Plant atlas Short
Papaya Carries Its Own Meat-Tenderizing Enzyme
Papaya · มะละกอ · Carica papaya
Papaya — มะละกอ (ma-la-ko) — Carica papaya.
Papaya — mah-lah-gaw. Cooks rub raw papaya on tough meat for a reason, because it packs an enzyme that breaks protein apart. The edible part is the fruit. Papain is a characterized protein-digesting enzyme; researchers tested papaya seed extract against stomach-lining injury in rats. It's rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, folate, and potassium. Som Tum Thai is a spicy green papaya salad bruised in a mortar with chilies and peanuts, traditionally served with sticky rice and grilled chicken. Gaeng Som Malakor is a spicy and sour fish curry with tender green papaya chunks, traditionally served alongside steamed jasmine rice and a side of crispy Thai omelet. The black seeds are edible with a peppery, mustard-like bite, and the green unripe fruit is cooked as a vegetable. It has zero tolerance for wet feet. Papaya is high in vitamin C, so eating it alongside iron-rich plant foods helps your body absorb their iron.
Som Tum Thai — ส้มตำไทย (som-tam-thai)
Gaeng Som Malakor — แกงส้มมะละกอ (gaeng-som-ma-la-gor)
Food and nutrients
Rich in: vitamin C, vitamin A, folate, potassium
Research context
Papaya's papain enzyme digests protein; papaya seed extract protected the stomach lining in rats — Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch Pharmacol, 2015 (animal)
Sources
Source: Papain = characterized proteolytic enzyme (food biochemistry). Gastroprotection (rats): Antiulcerogenic activity of Carica papaya seed. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol (2015), PMID 25418890
Narration transcript
Opening
Rub a tough piece of meat with raw papaya and it goes tender — the fruit carries papain, an enzyme that literally breaks protein apart. Papaya — มะละกอ, ma-la-ko. You eat the fruit ripe and sweet, but the hard green unripe fruit is a vegetable here, shredded into som tum, and even the peppery black seeds are edible.
Som Tum Thai (ส้มตำไทย)
Som tum Thai is a spicy green papaya salad bruised in a mortar with chilies and peanuts, traditionally served with sticky rice and grilled chicken.
Gaeng Som Malakor (แกงส้มมะละกอ)
Gaeng som malakor is a spicy and sour fish curry with tender green papaya chunks, traditionally served alongside steamed jasmine rice and a side of crispy Thai omelet.
Nutrition summary
A single serving of ripe papaya is very high in vitamin C, then trails off into a little folate and fiber.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is used to build collagen and helps protect cells from oxidative stress.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A contributes to normal vision and helps maintain healthy skin and surface tissues.
Folate
Folate supports normal cell division and blood formation, and plays an especially important role before and during pregnancy.
Potassium
Potassium helps with normal fluid balance and muscle function.
Closing
That same enzyme is behind one real caution: pregnant women are advised to skip unripe green papaya and its milky sap, which can act on the uterus. Ripe papaya is fine — and because it's rich in vitamin C, eating it alongside iron-rich plant foods helps your body take up more of their iron. Follow Longevity Biome, and LIKE this video for regular updates.
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