BENEFITS OF COME EXOTIC FRUITS: PAPAYA (Carica papaya)

Today, I wanted to bring you a well known tropical fruit called PAPAYA.

Toucan eating in papaya tree

Usually, I begin this kind of articles commenting you the condition of the mentioned crop in Rancho Ibelia, but the truth is that every papaya that we harvested has not been sowed for us. The main responsables of the distribution of the seeds are birds. We can not understand why, but every time that we plant a papaya tree it dies or get sick (and we belive in organic culture so we do not use any kind of chemical in order to cure them). Anyway we do have a lot of fruit always thanks to the birds! 

Same toucan resting in papaya tree

A papaya tree growing between cacao and coconuts

Health benefits

I have to admit than when I was a kid I did not used to eat papaya because I felt like it stink (I could not be more wrong). But, even now, I have known some people who do not like papaya for the same reason. Well, for all those people the solution is eating it with yogurt or cereals, or just mix it with another fruit. The important thing is to consume because it has enormous benefits for the digestive system health. 

In fact, papaya is well known to help with digestion problems; it stimulates the intestinal movements, has some enzymes that disassociate proteins in aminoacids and improve blood sugar levels, and its regular consumption accelerates the skin healing . Also, its milled seeds are used like a cheap treatment for intestinal worms, but women have to be carefull because the seeds are also used to stimulate lactation, labor or abortion. 

Nutritional content


The USDA page offers these nutritional tables for 1 cup of papaya in cubes (140g)

Calorie Information Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV Calories 54.6 (229 kJ) 3%   From Carbohydrate 50.1 (210 kJ)   From Fat 1.6 (6.7 kJ)   From Protein 2.9 (12.1 kJ)   From Alcohol 0.0 (0.0 kJ) Carbohydrates Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV Total Carbohydrate 13.7 g 5% Dietary Fiber 2.5 g 10% Starch ~ Sugars 8.3 g Fats & Fatty Acids Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV Total Fat 0.2 g 0% Saturated Fat 0.1 g 0% Monounsaturated Fat 0.1 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.0 g Total trans fatty acids ~ Total trans-monoenoic fatty acids ~ Total trans-polyenoic fatty acids ~ Total Omega-3 fatty acids 35.0 mg Total Omega-6 fatty acids 8.4 mg Learn more about these fatty acids and their equivalent names

Protein & Amino Acids Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV Protein 0.9 g 2% Vitamins Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV Vitamin A 1531 IU 31% Vitamin C 86.5 mg 144% Vitamin D ~ ~ Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol) 1.0 mg 5% Vitamin K 3.6 mcg 5% Thiamin 0.0 mg 3% Riboflavin 0.0 mg 3% Niacin 0.5 mg 2% Vitamin B6 0.0 mg 1% Folate 53.2 mcg 13% Vitamin B12 0.0 mcg 0% Pantothenic Acid 0.3 mg 3% Choline 8.5 mg Betaine ~ Minerals Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV Calcium 33.6 mg 3% Iron 0.1 mg 1% Magnesium 14.0 mg 3% Phosphorus 7.0 mg 1% Potassium 360 mg 10% Sodium 4.2 mg 0% Zinc 0.1 mg 1% Copper 0.0 mg 1% Manganese 0.0 mg 1% Selenium 0.8 mcg 1%

Finally, I have to comment that papaya also has culinary uses, if you put the shell of this fruit on a steak, the meat will become softer, the reason is that papaya has an special enzyme named papain that degrades proteins. 

Bibliography:

• Eric Collard and Sashwati Roy. Antioxidants & Redox Signaling. July 2010, 13(5): 599-606. doi:10.1089/ars.2009.3039 (October, 2016)

• 
  

• Food Chemistry: In Vitro Comparisons Between Carica Papaya and Pancreatic Lipases During Test Meal Lipolysis. Obtained from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2008.12.043 (October, 2016)

• 
  

• John A.O. Okeniyi, Tinuade A. Ogunlesi, Oyeku A. Oyelami, and Lateef A. Adeyemi. Journal of Medicinal Food. May 2007, 10(1): 194-196. doi:10.1089/jmf.2005.065 (October, 2016)

• 
  

• Self nutrition data (2014) Papaya, raw: nutrition facts and calories. Obtained from http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1985/2 (October, 2016).

• University of Illinois: Effect of Proteolytic Enzyme and Fiber of Papaya Fruit on Human Digestive Health. Obtained from http://hdl.handle.net/2142/29416 (October, 2016)

• 
  

• Wolters K. Papaya. Review of Natural Products. Facts & Comparisons. Obtained from https://www.drugs.com/npc/papaya.html (October, 2016)

• 
  

  

BENEFITS OF SOME EXOTIC FRUITS: BITTER ORANGE (Citrus aurantium)

Continuing with the review of the health benefits of some fruits from Ibelia's Ranch, today I wanted to inform you about the bitter orange. As its name indicates this fruit is very similar to the normal orange, but its flavor is bitter. The common use of this citrus is as a seasoning for meat and chicken similar to viniger, but it also has marvelous characteristics as a sedative, a calming for nausea and fever.

Composition

Its hull has flavonoids and limonene oil, both components give to the fruit medical uses. The flavonoids are known for being antioxidant components, while the limonene oil can be use in relaxing aromatherapy.

Its leaves and flowers are antispasmodic, tonic and vasoactive, so they are indicated for the treatment of nerves, gastrointestinal problems and insomnia.

The nutritional values per 100 g of fruit are showed as follows:

Energy (kcal)	36,00
Protein (g)	0,50
Total fat (g)	0,50
Cholesterol (mg)	-
Carbohydrates (g)	11,00
Fiber (g)	0.10
Calcium (mg)	16,00
Iron (mg)	0.70
Iodo (µg)	-
Vitamin A (mg)	6.67
Vitamin C (mg)	52,00

If we compare the vitamin content with the values for a normal orange, we can see that the vitamin C content is very similar but the vitamin A values are higher (a normal orange has only 0,0675 mg). Also the bitter orange presents lower sugar and calcium content.

Finally, it is important to note that the use of different ingredients in food not only allows you to experiment with innovative flavors, but also it supports agricultural biodiversity and prevents the extinction of these species.


Bibliography:

Isnaya (2016) Naranja Agria. Obtained from http://isnaya.org.ni/FCNMPT/laboratorio/naranja-agria.php (July, 2016)

FUNINBER (2016) Composición nutricional Naranja agria. Obtained from http://www.composicionnutricional.com/alimentos/NARANJA-AGRIA-5 (September, 2016)

Umesh Rudrappa (2016) Orange fruit nutrition facts. Obteined from http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/orange-fruit.html (September, 2016)