What are the health benefits of Pawpaw (papaya) leaf juice? Plus Recipe Tips

Last updated on October 28th, 2024 at 11:46 pm

10 minutes read.    

Overview

Do you know that pawpaw leaf is essentially good for your health and can protect you from many diseases?

Pawpaw scientifically known as (Carica papaya) is a type of fruit-bearing plant mostly grown in tropical regions such as Africa, India, Mexico, and the northern region of southern America and other tropical zones in the world.

Pawpaw is one of the most widely cultivated crops in the world. Its fruit is yummy and sweet, like Fanta. The Igbo-speaking part of Africa calls it “fuero”.

The fruits seeds and leaves are frequently utilized in a variety of culinary and folk medicine practices.

Pawpaw leaf contains unique plant compounds that have demonstrated broad pharmacological potential in test-tube and animal studies.

Although human research is lacking, many papaya leaf preparations, such as teas, extracts, tablets, and juices, are often used to treat illnesses and promote health in numerous ways.

This article review to you how pawpaw leaf can benefit your health and protect you from certain sickness including side effect.

Feel free to skip ahead.

In this article:

Papaya leaves Nutrition fact

Health benefits &Uses

Recipe Tips

Side effects

Risk ,

Conclusion

Papaya leaves Nutrition fact

Pawpaw contains the following vitamins and Minerals:  (2)

  • Beta Carotene
  • Vitamin B1
  • Vitamin B2
  • Vitamin E
  • Phosphorus
  • Sodium
  • Potassium
  • Calcium
  • Chromium

Health Benefits

  1. Improves your skin health

Papaya leaf juice contains high levels of vitamin A and vitamin C, so it is very good for the skin. In particular, vitamin C has the same role as an antioxidant, helping the body fight free radicals and fight skin damage. (1, 2)

Besides, papaya leaf juice also has the ability to prevent and eliminate other skin symptoms such as acne, acne, dark spots, and wrinkles.

Pawpaw leaf is frequently consumed orally or applied topically as a way to maintain soft, clear, and youthful-looking skin.

A protein-dissolving enzyme in papaya leaf called papain can be used topically as an exfoliant to remove dead skin cells and potentially reduce the occurrence of clogged pores, ingrown hairs, and acne. (3)

Recent Research on humans has shown that Carica papaya leaf demonstrated a significant anti-aging against ultraviolet radiation.

This indicates that pawpaw leaves have promise for further investigation and development of a cosmetic product for treating various skin conditions, including photoaging.  (4, 5)

2. Control blood sugar

Nutrition experts say that papaya leaf juice contains natural ingredients that are able to stimulate the action of insulin hormone in the body.

Thus, drinking papaya leaf juice helps the body to control and regulate blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of diabetes, obesity, hypertension, kidney damage, and cardiovascular disease. (6, 7, 8 , 9)

Papaya leaf is often used in Mexican folk medicine as a natural therapy for treating diabetes and improving blood sugar control.  (10)

Studies in mice with diabetes have found papaya leaf extract to have potent antioxidant and blood-sugar-lowering effects.

This is attributed to papaya leaf’s ability to protect insulin-producing cells in the pancreas from damage and premature death. (10, 11)

However, more research is needed to determine whether papaya leaf can be used to help manage high blood sugar levels in humans.

But have in mind that any effect a drug or plant or food demonstrate on a rat will likely be similar effects in humans, that is one of the reasons scientists use rat in most of their experiment.

3. Can treat dengue fever, or Simply say “Pawpaw leaf juice” is an instant cure for malaria, and fever, (catarrh and cough especially the one caused by malaria).

One of the most prominent medicinal benefits of papaya leaf is its potential to treat certain symptoms associated with with malaria.

Dengue) Malaria is a mosquito-borne virus that can be transmitted to humans and causes flu-like symptoms, such as fever, fatigue, headaches, nausea, vomiting, and skin rashes.

Severe cases can also result in reduced platelet levels in the blood. Low platelet levels can contribute to an increased risk of bleeding and are potentially fatal if left untreated.

While there’s currently no cure for dengue, several treatments are available for managing its symptoms one of which is papaya leaf.

