Papaya health benefits - your skins best friend!

So much more that just an exotic fruit, Papaya Fruit Juice is fast becoming a popular health and beauty aid. Packed with goodness, this wonderful juice has some very special enzymes which mean It could be your skin's best friend.

Good for the skin

Experts are starting to agree that Papaya can work magic on your skin, it is rich in antioxidants such as vitamin C, flavinoids and carotenes, and it contains an enzyme called"Papain" which can help banish dead skin cells and clear impurities.

A number of popular facial products now use this extract and you can make your own face mask from the flesh of the Papaya crushed with a few seeds, or apply the inside layer of the Papaya skin directly onto your skin for a great facial treat!

health benefits...

Another apparent health benefit of the extract is in the reduction of the signs of premature skin aging, it's thought to be helpful where skin has been prematurely dried and damaged by the suns rays.

Papain is becoming a key ingredient in many lotions based on papaya, and the leaf's extract is thought to attack dead skin cells whilst leaving the living cells untouched.

The fruit's enzyme has recently become known as a leading ingredient in skin whitening products and is also thought to encourage skin renewal. When used to exfoliate the skin, it has restorative properties that can help soften the skin and give a smoother appearance.

To really get the best for your skin from papaya, try papaya soap to exfoliate and to moisturize, a good papaya lotion is essential to achieve glowing and smooth looking younger skin.

Papaya's offer excellent health benefits and have a great taste, they tend to be brightly coloured in orange and are a rich source of beta carotene. They also contain a healthy selection of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B, C and lots of magnesium and potassium.

Regular consumption of papaya can improve heart health and is also thought to be preventative against certain cancers. Papaya extract is thought to be useful in the treatment of sport injuries, food intolerance's and due to its low glucose content the fruit is well tolerated by diabetics, in fact some evidence suggests it may prevent certain forms of diabetes.

salads and ice-cream!

Payaya is a very versatile fruit, and can be eaten as is, or added to a variety of meals such as a healthy salad, with your breakfast cereals, or you can even chop it up in your juicer for a delicious drink!

Why not try this delicious Papaya Recipe and let us know your thoughts:

Papaya Sorbet (courtesy of Raw Epicurean)

Papaya sorbet is delicious served as a standalone dessert or teamed up with other scoops of fruity sorbet. It is also quite nice served with slices of fresh fruit, especially with fresh papaya slices.

Ingredients -

2 ripe papayas

3 tablespoons lime juice, freshly squeezed

2 tablespoons of agave

Wash the papayas and cut both in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds, peel the skin with a vegetable peeler and cut into small chunks.

To make in an ice cream machine: place all ingredients in a food processor and process until well combined. Pour the mixture into an ice cream machine and follow manufacturers instructions.

To make without an ice cream machine: place the small chunks for fresh papaya on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer until frozen. Place the frozen papaya chunks in a food processor, add the fresh lime juice and agave, and process until smooth and creamy. Place the papaya mixture in a freeze friendly container with lid and freeze for about 2-3 hours before serving.

Makes about 4-8 servings, depending on the size of the scoop.

We hope you enjoyed this article about some of the health benefits of the Papaya Fruit, feel free to send us your comments. if you would like to read about dieting and weight loss with papaya then pop over to our section on the site for more information.

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