In this post & video I am going to analyse the nutrition facts of papaya & explain some of its health benefits.
In the year of 2020 India was the largest producer of papayas in the world followed by Dominican Republic and Brazil.
Contents
Nutritional profile | Water | Carbohydrates | Fat & Protein | Energy | Health benefits | Conclusion |
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Prashanth Reddy Cheruku
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I created this platform with a mission: to educate people worldwide about Food Science, Nutrition & Preventive Healthcare. Our ultimate goal is to enhance both lifespan and healthspan—not just for people, but for PETS too!
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I am a qualified Food Engineer & Sports Nutritionist with over 13 years of research & content creation experience. My academic background includes:
🎓 Master of Technology in Food Process Engineering
📍 Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur
Nutritional profile of Papaya
| Percentage | 1 Small fruit (157 g) | |
| Water | 88.1% | 138 g |
| Carbohydrates | 10.8% | 17 g |
| Dietary fibre | 1.7% | 2.67 g |
| Sugars | 7.82% | 12.3 g |
| Fat | 0.26% | 0.4 g |
| Protein | 0.47% | 0.74 g |
| Energy | – | 67.5 Cal/ 281 kJ |
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Water
Like most other fruits papayas are also rich in water. It constitutes around 88% of their total weight. This puts them in a very low calorie food category & these fruits can help people in their weight loss journey.
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Carbohydrates
The only other nutrient present in considerable amount in these fruits is carbohydrate. A small papaya weighing 157 g provides about 17 g of carbohydrates. They are about 11% of the total weight of these fruits.
Papayas are not a good source of dietary fibre as it weighs just 1.7% of their total weight.
The major portion of the carbohydrates present in these fruits is occupied by sugars. A small fruit provides about 12 g of sugars comprising of glucose & fructose.
Fat & Protein
Papayas are very poor sources of fat & protein. Fat constitutes about 0.26% of the total weight of these fruits whereas protein weighs about 0.47% of their total weight.
Energy
A small fruit provides about 68 Cal or 281 kJ of energy. We can say that papayas are very low calorie fruits.
Vitamins, minerals & Health benefits
The most abundant vitamin found in these fruits is vitamin C. A small fruit provides about 106% daily value of this vitamin.
Vitamin C works as an antioxidant that can help our body in fighting with infections and wounds. This vitamin is also involved in making several hormones and neurotransmitters.
Papayas contain a good amount of B-vitamin folate. Vitamin A & pantothenic acid are found in small quantities.
Papayas are not great sources of minerals. Copper, magnesium & potassium are present in modest amounts.
Magnesium is needed by 300 enzymes that regulate diverse biochemical reactions in the body. Magnesium also plays a vital role in regulating blood pressure, blood glucose and heartbeat.
Copper works with iron in helping our body form red blood cells. It also aids in iron absorption.
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Conclusion
- Papayas are low calorie fruits with excellent quantity of vitamin C.
- They are not good sources of dietary fibre, fat, protein, several vitamins & minerals.
- They can be an excellent addition to a meal or as a snack and can help you avoid high calorie, sugary and salty snacks.
- I would suggest you to consume a small fruit whenever possible as part of a healthy diet filled with varied food groups.
- It is better to avoid these fruits by pregnant women, especially the fruits which are still unripe with green skin as they contain latex. This compound can cause complications in some pregnant women.
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