Papaya, which previously often called the fruit of the angels by Christopher Columbus, is a tropical fruit that originated from North America, mostly in Mexico. But, right in the moment, papaya fruit is widely grown all over the world which have tropic climate. Papaya plant can grow to the height of 30 meters and  commonly has purple flowers and yellow fruits.
We bet that you wouldn’t be surprised that papaya fruit contain a lot of benefits for your health because papaya fruit, like any other fruits, commonly known as the healthy foods. But, do you know that papaya leaf could also bring you totally diverse health benefits? In this article, we already have 20 health benefits that you could get for your body if you maximize the use of papaya leaves.
- Reduce the Symptoms of Dengue
If you’re experiencing some symptoms like fever, skin rash, headache, muscle and joint point, you are probably suffering from dengue. But, that is the common ones. If you’re experiencing any dangerous symptoms like blood plasma leakage, low platelet count, and bleeding, you’re probably suffering from the dangerous disease called hemorrhagic fever. Dengue fever is a deadly disease caused by the virus called Aedes mosquito
Some studies indicate that papaya leaves contain enzymes like chymopapain and papain that can boost and normalize the platelet count and the liver damage caused by dengue disease and then it also will aid the recovery from dengue disease.
- Anti-Malaria
Other health benefits of papaya leaf is its anti-malaria properties. Papaya leaves have been proven to be very efficient to prevent you from malaria. Some studies indicate that the bitter taste from papaya leaves can be very effective to get rid of malaria out of your body. So, you’re strongly suggested to drink some papaya leaf juice when you’re attacked by malaria.
- Healthier Skin
Do you know that papaya leaf contains higher Vitamin A and Vitamin C than the fruit? This high contain of Vitamin C means that papaya leaves could release antioxidant which will fight against free radicals. This antioxidant would be very beneficial to prevent your skin from any skin disease like acne, wrinkles, and heavy pigmentation. Your skin will always glow naturally, then it will boost your overall appearance and confidence too.
- Fight Viral Infection
Papaya leaf is also commonly known for its ability to fight against infection caused by virus such as common cold or influenza. The various components of vitamin like Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E will boost your immune system. Thus, papaya leaves can be very useful to keep you healthy and stay away from any viral infections.
- Reduce Menstrual Pain
Papaya leaves turn out to be a good solution during your menstrual period. Sometimes, it could be really painful when you’re in your menstrual period. To reduce the pain, you can use one papaya leaf, add some tamarind and salt, then add water to that mixture, and then boil it and simmer it. That ingredient has been proved to its efficacy to reduce the menstrual pain.
- Curing Emphysema
Emphysema is one of the deadly disease that comprises Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). This disease is widely associated with gradual damage of lung tissue, including the destruction of the alveoli. To prevent you from this emphysema disease, you need a sufficient amount of Vitamin D. Papaya leaves contain pretty high amounts of Vitamin D which will protect your body from disease associated with emphysema lung.
- Cleansing Agent
Papaya leaves could be very beneficial for cleansing agent, especially if you make the papaya leaves as a juice. Thanks to the compound called karpain that contained in papaya leaves. This karpain will prevent the growth of microorganism and other toxins from your body, thus it will make your skin become healthier because you will be avoided from skin problems like blemishes, pimples, and freckles.
- Curing Eczema
Papaya leaves could also be a good solution to treat against eczema disease. Eczema is one of the kind inflammation on the skin, which characterized by itchy, vesicular, weeping, and crusting patches. Papaya leaves turn out have a great ability as an anti-inflammatory, since it can cure your eczema. You could apply the papaya leaves to the area of your body that affected by the eczema after scrubbing.
- Good for Hair Treatment
Papaya leaf is also commonly used as a hair treatment in many salon or health care stores. Papaya leaves could bring a great benefit for your hair since it will add some shine if your hair, especially when you make these papaya leaves as a juice, and then you mix it up with honey or coconut milk.