Three human studies that included several hundred people with dengue found that papaya leaf extract significantly increased blood platelet levels. (13, 14, 15)

What’s more, the papaya leaf therapy had very few associated side effects and was found to be much more cost-effective than conventional treatments.

4. Increased platelet count

A lower-than-normal platelet count can lead to bleeding of the skin and mucous membranes. At a serious level is the state of internal bleeding, brain bleeding, and gastrointestinal bleeding. Therefore, supplementing with foods that increase the quantity and quality of platelets is very necessary. (16)

And one of the outstanding effects of papaya leaf juice is to increase platelet count.

The results of many studies around the world prove that papaya leaves contain components that help significantly supplement the number of platelets in the body. This can be very useful for wound healing.(17, 18 )

Moreover, papaya leaf enzymes have been used to promote wound healing, and one study found they minimized the appearance of scar tissue in rabbits. (19, 20)

5. Regulate menstrual cycle

Women with irregular menstrual cycles are often caused by hormonal disorders in the body.

This condition causes various problems such as hot flashes, acne, and sometimes serious health consequences such as polycystic ovary disease, uterine fibroids, and endometriosis. , ovarian cancer.

Drinking papaya leaf juice can be a great solution to help solve menstrual problems.

Thanks to its inherent properties, papaya leaves have the effect of balancing hormones, regulating the menstrual cycle, and minimizing the risk of serious gynecological diseases. (21, 22 )

5. Relieve menstrual pain

Also related to menstruation is dysmenorrhea, abdominal pain during menstruation and this is really an obsession for many women because of the discomfort of lower abdominal cramps.

A remedy for this situation, women just need to use a little papaya leaf juice to cook with sesame and salt to help quickly repel abdominal pain during menstruation. (23, 24, 25 )

Papaya leaves contain vitamin E which can reduce menstrual pain. (26)

Read more: benefits of papaya leaf and seed mix together

6. Slow down the aging process

Papaya leaf juice is a source of many different amino acids such as glutamic acid, glycine, valine, leucine, tryptophan, cysteine, and histidine.

These amino acids are the main ingredients found in cosmetics. Skin firming and anti-aging products. (27, 28)

Therefore, drinking papaya leaf juice regularly is considered a measure to slow down the aging process on the skin. The advantage of papaya leaf juice is that the price is much cheaper than cosmetics and usually does not cause side effects on the skin. (29)

7. Promotes Digestive health (your Gut)

Papaya leaf juice contains active ingredients such as papain, chymopapain, protease, and amylase enzymes, so it is classified as a group of foods that can perfectly support the function of the digestive system. (30)

When taken into the body, the above compounds in papaya leaf juice help the intestines break down and quickly absorb nutrients that are difficult to absorb such as proteins, carbohydrates, and minerals in food.

At the same time, papaya leaves also bring the ability to fight dangerous gastrointestinal diseases such as stomach ulcers, stomach pain, and diarrhea. (31, 32)

You can feel the effects of this if you take just half a tumbler of pawpaw leaf juice after a meal.

One study found that the supplemental use of papain powder sourced from papaya fruit reduced negative digestive symptoms, including constipation and heartburn, in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). (33)

Although enough human scientific studies are lacking on pawpaw leaf, most of the evidence favoring its use for this purpose is limited to anecdotal reports.

I hope you are getting value.

8. Prevent cancer

Referring to foods that are the cure for cancer, I cannot help but mention papaya leaf juice. This effect is due to the effect of the compound acetogenin, which has the ability to help fight cancer very effectively.

Papaya leaf has been used in traditional medicine practices to prevent and treat certain types of cancer, but modern research is still lacking. However, enough modern scientific studies are lacking. (34)

A recent study in humans indicated that papaya has an anti-cancer effect by affecting the cell cycle and causing apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells. (35)

Papaya leaf extract has demonstrated a powerful ability to inhibit the growth of prostate and breast cancer cells in test-tube studies. (36, 37 )

Although consuming papaya leaves and other antioxidant-rich foods may play a role in cancer prevention, they have not been proven to have any curative abilities. (38)

9. Promote hair growth

Papaya leaf extract can promote hair growth and prevent hair loss and baldness.

