Pawpaw (or papaya) is a fruit that grows in tropical areas throughout the world and is easily available throughout Australia. Most Australians enjoy pawpaw simply because it is delicious, but increasingly, research is showing that the health benefits of pawpaw may be even greater than its delicious taste.
Pawpaw contains some of the major vitamins such as Vitamin A, C and E and small amount of calcium, iron, riboflavin, thiamine and niacin.
In addition to these, pawpaw is high in dietary fibre and rich in important antioxidants. At the same time, pawpaw is low in calories and sodium. As if these were not reasons enough for making pawpaw a regular part of your diet, the fruit also includes unique ingredients not found or found in limited concentrations in other fruits. Two of these, papain and chymopapain, are enzymes that help break down proteins and convert them into amino acids, making pawpaw an excellent digestive aid, reducing bloating and indigestion.
Pawpaw also has anti-inflammatory properties that may reduce the severity of the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and aid in recovery from sports injuries, amongst many other conditions that are caused by or exacerbated by inflammation.
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