Pawpaw Fruit: The Modern-Day Favourite Healthy Fruit

Pawpaw fruit may be an uncommon fruit for many people. However, with the help of recent studies, the fruit is gaining popularity due to its health benefits. 

Pawpaw fruit can be the ultimate source of Vitamin C for people with a deficiency. One cannot ignore the curative powers and benefits of the fruit. You will be hooked on this fruit once you know its rich vitamin and mineral content. In addition, it has anti-inflammatory properties and reduces the risk of cancer. 

The fruit can help heal inflammation and improve skin health. Also, new studies show that it can help limit cancer risks, which is a tremendous positive for the fruit and the people who consume it.

The HealthifyMe Note:

The fruit is native to the United States of America and Canada. Also known as Asimina Triloba, it is similar to papaya but contains fewer calories. The fruit has a sweet and slightly acidic taste, common in fruits rich in vitamin C. 

Nutritional Value

The pawpaw fruit might be unknown to many, but its nutritional value will blow their minds. The fruit is rich in nutrients and vitamins, which help heal and rejuvenate the body from within. From skin problems to poor metabolism, pawpaw fruit can have curative effects on the body due to its high nutritional value. Unfortunately, the USDA does not have adequate data on its nutritional values. However, the Kentucky State University has conducted research and found these nutritional properties in 100gm of pawpaw fruit:

• Calories: 80
• Protein: 1.2 grams
• Fat: 1.2 grams
• Carbohydrates: 18.8 grams
• Fibre: 2.6 grams

Additionally, the study has found the vitamin and minerals value of the fruit as follows:-

• Vitamin C: 20% of Daily Value (DV)
• Riboflavin: 7% of the DV
• Potassium: 7% of the DV
• Magnesium: 27% of the DV
• Manganese: 113% of the DV
• Iron: 39% of the DV

Health Benefits

The pawpaw fruit is becoming a favourite due to several reasons. One of the most important reasons is its incredible health benefits. People who want to cure or limit the chances of catching harmful ailments should include pawpaw in their diets. Here is a list of health benefits accompanying the delicious taste of the pawpaw fruit:

Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Properties

The pawpaw fruit is an excellent product with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It contains a good dose of Vitamin C and minerals, which can help cure inflammation-related diseases. Moreover, a study has found that, like many tropical fruits, pawpaw fruit also contains antioxidants and heals the body from diseases. 

Increases Body Metabolism

The pawpaw fruit contains a healthy trace of manganese. Now, manganese can significantly benefit the body due to its ability to help the formation of enzymes. Enzymes of the body help increase metabolism and improve the overall immunity of the body. It also helps blood clotting, which can be a life-saving benefit for the body in case of accidents.

Reduces Cancer Risks

A recent study has found that Pawpaw fruit has a huge potential to limit cancer risks. It can be a beneficial fruit for cancer treatment as well. The pawpaw fruit has some effect on tumour cells, which can effectively reduce cancer risks. Though the studies on the topic are limited, there is still a lot of potential in pawpaw fruit for having cancer-limiting properties.

Skin Benefits

Pawpaw fruit is rich in Vitamins, and especially Vitamin C. Studies show that Vitamin C has the power to heal and nourish the skin. Furthermore, vitamin C helps rejuvenate the skin, remove fine lines, reverse skin ageing, and brighten it from within. Therefore, pawpaw fruit can benefit the skin if included in one’s daily diet.

Helps Reduce Uric Acid and Gout

Pawpaw fruit, as we know, contains a high amount of Vitamin C. Vitamin C has anti-inflammatory properties which can help cure gout problems. Gout is a severe disease that can be very painful and uncomfortable. Also, studies show that the fruit helps lower uric acid levels, which medical professionals connect to gout problems.

Helps Reduce Weight

The pawpaw fruit is low in calories compared to its relatives like papaya. Therefore, the pawpaw fruit is ideal for people trying to regulate their calorie intake. In addition, it can help people to lose weight since it doesn’t contain much fat content either.

Combats Iron Deficiency 

The pawpaw fruit is rich in iron which is ideal for people with anaemia. Iron is required to generate red blood cells, so women should consume pawpaw fruits regularly. People with iron deficiency should also include pawpaw fruit in their diet instead of taking expensive supplements.

