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

In the contemporary world, combating obesity remains a paramount health challenge with no instant solutions. Despite the promises of synthetic drugs and numerous weight loss programs, a considerable population opts for home remedies to shed excess weight and maintain fitness. Natural ingredients that target the root causes of weight gain, particularly issues like a sluggish metabolism and dysfunctional digestive system, are gaining popularity. Abundant in potent enzymes, Papaya emerges as an ingredient, effectively eliminating unwanted fat and contributing to successful weight management. Explore the comprehensive details on the role of papaya enzymes in weight loss.

In This Article

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)

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 reasonable 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 quickly than many other fruits and vegetables (3). Papaya comprises more than 500 digestive enzymes, many of which are yet to be explored.

Health Benefits of Papaya

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

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 dramatically reduces the typical symptoms of the dysfunctional gastrointestinal tract, such as indigestion, heartburn, bloating, constipation, etc., to a great extent (5), promoting 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. This enhances metabolism, prevents heart disease (6), and eradicates excess body weight uniformly.
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 keep us full for extended periods. This reduces hunger pangs and helps in losing weight.

Digestive Enzymes Present in Papaya

Digestive enzymes are certain compounds that work as ‘catalysts’ in food digestion inside our gastrointestinal tract. They work directly on the foods we consume and break the nutrients down into micro-nutrients, facilitating the absorption and release of our body’s energy (7). When the body fails to produce enough digestive enzymes, the food molecules remain undigested, and we experience several gastrointestinal disorders. Hence, indulging in edibles with high levels of natural enzymes is essential. Scientists have revealed that raw green papaya holds several 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).

Read Also – Top 10 Health Benefits of Papaya Seeds

Different Papaya Enzymes for Weight Loss

Losing extra body weight is possible by limiting calorie intake or burning more and more calories. The digestive enzymes in papaya may prevent food storage in the body as fat cells while providing sufficient energy to fuel daily activities for easy fat-burning. 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 raw and ripe papaya, but the enzyme concentration is higher in the raw fruit than in the ripe. Papain is cysteine proteinase (proteolytic enzyme) that works similarly to the enzyme pepsin generated in the pancreas despite being formed inside the digestive tract. It effectively breaks apart the peptide bonds of sizeable complex protein molecules, forming comparatively more minor and readily soluble individual peptones or amino acids. The enzyme mainly works on meat and similar proteins like wheat (gluten), milk protein (casein), etc. It accelerates digestion, which is 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 several other potent digestive enzymes, such as chymopapain, alpha-amylase, specific glycyl endopeptidase, glutamine acyltransferase, 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, fats, and proteins and digest them with equal efficiency. In short, they aid the natural process of digestion, boost bodily metabolism considerably, and eventually eventually promote weight loss.

Choosing the Right Papaya for Weight Loss

Now, let us find the right kind of papaya for weight loss. According to experts, raw green papaya is always better than a ripe orange or yellow one for eliminating excessive body fat. Fully ripened papayas are deduced with antioxidants, vital vitamins, and essential minerals, but they are not 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 vegetable salads with healthy spices. Ensure you have it and 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 as green papaya tablets or chewable capsules. These dietary supplements have become very popular as an excellent alternative to raw papaya fruit. If you cannot get fresh papaya, take these supplements and 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 closely monitor your calorie intake and work out regularly to maximize 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.

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 the 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?
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 daily as long as you stay in moderation. Overeating it a day may cause an upset stomach or diarrhea due to laxative solid 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 your body’s pH level and digestion procedure may get disturbed.

Is Papaya High in Sugar?
Unripe papaya is not high in sugar; hence, it can be consumed to lose weight.

References:

“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
“Papayas, Raw Nutrition Facts & Calories,” NutritionData.self.com
“Carotenoids are More Bioavailable from Papaya Than from Tomato and Carrot in Humans: A Randomised Cross-Over Study“, PubMed.NCBI.nlm.nih.gov
“Lycopene – Antioxidant with Radioprotective and Anticancer Properties. A Review“, PubMed.NCBI.nlm.nih.gov
“Papaya Preparation (Caricol®) in Digestive Disorders“, PubMed.NCBI.nlm.nih.gov
“Traditional and Medicinal Uses of Carica papaya“, PlantsJournal.com
“Digestive Enzymes“, NCBI.nlm.nih.gov
“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