Most of us are familiar with the benefits of papaya fruit, which contains high amounts of antioxidants, essential vitamins and minerals as well as fibre to control appetite and promote a healthy digestion, but not all of us are close with its leaves.
Just like its name suggests, papaya leaves are the leaves of the papaya plants. Perhaps many people don’t consider eating its leaves due to its bitter flavour, despite being a common type of vegetable in Indonesia.
What are the papaya leaves? And what are the health benefits of papaya leaves for cancer?
The Nutrients Inside Papaya Leaves
Papaya leaves contain wealthy reserves of wonderful nutrients such as vitamins A, B, C, D, and E, calcium, flavonoids, which are antioxidants useful to repel cancer and cardiovascular illnesses, tannins as well as betacarotene to boost the immune system. The vitamins above are sources of powerful antioxidants, vitality and enhanced mood, bone strength improver, and to maintain sexual and cardiovascular functions respectively.
These are also the 10 Impressive Health Benefits of Papaya Flowers.
How Do Papaya Leaves Cure Cancer?
Papaya leaves contain a kind of sap that is effective in preventing killing cancer cells known as acetogenin. Various research and studies that have taken place in various leading research countries such as Japan and the United States have also proven that papaya leaves are indeed effective in doing so. For example, a study done by the University of Illinois concluded that papaya leaves’ high antioxidant content makes it, whereas a similar study done by the University of Florida validated that papaya leaves possess agents that kill various types of cancer, such as cervix cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, liver cancer and the lung cancer.
Researchers prove papaya leaves’ ability to cure cancer by doing the “tea experiment.” The tea experiment works by placing tea made of papaya leaf extracts into petri dishes filled with cancerous cells. The scientists observe that the papaya leaf extract accelerates the production of substances that help regulate the immune system and the death of cancerous cells.
Here are some other ways papaya leaves can potentially help to cure cancer.
- Chemotherapy – This is the first health benefit of papaya leaves for cancer. Papaya leaves can enhance chemotherapy effectiveness whilst reducing its risky side effects.
- Immune Improvement – Papaya leaves contain lots of powerful antioxidants that are great immune boosters. One anti-cancer compound produced by papaya is the cytokine.
- Platelets – Papaya leaf teas can counter thrombocytopenia, which is a common condition treated for cancer that keeps blood clotting due to low platelet counts.
- Appetite – The papaya leaves can also cure cancer by increasing appetite on cancer patients, a common trait of people suffering from cancer.
- Provides Antioxidant – The final health benefit of papaya leaves for cancer is that it provides antioxidant that guards you from any possible growth of cancer.
Other Uses of Papaya Leaves
Apart from its ability to prevent and cure cancer gradually, here are the other known advantages of papaya leaves for your health.
- Prevents Indigestion
Just like the papaya fruit itself, papaya leaves can also maintain a healthy digestion. The maintenance of digestion using papaya leaves is all-throughout from the mouth to the colon. Papaya leaves help the natural breakdown of protein and carbohydrates and relieves the forming of intestinal acids. In the end, infections can be avoided at best.
- Gradually Stabilizes a Dengue Patient’s Condition
Papaya leaves can stabilize the health conditions of a dengue patient by containing enzymes that have the ability to reduce swelling. Swelling on dengue fever itself is a continual symptom that appears four to five days after high fever starts. The swelling itself mostly comes in the form of series of rashes. These are the other 15 benefits papaya leaves dengue.
- Helps Alleviate Gluten-Intolerance
Gluten intolerance is an immune condition that arises after consuming gluten products such as wheat, barley or rye. Papaya leaves can help break the gluten proteins for a better digestion.
- Reduces One’s Glucose and Carbohydrate Intake
Glucose and carbohydrate affect our eating habits in a great way, by dramatically increasing our appetite. This is obviously unhealthy and speeds up obesity. Tea made of papaya leaf extracts can reduce our appetite on glucose as well as carbohydrate.
- Diminishes Acne
Acne is a hormonal issue commonly found in adolescents and young adults. It alters our skin appearance and cause insecurities in most people. Not to mention that it is hereditary and a life-long condition. Should all acne control efforts fail, perhaps you should check out papaya leaves. Papaya leaves help acne by making a facial mask out of it.
- Minimizes Prostate-related Diseases
One prostate disease that can be helped with the help of papaya leaves is enlarged prostate. Enlarged prostate is characterized by burning feeling when urinating, nonstop urge to go to the toilet, fever as well as fatigue. Consuming papaya leaves can help cure these symptoms eventually.
- Supports Hair Growth
Papaya leaves may be a common skincare ingredient, but not many are aware that it is indeed also a good supporter of hair growth. Papaya shampoos strengthens and shines the hair. If you do not have papaya shampoo, you could try mixing shampoo with papaya extracts to get the best benefits for your hair. For your information, these are the 15 benefits of papaya seeds for hair growth.
- Relieves Menstrual Cramps
Tea made out of papaya leaves can relieve menstrual cramps. Drink a few cups per day and see how it works. It is regarded as an organic way to relieve menstruation without the help of medicines.
- Defies Aging
Papaya and the leaves contain amino acids that make the skin young and healthy. Papaya tea can also lead to a firmer and tighter skin and avoid wrinkles and such from appearing.
Here are also the 13 Marvelous Health Benefits of Pawpaw in Pregnancy.
Those are the health benefits of papaya leaves for cancer and for the overall health. Apart from consuming the papaya fruit, you should also think about eating the leaves as well. Hope it works!