12 health benefits of papaya

This tropical fruit can protect against heart disease, improve immunity, and more

By Heidi Borst | Jan. 31, 2024 Medically reviewed by Gerardo Sison, Pharm.D.

Key takeaways

Papaya has many potential benefits, such as improving digestion, fighting inflammation, and promoting wound healing.
Most people can consume fresh, fresh, dried, juiced, or fermented papaya to receive the health benefits.
Anecdotal reports claim that papaya boosts libido and treats ED, but no current research supports these benefits.

Papaya (Carica papaya), also called pawpaw, is a large, oblong tropical fruit with smooth skin and sweet flesh. It’s cultivated in many parts of the world, including India, Brazil, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Mexico—along with Hawaii, California, Texas, and Florida in the United States.

Papayas are a superfood—they are low in calories and rich in nutrients like vitamins A, C, and E. They are also a source of folate, B vitamins, vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. The high nutritional value of papayas contributes to their many health benefits. It may help protect against heart disease, improve immunity, and more. Keep reading to find out the powerful health perks of the papaya plant.

12 papaya benefits

In addition to eating papaya fresh, you can consume dried papaya or papaya juice, says Eve Persak, a registered dietitian nutritionist and board-certified specialist in sports dietetics based in Chicago, Illinois. She adds that papaya can also be applied topically to the skin and hair. Here are 12 ways it can improve your health.

1. Contains powerful antioxidants

Papaya contains powerful antioxidants, including vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin C, and the carotenoids beta-carotene and lycopene, says Persak. Antioxidants scavenge, or neutralize, chemicals called free radicals. When too many free radicals build up, they can cause oxidative stress and cellular damage that increases the risk of chronic health conditions like cardiovascular disease, cancer, cognitive decline, and vision loss.

Fermented papaya is particularly rich in antioxidants. A recent research review of its health benefits concluded that fermented papaya may support other treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, allergic reactions, and blood disorders.

According to research, the carotenoids in papaya are more readily absorbed by the body than those found in other fruits and vegetables like carrots and tomatoes, making papaya an excellent option for antioxidant support.

2. Reduces cancer risk

Research indicates that lycopene, one of the antioxidants found in papaya, reduces the risk of certain cancers and hinders the growth of existing cancers. A recent research review found that lycopene slowed the spread and progression of prostate cancer in men, pointing toward its use as an adjuvant therapy.

One older study found that papaya leaf extract thwarted the growth of cancer cells cultured from cervical, breast, liver, lung, and pancreatic cancers. While more research is needed, preliminary findings into papaya’s anti-cancer properties are promising.

3. Boosts heart health

Because it’s a good source of potassium, papaya may support heart health, says Victoria Whittington, a registered dietitian nutritionist at Your Dietitian Vitoria in Plano, Texas.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), increased dietary potassium intake helps lower blood pressure in individuals with hypertension (high blood pressure), reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Papaya also contains soluble fiber, which protects against cardiovascular disease by lowering LDL cholesterol (the kind that may be more likely to clog arteries), says Persak. Increasing your daily dietary fiber content may help keep blood lipid levels in check.

4. Fights inflammation

Long-term inflammation is linked to serious chronic health conditions, including respiratory disease, heart disease, cancer, obesity, and diabetes. A research review concluded that papaya extract could potentially treat such inflammatory diseases. Persak says that’s due to its high carotenoid content. In fact, two of the carotenoids found in papaya—beta-carotene and lycopene—are shown to reduce inflammatory activity in cells.

Papaya leaves, peels, and pulp also contain flavonoids like quercetin and myricetin, known for their strong anti-inflammatory properties.

RELATED: How to reduce inflammation

5. Improves digestion

Papaya is traditionally used as a digestive aid in tropical regions to reduce constipation, bloating, and other IBS symptoms. “Papaya is virtually free of fermentable fibers (it’s low FODMAP), which makes it easier for individuals with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to tolerate, and it’s less likely to cause gas and bloating,” says Persak.

Raw papaya is also rich in the proteolytic enzymes papain and chymopapain, which Whittington says help break down protein and make it easier to digest. In animal studies, unripe papaya has shown promise as a treatment for stomach ulcers, but human research is needed to establish these effects.

6. Protects against skin damage

Papaya contains lycopene, an antioxidant with skin-protective benefits. Research indicates that lycopene may help reduce photodamage—premature aging due to prolonged exposure to the sun’s harmful UV rays. While it’s not a substitute for sunscreen, adding lycopene to the diet from foods like papaya offers built-in UV protection, says Persak.

What’s more, the vitamin C in papaya is essential for producing collagen, the main structural component of skin, Persak says. She adds, “It also shields skin cells from damaging free radicals, which can lead to signs of premature aging, like wrinkles and spots.”

RELATED: Sun protection 101

7. Improves hair health

Thanks to its vitamin A content, papaya may promote a healthier scalp and hair. One study showed that the vitamin helps regulate the sebaceous glands (responsible for producing sebum). Sebum helps keep hair strong and healthy.

8. Strengthens the blood

Folate is essential for producing red blood cells, which carry oxygen from the lungs throughout the body. Folate deficiency can result in anemia, a condition in which your body doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells to supply oxygen to its tissues. To support healthy blood cell production, you can add papaya to your diet. A one-cup serving contains about 54 mcg of folate or about 13% of the recommended daily intake for adults, says Persak.

9. Improves eye health

The carotenoid lutein plays a vital role in healthy vision. In fact, research links the compound to a reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts. Beta-carotene, also found in papaya, is essential for eye health and vision, too.

RELATED: Eye health 101

10. Promotes wound healing

Enzymes in papaya such as papain and chymopapain in papaya may promote wound healing. One study examined the efficacy of papaya dressing on post-surgical wounds. Researchers concluded that wounds dressed with papaya healed as well as those dressed with peroxide.

Additionally, an animal study using ground papaya seeds to make an extract found that rats treated with papaya experienced a faster rate of healing than those treated with Vaseline or an antibiotic ointment called mupirocin. Further human studies are needed to determine the best way to use papaya for wound healing.

11. Supports weight loss

While papaya won’t help you lose weight on its own, incorporating it into your diet may assist your efforts. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025, a healthy eating plan emphasizes fruit, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and low-fat dairy.

The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion recommends reducing your caloric intake by 500 to 750 calories daily for weight loss. Because papaya is low-calorie and fiber-rich, it helps improve glycemic control (blood sugar stabilization) and increases fullness to help control appetite and cravings, says Persak.

12. Relieves menstrual cramps

For women who experience dysmenorrhea, or pain during their menstrual cycle, the papaw fruit could spell relief. A 2017 Indonesian study found that papaya leaf extract (Carica Papaya L.) had a “statistically significant effect” on reducing menstrual pain. Be sure to speak with your healthcare provider or OB-GYN before starting supplements or herbal medicines to treat this condition.

While anecdotal reports claim that papaya helps treat erectile dysfunction in men and boosts libido in men and women, no research exists to support these benefits.