a couple of such potent digestive enzymes, i.e., ‘papain’ and ‘chymopapain.’ Both are known to improve our gastrointestinal health, which eventually helps us maintain standard body weight. We will be elaborating on it in the next section.

Digestive enzymes are divided into three categories: ‘Amylase’ (turns carbohydrates and starches into simple sugars), ‘Protease’ (turns proteins into amino acids), and ‘Lipase’ (turns lipids into glycerol and fatty acids).

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Different Papaya Enzymes for Weight Loss

Losing extra body weight is possible by means of limiting calorie intake or burning more and more calories. The digestive enzymes present in papaya may prevent food storage in the body as fat cells while providing it with sufficient energy to fuel the daily activities for easy burning of fat. Check out below how papaya enzymes work for weight loss:

1. Papain – Major Papaya Enzyme

Papain is the most crucial enzyme found in papaya. It is present in both raw and ripe papaya, but the concentration of the enzyme is higher in the raw fruit than in the ripe one. Papain is actually a cysteine proteinase (proteolytic enzyme) which, despite being formed inside the digestive tract, works similarly to the enzyme pepsin generated in the pancreas. It effectively breaks apart the peptide bonds of large complex protein molecules and forms comparatively smaller and readily soluble individual peptones or amino acids. The enzyme mostly works on meat protein and similar proteins like wheat protein (gluten), milk protein (casein), etc. It accelerates the whole procedure of digestion, which is very much necessary for successful weight loss.

Papain in raw papaya breaks down the tough chains in meat protein quite easily. Hence, the fruit has been widely used as a natural meat tenderizer for thousand of years.

2. Other Papaya Enzymes

Crude papaya latex or the milky white substance extracted from papaya also contains a number of other potent digestive enzymes, such as chymopapain, alpha-amylase, caricain, glycyl endopeptidase, glutamine cyclotransferase, and so on. These are also quite effective in digesting meat and other concentrated forms of protein. Moreover, these enzymes also break down carbohydrates, starches, and fats along with proteins and digest them with equal efficiency. In short, they aid the natural process of digestion, give a considerable boost to bodily metabolism, and promote weight loss eventually.

Choosing the Right Papaya for Weight Loss

Now, let us find out the right kind of papaya for weight loss purposes. According to experts, raw green papaya is always better than a ripe orange or yellow one when it comes to getting rid of excessive body fat. Fully ripened papayas are certainly loaded with antioxidants, vital vitamins, and essential minerals, but they are not that rich in digestive enzymes. On the other hand, green unripened papayas with no visible blemishes contain significantly high amounts of enzymes and are great for digestion. So, always pick green raw papayas if you are on a weight loss diet.

How to Consume Papaya for Weight Loss?

If you want to unlock the weight-loss benefits of papaya enzymes, include the fruit in your diet in the following ways:

• Slice raw and ripe papaya into small cubes and add them to your fruit and/or vegetable salads with healthy spices. Make sure that you have it along with some fat for the best results.
• Prepare a papaya smoothie by blending ripe papaya with milk or yogurt. You may also add a ripe banana to it for more thickness.

Always have unripe papaya when your stomach is empty. Otherwise, the enzymes in it may trouble you due to the sensitivity to the stomach acid produced after eating.

Papaya Enzyme Supplements for Weight Loss

Papaya enzymes are also available in the form of green papaya tablets or chewable capsules. Being a good alternative to raw papaya fruit, these dietary supplements have become very popular these days. If you cannot avail of fresh papaya, take these supplements along with high-protein meals. You can also take them on an empty stomach by blending in a smoothie or something similar. They comprise both protein- and lipid-digesting enzymes, which facilitate food digestion to a great extent. In other words, papaya enzyme supplements dissolve the proteins encasing the fatty deposits, thereby burning up the fat cells in the body and releasing energy. The whole procedure helps a lot in getting rid of unwanted fat. However, dietary supplements containing papaya enzymes can never be your optimal solution for weight loss. Therefore, you should keep a close eye on your calorie intake and work out on a regular basis to make the most of your weight loss efforts. Otherwise, papaya enzymes will not work to the fullest, and you will never be able to achieve your goal.

