Pawpaw Seeds Offer Healing Too.

Pawpaw, Carica papaya, is a fruit that grows nearly all through the year. Even though there is awareness of the health benefits of the fruit and some other parts, there is little awareness about those of the seeds, which are mostly discarded. Every part of the pawpaw tree has medicinal properties.

Pawpaw seeds have a spicy peppery flavor and are a bit bitter, but are highly packed with active ingredients which offer a lot for health. Here are a few facts about pawpaw seeds.

Like many spices which are seeds, pawpaw seeds are high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory components which make them ideal for fighting diseases. They contain phenolic and flavonoid active compounds which protect the body from inflammation and oxidative stress. They also contain an anthelmintic alkaloid called carpaine that kills microbes.  Here are some uses of pawpaw seeds for health;

Pawpaw seeds active ingredients are good for detoxifying the liver on a daily basis, can prevent and heal liver cirrhosis and other liver diseases.

They are good for preventing renal failure and healing kidney diseases.

They can help with preventing the growth of cancer cells.

They have activity against bacteria, viruses, worms and other intestinal parasites. They are good for intestinal health because of this.

They are good for treating food poisoning from microorganisms.

They help to purify the blood.

They are used to cure typhoid fever

They have immunomodulatory properties.

Pawpaw seeds can be chewed raw or dried and ground into powder form to be used daily or for general well-being. They can be used in cooking to replace pepper. They can be used as a cheap means of  preventing or expelling worms in children and adults because they will break down the proteins of the worms and their eggs.

In Nigeria, we cut down trees sometimes due to the belief that they harbour bad spirits which we do not want around us. It is time to stop this negative habit. Plants are our greatest healers. Let us plant more and take care of those around us. If for any reason a spirit is living inside a tree, then it must be enjoying great benefits from it. Period. We need trees for healing. Also, save some pawpaw seeds to use. They are cheap remedies.

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