Papaya

Tasty, hydrating, soft and digesting with ease, papaya is a tropical fruit delight among fruitarians and all the rest! Papaya scores a 97 out of 100 in Dr. T.C. Fry’s “A General Guide to Food Selection,” making this food tied with several others for the second-highest rating.

Papaya, whose seeds are edible and have a spicy taste, is grown year-round. A small papaya weighs 157 grams and contains 68 calories, and a large papaya weighs 781 grams and weighs 336 calories.

Papaya belongs to the Caricaceae family in the genus Carica. Two kinds of papaya are grown: one with red or orange skin and the other with a yellow exterior. These fruits are usually picked when green for commercial sale. Most papayas sold in the United States are the red-colored Maradol, Sunrise and Caribbean Red varieties grown in Mexico and Belize.

Papaya is a powerhouse source of Vitamins A and C, with a 100-gram serving containing more than 100 percent of one’s Recommended Daily Intake. It contains 88 percent water by weight.

Papaya is believed to have originated in Central America. The fruit is grown extensively in tropical regions. India is the leading producer of papaya, with 39 percent share of world production over 2008 to 2010, followed by Brazil (18 percent) and Indonesia (7 percent). Nigeria (7 percent) and Mexico (6 percent) round out the list of leading five producers.

Stats for 100 Grams of Papayas (Raw)

• 43 calories

Notable Nutrients

Percentages based on the Reference Daily Intake for a 2,000-calorie diet

• Fiber: 6.8%
• Folate: 9.3%
• Vitamin A: 19%
• Vitamin C: 101.5%
• Magnesium: 5.3%
• Potassium: 5.2%

Carbs/Protein/Fat

• Carbohydrates: 91.2%
• Protein: 3.7%
• Fat: 5.1%

Food Type

• Subacid fruit

Sources

• Self Healing Colitis & Crohn’s by Dr. David Klein
• http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2350
• http://www.cronometer.com
• http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/papaya-fruit.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papaya