Chapter 1 of 14
Papaya
If You Read Nothing Else
Papain digests protein, which is why half a papaya after a rich week is an old and sensible habit.
Read the whole guide on one page →The orange flesh carries both beta-carotene and lycopene (the red pigment in tomatoes), an unusual combination.
Green, unripe papaya is a different food: stronger, medicinal, and traditionally avoided in pregnancy.
Papaya reached Iranian markets in the twentieth century, so it belongs more to the modern breakfast bowl than old tradition. What makes it worth knowing is papain, the protein-digesting enzyme in the fruit and its leaf, along with a carotenoid (the orange and yellow plant pigments your body can use) load few fruits can match.
Known to botanists as Carica papaya.