Raw Papaya: Uses, Benefits, Side Effects and More!

Introduction

Raw papaya is often overlooked, but it is completely loaded with health benefits. Rich in nutrients and available year-round, it’s considered a powerhouse of nutrition and is widely recognized for its value. 

The raw papaya plant itself is regarded as a valuable nutraceutical fruit. Its botanical name is Carica papaya Linn, and it belongs to the Caricaceae family. Originally native to southern Mexico and Costa Rica, the papaya plant has since spread to tropical and subtropical regions, including India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Hawaii, the Philippines, and South Africa¹. Known by many names such as papita, papaia, pawpaw, papayabaum, and arabd-kharpuja, papaya has a global presence.

Read on to learn more about this multipurpose commercial fruit crop. 

Nutritional Value of Raw Papaya

Papaya is a commoner’s fruit due to its low cost and high nutritional value. Papaya contains a vast array of phytochemicals, including proteins, fats and oils, enzymes, polysaccharides, flavonoids, vitamins and minerals. Papaya is pretty low in calories and has a high amount of vitamin C¹. 

The nutritional value of raw papaya per 100 grams is as follows: 

• Proteins: 0.47 g
• Carbohydrates: 10.8 g
• Fats: 0.26 g
• Sugar: 7.82 g
• Fibre: 1.7 g
• Sodium: 8 mg
• Calcium: 20 mg
• Magnesium: 21 mg
• Potassium: 182 mg
• Iron: 0.25 mg
• Phosphorus: 10 mg
• Zinc: 0.08 mg
• Manganese: 0.04 mg
• Copper: 0.045 mg
• Selenium: 0.6 µg
• Riboflavin: 0.027 mg
• Vitamin C: 60.9 mg
• Thiamin: 0.023 mg
• Niacin: 0.357 mg
• Vitamin B6: 0.038 mg
• Folate: 37 µg
• Vitamin A: 47 µg
• β-Carotene: 274 µg
• Vitamin E: 0.3 mg
• Vitamin K: 2.6 µg
• Lysine: 0.025 g
• Leucine: 0.016 g
• Aspartic Acid: 0.049 g
• Glycine: 0.018 g
• Glutamic Acid: 0.033 g
• Energy: 43 kcal

Properties of Raw Papaya

Papaya contains various biologically active plant chemicals that might be used for different purposes.¹ Papaya might have the following properties: 

• It may have antioxidant properties³.  
• It may have antifungal properties.  
• It may have antibacterial properties³.  
• It may have antimalarial properties³.  
• It might have antitumor properties.  
• It might have anti-sickling (might manage sickle cell diseases) properties¹⁴.  
• It might have anti-ulcer properties.  
• It might have anthelmintic (might prevent parasite infection) properties.  
• It may have anti-inflammatory properties³.  
• It may have valuable properties for wound healing.  
• It may have diuretic (might increase urine production) properties.  
• It may have carminative (might relieve flatulence) properties.  
• It may have laxative (might remove waste from the gut) properties.  
• It may have blood glucose-lowering property³.  
• It may have blood pressure-lowering activity.  

Potential Uses of Raw Papaya

The whole plant of papaya might have beneficial value. It has various phytochemicals like enzymes, vitamins and minerals. Some of its potential uses are given below.² 

1. Potential Uses of Raw Papaya for Digestive System

Eating raw papaya might benefit the food digestion process. Unripe papaya might contain a good amount of digestive enzyme, which might be an excellent aid to digestion. It may help in the smooth digestion of protein present in the food. People who cannot digest wheat gluten may tolerate it if it is mixed with the white latex of raw papaya. It has the crude papain enzyme, which might help solubilise gluten protein^{5, 6}. Hence, it may be used by people who have trouble with the digestion of protein-containing food items. 