- Anti-Dandruff
As already mentioned above, papaya leaves contain a compound called karpain. This karpain turns out to be a great source to get rid of dirt and oil out of the hair, as well as strengthening your hair without any side effects. So, rather than buying shampoo and throwing out your money, you need to consider this herbal plant as an anti-dandruff for your hair.
- Regulate Menstruation Disorder
Well, you already know that papaya leaves can be really helpful to reduce and alleviate your pain caused by menstruation. The good news is, papaya leaves could offer you more than that. Since papaya leaves have healing properties and very potent to balance your hormones, these leaves could help you reduce the pre-menstrual syndrome symptoms and also regulate the menstruation cycle.
- Lowering the Sugar Blood Levels
For everyone of you that might have some concerns related to diabetes diseases, this is a good news for you. Papaya leaves could stimulate the insulin activity in the body, thus it will help you to regulate the blood sugar levels and you’ll be more likely to avoid from diabetes disease. Also, papaya leaves could decrease the possibilities of having complications caused by diabetes like kidney damage. Papaya leaves also could reduce the oxidative stress that can lead to diabetes.
- Increase Platelets
Whenever you suffer from vitamins deficiency, dengue, or chemotherapy side effects, the amount of platelets in the body will be low. If these happen, you need to consume papaya leaves as soon as possible because these leaves can be beneficial to increase the amount of platelets in your body. A lot of research that conducted in around the world evidence that consuming papaya leaves could improve the amount of platelets in your body rapidly.
- Inhibit the Growth of Bacteria
One of the health benefits of papaya leaf is preventing the growth of bacteria, especially the bad bacteria that can cause some problems in your intestines. Some studies evidence that papaya leaves contain more than 50 active ingredients that can prevent you from bad bacteria. The karpain compound that contained in papaya leaves is one of the most important compounds that have responsibility to inhibit the growth of bad bacteria in your body. Tannin compound in papaya leaves also beneficial to inhibit the growth of worms that could be attached to your intestinal system.
- Curing Gastric Ulcers
According to research that published in The West Indian Medical Student, papaya leaves also contain compounds that can prevent you from gastric ulcers. The researchers found out that consuming papaya leaves can increase the activity of glutathione peroxidase, one of the important antioxidant which will fight against free radicals.
The research on papaya leaves conducted in rats. They divided into two groups, one group of rats pre-treated with papaya leaves and the other one is not. The result of that research was the group of rats that have papaya leaves in their body shown less oxidative stress and had the reduction of ulcer formation compared with the other group.
- Anti-Aging
Papaya leaves contain more than 50 amino acids such as glutamate acid, glycine, valine, leucine, tryptophan, cysteine, histidine, and many more. All of these amino acids are commonly used as ingredients of commercial cosmetics in the department stores for the healthy and young looking skin. So, these papaya leaves is by far cheaper than those commercial cosmetics that sometimes can cause you some side effects.
- Support the Digestive System
It is revealed that papaya leaf could support the work of your digestive system. The papain, chymopapain, protease, and amylase enzymes that contained in papaya leaves will be very useful to break down the nutrients like protein, carbohydrate, and mineral from the food that you just ate, thus it will support the digestive system.
This leaf will also protect you from digestive diseases or curing them because based on studies, papaya leaves contain anti-microbial agents by killing harmful bacteria called H.Pylori which will cause peptic ulcers.
- Prevent Coronary Artery Disease
Coronary artery disease could be possibly happen if you have a high amount of cholesterol levels in your body. To prevent you from this disease, you need a lot of Vitamin C that contained in papaya leaves, which then will release antioxidants that can boost the circulation of the blood flow in the body. These antioxidants from papaya leaves could really useful too to protect the health of your heart from coronary artery disease.
- Prostate Enlargement
Although this benefit needs further research, but papaya leaves, if you consume it as a tea, can be really useful to benign the prostate enlargement and every disease associated with prostate enlargement.
