~ by Luba Nikolayev

Papaya is a well-known, healthy, tropical fruit that is both delicious and full of advantages. In Costa Rica, papayas are easy to grow and abundant year round. 

When ripe, the fruit has sun-kissed, yellow skin, a juicy orange inside, and is full of black, soft seeds in the center. It’s nicknamed the “fruit of the angels”, and has a long history of benefits to the body.

It’s full of essential nutrients and antioxidants like vitamins A and C, magnesium, potassium, and fiber.

Papaya helps us by strengthening the immune system, reducing motion sickness, promoting a vigorous heart, helping with weight loss, and regulating menstrual cycles. A key benefit of papaya is its digestive assistance; it is rich in papain, a super enzyme that helps break down food for absorption. 

Papaya peel promotes lively skin, and is used as an active ingredient in many skin-care products. Rub the peel on your body and face to exfoliate your skin. It’s powerful at healing skin conditions like sunburns, eczema, sores, wounds, acne, and ulcers. Before throwing the skins into the compost, rub them on your skin to keep it fresh and looking young.

Most people aren’t aware that papaya leaves and seeds are also very useful.

The seeds can be eaten raw in small amounts or added to smoothies; they are powerful at preventing and eliminating intestinal worms. The leaves are known for preventing and curing dengue.

The easiest way to consume the leaf is juicing it, and you only need a couple of leaves to reap the rewards.

To obtain all the positive aspects of papaya, it’s important to make sure that it’s coming from an organic source. Pesticides are a growing risk, and there is evidence that they can alter DNA, causing the body to attack itself.

Come to the farmers market and meet the farmers that offer fresh, organic produce, and enjoy its benefits!

INFO: Luba Nikolayev - chagachica.weebly.com