Nutrition Spotlight: Papaya Seeds

Tropical, exotic, sweet yet buttery and deeply colored, papaya was referred to as the “fruit of the angels” by Christopher Columbus. While papayas can be found in produce sections year-round, they seasonally peak in early summer and fall. However, today we’re talking about something other than the smooth orange flesh of the papaya. Papaya seeds are non-toxic and are quickly becoming a new breed of health food with medicinal properties.

I personally have tons of experience with papaya seeds and crave them! One spin in Mexico and a case of ‘Montezuma’s Revenge’ and they became my best friend due to their ability to rid the body of intestinal parasites. I also recommend them (or their second best: chewable tablet form) to clients with digestive upsets. Find out more below as we dive into the amazing health benefits of papaya seeds and show you how you can implement them into your diet.

Health Benefits

• Eastern and Western medicine both have many uses for papaya seeds: aid in digestion, protect the kidneys, detoxify, and healing the liver. Plus they help prevent germs known to cause infections.
• Papaya seeds have high levels of oleic and palmitic acids. These types of fatty acids are believed to help our bodies prevent and fight cancer.
• Papaya seeds are also believed to be able to rid the body of intestinal parasites due to their high levels of proteolytic enzymes that break down parasites and their eggs the same way it breaks down undigested proteins in the food you eat.
• Studies have shown that papaya seeds also have a strong antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect on the digestive system that is effective at killing E. coli, Salmonella, Staph and other bacterial infections.

How to Eat Papaya Seeds

1. Eat raw for medicinal purposes or to supplement a healthy diet.
2. Use in a dressing: See the recipe below for Organic Kale Salad with Papaya Seed Dressing.
3. Substitute for peppercorns by drying and crushing the seeds up. The seeds have a very similar taste to black peppercorns and can be used as a substitute in many recipes.
4. Simply freeze extra seeds and store for later use.

Try out one of my personal favorites, loaded with vitamins, minerals and papaya seeds!

Organic Kale Salad with Papaya Seed Dressing

Ingredients

½ c. Raw Cashews soaked in water for 20 minutes
¼ c. Raw Papaya Seeds
¼ c. Raw Honey or Coconut Nectar
1 Tbsp Organic Coconut Oil
¼ tsp Sea Salt
½ tsp Dijon Mustard or Ground Mustard Powder
1 bunch of Organic Dino Kale, washed, dried and chopped
¼ c. Raw Cashews dry and finely chopped

Directions

Papaya seed Dressing

Place all ingredients (minus the Dino Kale and dry raw cashews) in a blender or food processor and pulse until all ingredients are combined. Then turn on medium high until the dressing has reached a smooth consistency. Poor the dressing into a glass container and keep in the fridge for up to a week, but believe me, it won’t last that long!

Organic Kale Salad

To make the kale salad, massage a few tablespoons of the papaya seed dressing into the organic kale leaves and let it sit for 10 minutes to slightly wilt the kale. Top with the dry, chopped cashews. Enjoy!

Lauren Rae
Dallas Fitness and Nutrition Coach
laurenraelife.com