Dehydrated Papaya

Dehydrated Papaya – Nutritional Profile

A dehydrated fruit has all the fibre and vitamins as the regular presentation of the fruit. It just tastes sweeter due to the fact that the sugar is still there but there is less water.

Te papaya is particularly high in Vitamin C, a 100g serving containing 313% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA). Vitamin A , E and K are present at 67%, 11% and 10% of RDA respectively.

Fibre is also provided at 22% of RDA per 100g portion and essential nutrients folate and potassium are also present.

Dehydrate Papaya – Health Benefits

Papayas are rich in antioxidants. Research has shown they contain more beta-carotene than carrots and more vitamin C than kiwi fruit. These anti-oxidants protect against heart disease and arteriosclerosis by inhibiting oxidisation which is necessary for platelets of plaque to stick to the walls of blood vessels. Papaya is also a good source of soluble fibre which has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol whilst promoting the uptake of the desirable HDL cholesterol and at the same time inhibiting the development of gall stones.

Papaya is very useful in supporting digestive processes because enzymes present in the fruit help to digest proteins, fats, and starches. Insoluble fibre also assists the digestive tract by absorbing water and making an easier passage through the colon.

It is recognised thast papaya is very good at soothing upset stomachs and this is due to its high alkaline content. Dried papaya is particularly effective at dealing with constipation. The drying of the fruit concentrates the amount of fibre you consume into a very high density dose. Papaya also helps the body to produce more arginine which is an essential amino acid that is a human growth hormone necessary for cell rejuvenation and rebuilding cells, especially those in the liver, muscles and bones.

Beta-carotene provides both vitamin A and vitamin C are important for maintaining the proper function of the immune system so mean that papaya will play a role in the prevention of minor infexctions of the ear and chest as well as colds and flu generally.

There is research that suggests that vitamin A has an impact on inflammation of the lung and can prevent conditions such as emphysema.

Combining green tea with papaya in the diet may actually reduce the incidence of prostate cancer in men. When both were consumed the combined effect was seen to be greater than that from the separate ones.

The natural aging process can lead to problems with vision. Macular degeneration can be so severe as to lead to complete loss of vision. Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD) can be slowed or prevented by eating up to three portions of fruit every day. Risk of ARMD was shown to be up to 36% less in a study of 110,000 men and women where the average fruit consumption of 1.5 portions was increased to three.

Papaya also contains high levels of potassium which, as an electrolyte, is critical for controlling levels of body fluid, heart rate and balancing the effect of salt in the diet generally.