Papaya leaf juice contains the ingredient used in anti-dandruff shampoos, which is a compound called karpas that has the ability to remove dirt and excess oil from the scalp. Karpain also functions as a natural conditioner and gives shine to the hair.

Topical applications of papaya leaf masks and juices are often used to improve hair growth and scalp health, but modern scientific evidence to support its efficacy for these purposes is extremely limited.

Some research suggests that high levels of oxidative stress in the body may contribute to hair loss. Eating antioxidant-rich foods may help alleviate oxidative stress and subsequently improve hair growth. (39)

Papaya leaf contains several compounds with antioxidant properties, such as flavonoids and vitamin E. (40 )

Proponents of using papaya leaf to improve hair growth often cite its rich supply of antioxidants. However, there’s no modern scientific evidence that the topical application of papaya leaves can benefit the hair growth process.

Certain types of dandruff are caused by an overgrowth of a fungus called Malassezia, which can impede hair growth. (41)

Papaya leaf has demonstrated antifungal properties in test-tube studies, so it’s often thought to support hair and scalp health by inhibiting the growth of dandruff-causing fungus. (, 43)

However, papaya leaf has not been specifically tested against Malassezia.

10. May be useful for treating inflammation

Various papaya leaf preparations are frequently used to remedy a broad range of internal and external inflammatory conditions, including skin rashes, muscle aches, and joint pain.

Papaya leaves contained various chemical compounds with pharmacological effects as well as alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, and tannins compounds which have strong anti-inflammation

Papain and vitamin E may also play a role.   Human health evidence and science had proven that whole plant medicine can cure diseases with few side effects than modern medicine. (44, 45, 46, 47, 48)

One study found that papaya leaf extract significantly reduced inflammation and swelling in the paws of rats with arthritis. (49)

Read more: benefits of papaya fruits juice

Here is how I used pawpaw leaf juice to cure malaria anytime.

Simply plug two pawpaw leaf, wash thoroughly with salt and rinse with clean water. Squeeze properly and add half cup of water, continue squeezing until all the juice comes out. Add the remaining half cup of water and drain the juice until everything comes out or sieve out the waste. Drink half cup in the morning, drink half cup in night. Just make sure is two dose per day.

Crushing the pawpaw leaf with mortar or blending machine will make it more effective because vertically every juice in it will come out.

But in the absence of blender and mortar use your hand and squeeze.

I have tried all the above method for myself and it worked perfectly well. Try this and come back here and thank me in the comments section.

Pawpaw (papaya) leaves Recipe Tips

Here are other ways you can consume pawpaw leaves to maximize their benefits:

Cook fresh papaya leaf juice with lemon.

How to cook fresh pawpaw leaves with lemon

Fresh papaya leaf juice is difficult to drink due to its bitter taste. Therefore, you can combine fresh papaya leaves with some ingredients to bring out a more delicious and easy-to-drink taste.

Ingredients:

  • 10 fresh papaya leaves
  • Two to three spoons of sugar or raw honey
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • About 240ml of water.

Method

  • Wash papaya leaves and cut them into small pieces
  • Grind fresh papaya leaves with warm water
  • Strain the blended mixture with a sieve or mesh cloth
  • Then add some prepared lemon juice
  • Add sugar or honey to the mixture of papaya leaf juice and lemon juice.
  • Add a little water if the mixture is too thick, then continue to grind until the mixture is smooth
  • Put the processed papaya leaf juice in the refrigerator to cool and then enjoy.

Cook fresh papaya leaf juice with lemongrass

How to cook fresh pawpaw leaves with lemongrass?

Lemongrass is the ingredient that makes papaya leaf juice delicious and more nutritious.

Ingredients:

Dried lemongrass: 10 grams

Papaya leaves: 90 grams

Filtered water: 2 liters.

Method

  • Pour clean water into the pot, add lemongrass and papaya leaves, and bring to a boil
  • When the water boils, turn down the heat and cook for another 30 minutes
  • Turn off the stove, and filter the papaya leaf juice to drink during the day.
  • Papaya leaf juice contains high levels of vitamin A and vitamin C, along with many other nutrients, so it is very good for overall health.