Papaya enzyme supplements should not be taken in more than one a day. Also, make sure that you consult with your doctor before taking papaya enzyme supplements.

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Potential Side Effects and Risks

Although papaya enzymes are a natural solution for losing additional body weight, they should be used in moderation. A significantly high level of papain in the body caused by high doses of papain supplements may adversely affect overall health. Some common side effects and risks associated with the intake of papaya enzymes include throat irritation, damage of throat, stomach irritation, esophageal perforation, allergies, etc. In addition, people with latex allergies, hypoglycemia, diabetes, blood clotting disorder, etc., should stay away from papaya enzymes. Ladies trying to conceive, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers should also avoid papain supplements at all costs as they may lead to fetal poisoning or congenital disabilities when consumed largely (8).

Summary:

Papaya is a pear-shaped, tropical fruit that can be consumed both unripe and ripe. Being a great source of carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and dietary fibers, it delivers excellent nutrition to the body and supports health in many ways. It protects the tissues in the body, strengthens immunity, improves digestive health, prevents digestive ailments, keeps inflammation away, averts macular degeneration, protects from rheumatoid arthritis, and shields from cancer. Moreover, papaya is rich in more than 500 types of digestive enzymes, which contribute to its amazing healing and weight loss properties. Papain is the most crucial enzyme found in papaya. It is a proteolytic enzyme that breaks down the peptide bonds of large complex protein molecules and forms comparatively smaller as well as readily soluble individual peptones or amino acids. Crude papaya latex also contains other digestive enzymes like chymopapain, alpha-amylase, caricain, glycyl endopeptidase, glutamine cyclotransferase, etc., which enhance the digestion of carbohydrates, starches, and fats along with proteins. As a whole, the enzymes in papaya help in losing additional body weight by reducing the typical symptoms of the dysfunctional gastrointestinal tract, facilitating the digestion of proteins, detoxifying the body, increasing the metabolic rate, limiting calorie consumption, and keeping us full for a longer period of time. Raw green papaya is always better than a ripe orange or yellow one to get rid of excessive body fat. Add it to your salads or smoothies for the best results. You can even opt for papaya enzyme supplements for weight loss after consulting a doctor. However, too much intake of these enzymes may cause adverse effects and you must be aware of it.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Best Time to Eat Papaya for Weight Loss?
If you want to lose weight, consume papaya on an empty stomach or during breakfast. You can also eat it as a healthy snack after finishing your lunch.

Is It Okay to Eat Papaya Every Day?
It is okay to have papaya every day as long as you are staying in moderation. Eating too much of it a day may cause an upset stomach or diarrhea due to strong laxative effects.

Can I Drink Water After Eating Papaya?
As papaya is naturally loaded with water, it is advised not to drink water after having it. Or else, the pH level of your body, as well as your digestion procedure, may get disturbed.

Is Papaya High in Sugar?
Unripe papaya is not high in sugar, and hence, it can be consumed for losing weight.

References:

1. “Papaya (Carica papaya) Consumption is Unsafe in Pregnancy: Fact or Fable? Scientific Evaluation of a Common Belief in Some Parts of Asia Using a Rat Model“, PubMed.NCBI.nlm.nih.gov
2. “Papayas, Raw Nutrition Facts & Calories,” NutritionData.self.com
3. “Carotenoids are More Bioavailable from Papaya Than from Tomato and Carrot in Humans: A Randomised Cross-Over Study“, PubMed.NCBI.nlm.nih.gov
4. “Lycopene – Antioxidant with Radioprotective and Anticancer Properties. A Review“, PubMed.NCBI.nlm.nih.gov
5. “Papaya Preparation (Caricol®) in Digestive Disorders“, PubMed.NCBI.nlm.nih.gov
6. “Traditional and Medicinal Uses of Carica papaya“, PlantsJournal.com
7. “Digestive Enzymes“, NCBI.nlm.nih.gov
8. “Papaya (Carica papaya) Consumption is Unsafe in Pregnancy: Fact or Fable? Scientific Evaluation of a Common Belief in Some Parts of Asia Using a Rat Model“, PubMed.NCBI.nlm.nih.gov