Precautions and Things to Keep in Mind

The pawpaw fruit is rich in flavour and nutrients. However, it may not be the ideal fruit for many people. 

Allergies

The pawpaw fruit may cause allergies in some people. Thus, it is advisable to avoid the fruit if you develop rashes, sores, stomach upsets, and other allergy symptoms after consumption.

Diabetes Patients

The pawpaw fruit contains a fair amount of sugar, so people with severe diabetes should avoid consuming the fruit every day. However, the fruit in moderation won’t cause many side effects in diabetic patients.

May Cause Skin Rashes

Some people may be allergic to pawpaw, which can result in rashes. The rashes might be due to the latex allergy that pawpaw causes. Itchy and dry skin are some typical symptoms.

The HealthifyMe Note:

Pawpaw is a popular component in anti-ageing treatments due to its high concentration of papain enzymes and antioxidants. However, not all skin types respond well to topical therapy. Hence, do a patch test before applying it all over your skin.

Delicious Recipes Using Pawpaw Fruit

The pawpaw fruit can be a delicious fruit which you can have directly. However, if you want to incorporate the food into other meals and snacks, you will need some recipes to help you. Hence, below are some fantastic and flavourful recipes which can help you turn the fruit into sometime more delicious:

Pawpaw Bread

Like a banana, you can use pawpaw to make delicious healthy bread.

Servings: 1 loaf

Preparation Time: 120 mins

Ingredients

• Cooking spray: 1
• Butter, softened: ⅓ cup 
• Eggs: 2 
• Pawpaw pulp: 1 ½ cups 
• Tepid water: ⅓ cup 
• All-purpose flour: 1 ⅓ cups 
• Chopped walnuts: ½ cup (Optional)
• Baking soda: 1 tsp
• Salt: ½ tsp
• Baking powder: ¼ tsp

Instructions For Cooking

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees C). 
• Use the cooking spray to coat the bottom of an 8-inch loaf pan. 
• In a mixing dish, add and mash butter until smooth. 
• Add the eggs. 
• Beat in the pawpaw pulp and water for approximately 30 seconds until well blended. 
• Combine the flour, walnuts, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in a mixing bowl. 
• Pour into the loaf pan that you have prepared.
• Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes in a preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. 
• Allow 30 minutes for cooling before slicing.

Easy Pawpaw Smoothie

What better way to eat it than make it into a smoothie? This smoothie recipe will teach you how to have a cool and refreshing drink with the goodness of pawpaw fruit. It takes minutes to make and only requires a blender. Try this recipe when you are short on time and need a tummy filler immediately.

Servings: 2 persons

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• Blueberries: 75g
• Orange: 1 piece
• Small Pawpaw: 1 piece
• Bananas: 2 pieces (peeled)
• Plain Greek yoghurt: 4 tsp

Instructions For Cooking

• Take the fruits and add them to a blender.
• Blend the fruits slowly till everything forms a semi-smooth paste. 
• Now add the greek yoghurt and blend it with some crushed ice. Finally, blend everything to create a uniform smoothie.
• Take out the smoothie and serve in a glass. Add some fresh whole blueberries on top.

Note: To make this smoothie vegan, you can use soy milk instead of greek yoghurt.

Pawpaw Rice Paper Rolls

If the two recipes mentioned above seem very basic, try this pawpaw rice paper roll which is fancy but easy at the same time. This recipe also takes a few minutes to make. You can even add any meat of your choice if the simple vegan/vegetarian recipes do not feel appealing to you.

Servings: 1-2 persons

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients 

• Rice paper rounds: 4-5 (softened)
• Vermicelli noodles: 30g
• Mint:- 4-5 leaves
• Coriander [cilantro]: 5-6 leaves
• Red cabbage: 30g (sliced thinly) 
• Red chilli: 10g (sliced)
• Yellow pawpaw: 2 pieces (sliced)
• Cooked chicken/tofu: 50g

Preparation

• Pour boiling water over the vermicelli noodles and let them cook for 5 minutes. Then, drain the water and separate the noodles into 4-5 sections.
• Pick the mint leaves and the coriander and divide them for each rice paper roll. 
• Take the sliced red cabbage, chilli, and your protein along with the deseeded and cut pawpaw.
• Place the rice paper rounds into cool water for a minute or two, then place them on a double layer of paper towel. 
• Fill the wrapper with leaves, cabbage, noodles, protein, pawpaw, and chilli. Fold the rice papers to form rolls. 
• Serve it cold with some chilli lemon dipping sauce or chilli garlic oil.

