The Unexpected Papaya Benefits for Health | The Frugal Chef

When I was growing up and we'd visit our grandparents in the States, they had little tiny papayas, Hawaiian, that they had bought at the military commissary for a fortune. Thankfully today in the United States you can find papayas, you know, big ones like this at the Latino markets, at the Asian markets, so they are not a huge commodity anymore and they are so delicious and so good for you. Obviously in Latin America papayas are very common and they are delicious. Papayas are full of good things for you. They have betacarotene, which is what makes them orange like this. Betacarotene turns into vitamin A, which protects your eyes, guys. This has a lot of other antioxidants. It is full of fiber, so it's great for your gut. It has potassium, so it can help you with blood pressure. It has an enzyme called papain, which is great for digestion because it helps break down protein and that is why it is so good at tenderizing meat. Papayas are used in smoothies, fruit salads, facial masks, all kinds of things. The seeds, guys, we'll make another video on the seeds. They are incredible how rich in minerals and nutrients and antioxidants these are. Very, very good for constipation, so I'm not going to throw those out. We'll make a future video. Another thing that papaya has is vitamin C. Excellent source of vitamin C, so it's very good to protect your immune system. On the island, papayas are called popos. If you've never had papaya and you're allergic to mango, cashew, or pistachio, you could be allergic to papaya. Where to caution? All right, now we're going to add a banana. This banana looks like it's hard green, right? It's nice and soft. It just doesn't turn yellow here on the island. Bananas, full of potassium, great for your heart and your blood pressure. They have soluble fiber. They're great for digestion. They have vitamin B6, vitamin C, very good fruit for your health. I happen to have some freshly shredded coconut. I'm going to put it in here. Coconut is a great source of good fats, guys, and also has a lot of antioxidants. Because it has good fats, it is high in calories, so if you're looking to keep your calorie count down, maybe you stay away from it. I'm going to add the juice of a lime. I love papaya and lime. This is a great dessert, super healthy. Your body will thank you for it. Delicious. Thanks for watching. I'm going to see you soon.