Papaya the superfruit

[Jared]

Let me start off by saying I've been trying very hard to gain weight. In doing so I've been eating tons of food high in protein and starchy foods. I tend to assume that it's just my stomach not absorbing all the nutrients, because I feel like a normal person eating what I do would be gaining weight pretty easily. In doing some research I saw that there are digestive enzymes that can help break down foods so they are more easily absorbed. I believe the three different types are papain, protease, and amalayse. I've read that papaya happens to have all three types. Part of my thinking is that it is known that large amounts of protein after workouts help promote muscle growth and repair, and most likely I'm not getting as much absorbed as a normal person would so i needed something to help. After doing some googling it seems that papaya is a great natural way to help us digest our foods. I think mangos and pineapple have some similar vitamins, but papaya seemed to be the best of the bunch.

This post is designed to start a discussion on the benefits this fruit may have for all of us here. I'm wondering if anyone out there has tried it and had success? Unfortunately my local grocery store does not carry papaya, but in the pharmacy they have the papaya enzyme in pill form, costing like 5 bucks for 100 capsules. I went ahead and got the pills and am now just starting to use them. The box recommends 3 pills after every meal, but I'm trying to ease into that doing 1 at a time making sure I can tolerate it. So like I said I'm just curious to see if anyone else has tried this and your results. Also, I will share my own experiences here after I've had some time trying them.

 

[MADiMarc]

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. I love fresh papaya. But it seems to be too fiburis for me. Kinda puts my guts into an uproar. Let me know about the enzyme pill things.
Michele

 

[Jared]

Below I copied some more info to share about the papaya.

Though it resembles a tree, a papaya plant is actually an overgrown herb, known as an herbaceous perennial. Grown worldwide in tropical climates, papaya is believed to have originated in Mexico and Central America.

The most common use for papaya is to aid digestion. Papayas are the only natural source of papain, an effective natural digestive aid, which breaks down protein and cleanses the digestive track. This means less food settles into the metabolism and becomes fat, making papayas’ natural digestive properties an advantage to people trying to lose weight — especially for people who may cheat on their diets, said Homero Levy de Barros, president and CEO, Caliman International.

But in addition to assisting the body in digestion, papayas pack a nutritional wallop. Known as a “nutritional masterpiece,” papayas are rich in vitamin C, folate, and potassium. They are also good sources of fiber, vitamin A, vitamin E, the eye-saving carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, and lycopene. A papaya has a lycopene level of about 2,000 ug per 100g (or 3,000 ug in one slice of papaya of 150g).

“You can debate which fruit is the number one in nutrition, depending upon a variety of factors,” Levy de Barros said. “But for people who know the nutritional make-up of fruit, certainly the papaya would be in the top three of almost everyone's list.” Papayas have 33% more vitamin C and 50% more potassium than oranges with fewer calories. Papayas have 13 times more vitamin C and more than twice the potassium than apples. Papayas have four times more vitamin E than both apples and oranges.

Papayas vary in size, ranging from about 1 to 20 pounds and 7 to 20 inches long, depending on the variety. Eat about 2 cups of papaya daily.

A ripe papaya has a golden-yellow outer skin. On the inside, its flesh is smooth and silky with a deep yellow-orange or pinkish-orange color and a sweet-musky flavor. Its large center cavity is packed with small, round, black seeds, which are edible. Their peppery flavor tastes great in a salad or salsa or blended into sauces or salad dressings.

 

[Jared]

Ok wanting to update. Last night I ate a HUGE meal. Big plate of spaghetti with meat sauce. Jello- salad with madarin oranges, Amish butterscotch pie, and pumpkin pie, and coke to drink. Normally eating like this would give me problems. Typically my stomach would be grumbling all night long and I would feel gas bubbles moving through me. I went ahead and took 3 of the papaya enzyme pills right after eating and I feel great this morning. My stomach was very quiet last night, not churning away like usual. Went to the bathroom just fine As well. Now for another test, I'm going to get mcdonalds breakfast so we'll see how that goes.

 

[Mejay07]

I too have heard good things about Papaya, I don't handle it well either just eating it but I am glad to hear a success story with the enzyme pills. I will have to give it a try!

Thanks!
Oh and McDonalds breakfast is a GREAT test LOL

 

[Starscream613]

I recently was looking into some sort of Digestive Enzymes as well. I am 20 and trying to gain weight. I think I'll try out some Papaya Enzyme. Anyone else have any brands/products they recommend for Digestive Enzymes?