Papaya Enzyme

Papaya Enzyme

Besides being delicious, papaya can be an incredibly nutritious tropical fruit that is thought to contain antioxidants that might help reduce inflammation, fight disease and keep you looking youthful. All parts of papaya contain a number of enzymes that are thought to provide these benefits--pulp, seeds, latex and leaves. While you can reap some of the benefits just by eating papaya, papaya enzymes provide a more concentrated dose. However, these extracts have not been clinically studied to show the full beneficial, and adverse, effects.

Papaya Enzyme Benefits

Papaya contains a number of enzymes, all of which may provide different benefits for your body. The first enzyme found in the papaya fruit is carica papaya lipase. This enzyme has been shown to digest triacylglycerols--dietary fats--and offers similar results to natural pancreatic enzymes, which also break down fats in your body. Taking a papaya enzyme supplement that contains C. papaya lipase could be beneficial for fat digestion, especially in people with digestive issues due to a pancreatic disorder, however further research is needed to determine if these effects all occur outside of a lab environment and within the human body.

Papaya Supplements

Papaya is high in lycopene and vitamin C, which studies have shown can boost heart health and may help prevent heart disease. Papaya and its seeds also can have anti-parasitic activity, meaning that papaya enzyme supplements could help to fight certain intestinal parasites, but further research is needed.

Carotenoids are also found in papayas, and this antioxidant can neutralize free radicals that promote stress and disease. This can help with pre-diabetes, mild hypothyroidism and liver disease. In addition, free radicals are also believed to be responsible for the wrinkling, sagging and other skin damage that comes with age. The antioxidant properties, as well as the vitamin C and lycopene, can help to protect your skin and might reduce these signs of aging.