The HealthifyMe Note:

The fruit can be incorporated into various cuisines and enjoyed as healthy breakfasts and snacks. Although it’s not readily available, growing demand for the pawpaw fruit will help increase stocks in local markets. The best part about pawpaw is you can have it as a simple fruit snack. Cut the fruit into pieces and have a healthy fruit snack ready!

Summary

This fruit is highly beneficial for the body and helps deal with serious health problems. For deficient persons, the Pawpaw fruit might be the best source of vitamin C. You cannot overlook the fruit’s curative properties and advantages. The most significant benefit of the Pawpaw fruit is its potential to limit cancer risks which are very rare in other products. Pawpaw fruit can be a healthy option for people who do not want to eat too many calories. Since most fruits have a high amount of calories, the pawpaw fruit will be an excellent alternative for people on a diet. 

However, one must be careful of allergies. Diabetic people should consume this fruit in moderation as it is rich in sugar. It might also be unsuitable for some skin types and cause rashes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. What is pawpaw fruit good for?

A. Pawpaw fruit is a high source of Vitamin C and minerals. This fruit can nourish the body and eliminate any vitamin deficiency that needs to be met by supplements. Vitamin C is also beneficial for skin health and helps you glow from within.

Q. What does pawpaw cure?

A. Pawpaw fruit has many curative properties. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits of pawpaw fruit help a lot of diseases. It can also help meet the body’s vitamin deficiency, a common problem in women and children. Plus, it can cure gout by reducing uric acid levels. It also reduces the risk of cancer and iron deficiency. 

Q. Is it good to eat pawpaw every day?

A. While eating pawpaw fruit every day may not be a problem for many people, the sugar levels of the fruit may hamper the health of diabetic patients. They should therefore consume it in moderation. Moreover, allergic people should not consume this food. It might also cause skin rashes in some people.

Q. Which is better: pawpaw or papaya?

A. Pawpaw fruit and papaya are both excellent tropical fruits. The pawpaw fruit has lower levels of Vitamin C as compared to papayas. However, pawpaw fruit has fewer calories than papaya. Pawpaw aids with gluten digestion and soothes indigestion. On the other hand, Papayas prevent ageing symptoms, reduce stress, and are often used to ease menstruation discomfort.

Q. What type of fruit is a pawpaw?

A. Pawpaw fruit is a tropical fruit found in the United States of America and Canada. This fruit is also called the Asimina triloba. It is a highly nutritional fruit with many health benefits.

Q. Is pawpaw good for high blood pressure?

A. The antioxidant properties of pawpaw fruit can improve heart health and regulate blood pressure levels. It also avoids the deposition of cholesterol and fat, which you can link to high blood pressure.

Q. Is pawpaw good for diabetes?

A. Pawpaw does have some reasonable amounts of sugar. Therefore, this makes it unsuitable for patients with diabetes. However, small servings of the food in moderation will not affect their health adversely. You should note that Pawpaw fruit does not have many benefits for diabetic patients.

Q. Is pawpaw good for the liver?

A. Pawpaw has various antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which are good for curing liver problems. Furthermore, you can heal fatty liver and infections by consuming pawpaw fruit.

Q. Is pawpaw high in sugar?

A. Yes, the fruit is high in sugar. Because the pawpaw fruit contains a significant amount of sugar, those with severe diabetes should avoid eating it daily. However, in diabetic people, eating fruit in moderation will not produce many side effects.

Q. Are pawpaws poisonous?

A. The pawpaw fruit is not wholly edible. The pawpaw fruit’s skin and seeds are toxic to humans, so you should not consume them. However, the flesh of the pawpaw plant is high in nutrients and safe for consumption.

Q. Are pawpaws acidic?

A. Pawpaw fruits have a high amount of vitamins, especially Vitamin C. Since it’s a tropical fruit, it contains citric acid, making the fruit slightly acidic.

Q. Is pawpaw good for ulcer patients?

A. Yes, the pawpaw fruit has some great benefits for ulcer patients. Studies have found that the fruit’s anti-inflammatory properties can help alleviate ulcer problems. Also, studies show that the unripe fruit may be beneficial in curing ulcers.