Cook dried papaya leaf juice

How to cook dried pawpaw leaves?

If fresh papaya leaves are not available, you can use dried papaya leaves to cook water according to the following steps:

Ingredients:

Dried papaya leaves

About 2 liters of filtered water.

Method

  • Put filtered water and dried papaya leaves in the pot
  • Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to continue cooking
  • Cook the above mixture until the amount of water is reduced by half
  • Proceed to filter the residue and then enjoy the dried papaya leaf juice.

Side Effects

A 2014 animal study found that papaya leaf had no toxic effects even at very large doses, and human studies have reported very few negative side effects. (50)

Although papaya leaf itself is generally considered safe for most people, however, certain people should avoid pawpaw leaves.

For example

Please don’t give pawpaw leaf juice to children below 10 years.

Pregnant woman: papaya leaves and seeds contain certain plant compounds that may affect the growing fetus in the womb or cause little complication.

Breastfeeding mother: consumption of pawpaw leaves or seeds may reduce the production of breast milk.

It may cause allergies in people that are allergic to pawpaw fruit.

If you’re on blood-thinning drugs you should avoid pawpaw leaves.

Pawpaw leaf juice may increase your menstrual flow. So if you’re taking pawpaw for malaria and menstrual flow start don’t worry continue it won’t stop it rather it will make flow well.

If you’re a woman and expecting to get pregnant don’t take pawpaw leaf juice. If you’re a man and expecting to impregnate your wife don’t take pawpaw leaf within the time.

Pawpaw leaves may cause infertility in men, just like the seeds, especially within the period of expecting a child.

Read more: why you should not eat unripe papaya during pregnancy

Risk

Bear in mind that Nutritional and herbal supplements are not closely regulated in some countries, including the United States, and Nigeria, and probably may be the same in other countries.

Supplement manufacturers do not have to prove the safety or efficacy of their products before they’re sold. As such, they may contain contaminants or other potentially harmful ingredients that aren’t listed on the label.

To avoid any unintended negative consequences, opt for supplements that have been tested for purity by a third-party organization, such as NSF or US Pharmacopoeia, or NAFDAC.

However, I will advise that the best safest way is to get the plant fresh or dried and prepare the juice yourself.

FAQ (frequently asked question)

Fresh or dried pawpaw leaf juice which one is better?

The question of many people is whether to drink fresh or dried papaya leaf juice to bring real effects. Health experts recommend that we use dried papaya leaves.

The reason is that fresh papaya leaves often have a very bitter taste, are difficult to drink, and also contain a lot of resin, so when cooking water, it will be difficult to remove this amount of plastic.

Meanwhile, dried papaya leaves both remove the disadvantages of fresh leaves and allow us to observe the intensity of the watercolor.

Conclusion

Papaya leaf is often consumed as an extract, tea, or juice and has been found to treat symptoms related to dengue fever and have been used in folks’ medicine to remedy and prevent different sickness.

Other common uses include reducing inflammation, improving blood sugar control, supporting skin and hair health, treating menstrual pain, and preventing cancer.

However, the modern scientific studies that have analyzed these are not enough to back up these claims.  Therefore, more studies are needed.

Papaya leaf is generally considered safe, but it should be avoided if you’re allergic to it, pregnant, breastfeeding, on blood thinner drugs, and reproducing men.

The best way to get the best out of pawpaw leaves is to prepare the juice concentrate.

I hope you get the value worth your time. I appreciate the time you spend with me. Leave a comment if you find this post helpful. Do you have any other questions as regards this topic I didn’t touch here? Do you have another papaya leave recipe that has worked for you, I didn’t mention here? Feel free to share with me in the comment below.

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER

The content provided in living Good Blog is for informational and educational purposes only. It’s not intended to provide medical advice or take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal doctor. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Living Good Blog takes no responsibility for possible health consequences of any person(s) reading or following the information in this educational content. Viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medication, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement, or lifestyle program.

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