I never knew that papaya seeds can be eaten and can offer several potential health benefits until I read it in my friend, Jacqueline Koay’s blog and Facebook posting.  Jacq is a gynecologist by profession and her partner is a heart surgeon. Both of them reside in the UK. I love reading her inspirational articles on life, marriage, recipes and health.

Did you know that papaya seeds are one of the strongest nature’s medicines that kill most types of parasites?

The seeds from the papaya fruit have anti-helminthic and anti-amoebic properties, meaning they kill intestinal worms and other parasites in our digestive system.

How To Eat Papaya Seeds?

There are many ways to get the papayas seeds down. Some dry the seeds, then grind them and make  smoothie  out of them which tastes horrible as papaya seeds are spicy. For some, they swallow the seeds whole, no horrible taste and let your stomach acids break them down.  I eat the papaya seeds together with the papaya flesh to mask the bitterness and slight peppery taste of the seeds.

How many seeds should one take?

An average of 10 to 20 as taking too many can cause problems as some people are actually allergic to papayas. It is best to take them with your meal twice a day, preferably the morning and evening meal. You need to take them for a minimum of 7 days, better to do it for 10 days. Then one week later do it again for 7 to 10 days as we want to not only kill the parasites but also their eggs.   During this time, it is advisable to consume extra high fiber foods such as whole wheat bread, beans, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables as these high fiber foods help produce more bulk in the large colon and help carry out the dead parasites at a faster pace.

A 2007 study of 60 Nigerian children with strong evidence of intestinal parasites showed an over 75% clearance rate of infection in just seven days. This was after receiving a 20 ml dose of papaya seed extract.

The researchers said, “papaya seeds are efficacious in treating human intestinal parasites and without significant side effects.”

Other Health Benefits of Papaya Seeds

Liver Disease – Papaya Seeds contain vital nutrients that help heal cirrhosis of the liver. Take 5 or 6 dried Papaya Seeds and grind them up or crush them and take them with food or juice, especially lime juice, do this every day for 30 days. And some people have amazing results healing liver cirrhosis with Papaya Seeds. 

Plus the Japanese believe that taking a teaspoon of Papaya Seeds everyday can protect the liver from disease. 

Detoxing – Eating just a small amount of fresh Papaya Seeds can detox the liver. Eat a small amount everyday. 

Antibacterial – A small amount of Papaya Seeds also kill bacteria such as E. Coli, Staph, and Salmonella and work well for food poisoning cases. 

Viral Infections – Papaya Seeds also work as a good anti-viral agent helping to heal viral infections. 

Dengue Fever – Papaya Seeds have been used extensively in Costa Rica for Dengue Fever infections.

Cancer – Papaya Seeds contain agents that stop the growth of cancer cells and tumors. Papaya Seeds contain isothiocyanate which works well for colon, breast, lung, leukemia and prostate cancer.

Anti-Inflammatory – Papaya Seeds are anti-inflammatory making them great for arthritis, joint disease, swelling, pain, and redness. 

Pepper Substitute – Some people dry Papaya Seeds and use them in their pepper grinder. They are peppery in flavor with a little bit of a bitterness. But once you get used to the flavor they are a nice substitute for pepper. 

Kidney Disease – At the University of Karachi they found that Papaya Seeds can be used for treating kidney disease and preventing renal failure and works especially great for poisoning related kidney disease. 

Overall, papaya fruit, leaves and seeds have healing properties and have amazing health benefits. 

The next time you slice a papaya, be sure to keep some of the seeds for consumption instead of discarding all of them!