- Anti-Cancer Properties
This is probably one the most important benefits that the papaya leaves could offer for your health. Papaya leaves contain a compound called acetogenin. This compound is widely known for its efficacy against various types of cancer.
There are many research that already proved that papaya leaf is an effective weapon for cancer. A study in Japan revealed that the cancer cells in the some people can be shut down when they are drinking papaya leaves concoction constantly in daili routine. A reseach that published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology showed that papaya leaf is one of the herbal cure that can protect you from human cancers in vitro such as breast cancer, lung cancer, and cervical cancer.
Tips on How to Consume It
Since papaya leaves contain tons of greatness for your body, you need to try this herbal plant as the remedy of various diseases that occur to you. But, some of you might be wondering how to serve it so you can get the full advantage of it. Here are some consumption tips for papaya leaves and the steps how to making it.
- Papaya Leaves as Juice
You can make papaya leaves as a juice, so you will enjoy it more when you’re consuming this healthy herbal pant. Here are some steps how to make papaya leaf juice.
- Put your juicer and blender on
- Add several papaya leaves, about 10 pieces of leaf might be enough. Add some water and then just blend it until the mixture of water and the leaves is smooth enough.
- After that, pour it in a glass and you could drink it immediately. But, if you don’t want to consume it immediately, you can refrigerate it for up to 4 days after you make it.
- You could add some sugars for taste, so it wouldn’t too bitter.
- Papaya Leaves as Tea
You can also make papaya leaves as a tea, this papaya tea would be a perfect variation if you want to try to drink papaya leaf other than a juice. Here are some steps on how to make it
- Take several papaya leaves, 10 pieces of leaf could be enough, and then wash them and dried them.
- Tear the papaya leaves apart, and then put them in a sauce pan. Add for about 2 liters of water. Boil it until the half of the water still remained.
- Strain the liquid, discard the leaves and you can consume it immediately. But, if you don’t want to consume it immediately, you can put the papaya leaf juice in the refrigerator for up to 4 days since you make it.
- Since the papaya leaf juice might be bitter and not everyone of you can stand the bitter taste of papaya leaf juice, you might add a little bit sugar or honey for some taste.
- Papaya Leaves as Face Mask
Other than consuming it as a beverage, you could also consume papaya leaves externally. Papaya leaves, as already stated in the health benefits section, can be very beneficial for your beauty skin. Here are some steps on how to apply papaya leaves as a facial mask.
- Take several papaya leaves, 2 to 4 leaves might be sufficient.
- Dried those papaya leaves naturally under the sun.
- Tears the papaya leaves apart in small pieces. Sprinkle some honey to the mashed papaya leaves.
- Apply those mashed mixture in all over your face. Wait for about 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, wash your face with the cold water.
Papaya Leaves Side Effects and Warnings
Although papaya leaves will bring you tons of greatness for your health, but there are few side effects and warning related to these papaya leaves. Here are few side effects and warnings that you must consider before starting to consume papaya leaves, whether as a juice, tea, or apply it on your face.
- Stimulate Some Allergies
The papain enzyme that contained in papaya leaves is widely known for its side effects that can stimulate some allergies. According to a study published in the Journal Ugeskrift for Laeger, 10 out of 22 employers who were exposed by papain dust in the laboratory showed some allergy symptoms in their body, such as itchy eyes and runny nose.
- Potentially Harmful for Pregnant Women
There is a suggestion that you better not to consume papaya, especially taken by mouth, when you’re pregnant. There is some evidence that unprocessed papain, of the enzyme that can be found in papaya leaves, might be poisonous for the fetus and can cause the birth defects. Although further research still needed, but you’re strongly suggested to not consuming papaya leaves during your pregnancy.
So, now you already know everything about papaya leaves. These leaves are truly good for the health of every part of your body, thus we strongly recommend you to give these leaves a try. But remember that these leaves have a bitter taste, so you need a little bid of sugar or honey to reduce the bitterness of it. Stay healthy with papaya leaves.