Papaya was also called as the fruit of angels by Christopher Columbus because it is an amazing medicinal history since ancient times.
Everybody know that it is a famous natural product which is loaded with rich antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
But do you know that papaya leaves are also beneficial? Truth is always bitter and so is the papaya leaf juice!
Let me tell me my own story first! I am a Physician Associate student who recently met a 22 year old female who was affected by dengue.
My professor advised her to get admitted in the hospital. Her platelets were going decreased day by day.
Now you could ask me” couldn’t we cure dengue fever? ” Till today, there is no antiviral drug or no vaccine to stop the infection.
Whereas there are ways to provide supportive care for the patient by administrating IV fluids to prevent dehydration, antipyretic agents to reduce fever and other symptomatic drugs.
The most important symptom of dengue is the decrease in the number of platelets due to plasma leakage where dengue produces lots of holes into the blood vessels causing loss of fluid and platelets to sip out.
Coming back to my story, he advised papaya leaf extract juice to the lady to improve her platelets counts! I was so doubtful but guess what?
Obviously, It worked! The patient put a bigg smile of her face when I show the test results and thought she could go home finally!
And this brings me here to list out the amazing benefits of papaya leaf extracts!
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1. How Papaya Leaf Extracts Works For Dengue
Firstly, Carpaine! A bioactive compound found in papaya leaf has been proved to increase blood platelet count and reduce internal bleeding.
According to NCBI, papaya leaf extract increase the platelet count in dengue fever without causing any side effects and prevents the complication of thrombocytopenia.
Two more human studies which includes several hundred participants have shown the same result that it can cure the symptoms of dengue fever.
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2. Fights Dengue’s Dude “Malaria”
Additionally, They also have strong malarial properties. NCBI mentioned that the papaya leaf extracts have antagonistic properties on its combination with artesunic acid. This shows a little promise for combination therapy development.
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3. Remedy For Inflammatory Conditions
Suffering or having elders at home with joint aches? In fact, papaya leaf preparations are used as a treatment for internal and external inflammatory conditions like joint aches, muscle aches and skin rashes.
To clarify, papaya leaves are rich in papain, flavonoids and vitamin E which have anti-inflammatory benefits.
Other study have mentioned that Papaya leaf extract have significantly reduced arthritis in the paws of rat. There are no evidence of human studies involved yet.
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4. Promote Healthy Skin
Who would say no to a healthier skin? Everyone wants that right! Papain can be topically used to exfoliate dead cells and reduce acne.
The presence of karpain prevents the growth of microorganisms and cleans your skin exiting the toxins.
Furthermore, papaya leaf extract have a rich content of vitamin A and C which boosts skin health.
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5. For Voluminous Hair
Some research suggests that high level of oxidative stress may result to hair loss. Being a loaded source of antioxidants such as flavonoids and vitamin A, it improves hair growth effectively.
Additionally, test tube studies have demonstrated that papaya leaf extracts have antifungal properties to prevent dandruff.
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6. Aids Good Digestion
Experiencing symptoms like heartburn, gas, bloating, indigestion? As I have already said earlier, papain and chymopapain essential fibre are loaded which also eases digestion.
Papain have a amazing ability to break down large proteins into smaller, easier to digest proteins and amino acids.
As well as that, do you know that papaya is even used as natural meat tenderizer? Use pieces of papaya on tough pieces of red meat and the enzymes of the fruit will break down the collagen leaving your meat to get tender.
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7. Papaya Leaf Extract For Constipation
Having difficulty in passing stools? No worries, papaya is rich in fibre and water content which promotes regular bowel movements, add bulk to your stools and prevents constipation.
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8. Clean up The Liver
Last but not least, papaya leaf extract contain acetogenin. They act as a potential cleaning agent for liver by reducing the cholesterol levels.
This minimize lipid perodixication and prevents chronic diseases like cirrhosis.
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How To Make Papapa Leaf Juice?
- Get fresh and mature leaves from a fruit bearing papaya tree.
- Wash the leaves thoroughly in running water and chop them into small pieces. (Exclude the main stems.)
Dont throw away the stems! I came across the newsfeed in which an old farmer use this stems instead of straws to serve tender coconut drink.
He doesn’t needed science and technology but just heart to do it without harming the nature and people!
- Add 50 g of papaya leaves into the food mixer or blender.
- Add 50 ml of boiled cool water and 25 ml of sugar.
- Then, blend them until you get a correct consistency. Set aside for 30 minutes.
- Squeeze the pipe by hand to get the papaya leaf extract. Do not use cotton sieve to extract.
- Store this in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
- Lastly, take the preparation well before given.
If you have dengue, drink this two times a day to improve your platelets.
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Word Of Caution:
Like a coin having both sides, papaya have another side too!
- The most main enzyme papain have more chances to develop allergic properties due to over consumption.
- Suppressing large amount of progesterone, it cause further impact in the uterus and fertility of men and women which can cause termination of pregnancy.
- Due to overconsumption, it can cause respiratory disorders like asthma, congestion and wheezing.
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Reference Links:
- https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0228699
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27739262
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/papaya-leaf#1.-May-treat-symptoms-related-to-dengue-fever
- https://www.livestrong.com/article/403281-side-effects-of-eating-too-much-papaya/
- https://www.news-medical.net/amp/health/Papaya-Leaf-Extract-and-Platelet-Count.aspx