2. Potential Uses of Raw Papaya for Wounds

Papaya fruits might be used in topical ulcer dressing, which might help wound healing. It may be used in the burn dressings of children. It may also reduce the odour associated with long-term skin ulcers⁷. The papaya fruit pulp may be mashed and applied to the infected burn wounds⁸, which may help deal with infection development. The potential mechanism could be the enzymatic action of papain as well as the antimicrobial activity of papaya fruit.

3. Potential Uses of Raw Papaya for Skin

Raw papaya may be valuable for restoring and rebuilding damaged skin. The peel of papaya contains vitamin A and might be used as a skin-lightening agent. If you apply a mixture of papaya peel with little honey to your skin, it may act as a moisturiser and make your skin look smoother⁹. The rubbing action of the white papaya pulp might help improve pimples and wrinkles on the facial skin due to its good bleaching activity. It may also remove the dead skin cells allowing the lightening of skin colour⁹. 

In my opinion, papaya is a skin miracle-worker! Its β-carotene and lycopene content can’t replace sunscreen, but they might help protect against sunburn and boost the skin’s defence mechanism against UV damage. Enjoy papaya for a healthy and happy skin glow!

Dr. Smita Barode, B.A.M.S, M.S.

4. Potential Uses of Raw Papaya for Cancer

Eating raw papaya might help to reduce the risk of the formation of colon cancer and prostate cancer in men¹⁰. The fruits of papaya contain dietary fibre, which may bind to the toxins present in the colon that may cause cancer-related to the colon. Raw papaya might help sweep these toxins from the body, keeping a healthy environment inside the colon. These nutrients might also protect colon cells from the damages caused by the free radicals.  

5. Other Potential Uses of Raw Papaya 

• Papaya is an abundant source of vitamin A and C. If consumed on a regular basis, it might help to improve eyesight and also prevent early age blindness in children¹¹.
• Papaya fruit contains nutrients such as provitamin, dietary fibre and minerals, which might help to deal with toothache, mouth ulcers and gum disease⁹. 
• Papaya is a rich source of folic acid. It might help to form certain proteins, which are beneficial to overcome the risk of developing a heart attack or stroke⁹. 
• The vitamin C-rich papaya might have an anti-inflammatory activity that may help reduce the pain and swelling in the joints, such as in rheumatoid arthritis, which involves pain in two or more joints⁹.
• Papaya contains vitamin A, which might help promote healthy lungs in heavy and passive smokers⁹. 

Though there are studies that show the benefits of raw papaya in various conditions, but these are insufficient and there is a need of further studies to establish the true extent of benefits of raw papaya on human health.

I would recommend giving fermented papaya a try and enjoying its tasty superpowers! Fermented papaya is a fantastic fruit. Studies² have shown that it might help pre-diabetics by boosting their antioxidants and protecting their red blood cells from harmful stress.

Dr. Siddharth Gupta, B.A.M.S, M.D (Ayu)

How to Use Raw Papaya?

Papaya is a healthy and delicious fruit. It may be used in various ways. 

• Raw papaya is unripe and may be used as a vegetable. 
• It might be used in the preparation of pies, sherbets, and sweets. 
• It may be used in cooking for tenderising the meat.
• Raw papaya fruit may be fermented and used.
• It may be used in a regular diet as fresh fruit juice and salad. 

You must consult a qualified doctor before taking any herbal supplements. Do not discontinue or replace an ongoing treatment of modern medicine with an Ayurvedic/herbal preparation without consulting a qualified doctor.   

I would suggest trying fermented papaya if you’re looking for a tasty and fun way to protect yourself against age-related and neurological diseases. One research⁴ shows that Alzheimer’s is linked to oxidative stress, but guess what? Fermented papaya may comes to the rescue! It might help counteract those free radicals that love to wreak havoc in our bodies.

Dr. Rajeev Singh, BAMS

Side Effects of Raw Papaya

The side effects of raw papaya may be related to women’s health.  

• Papaya’s white milky juice (latex) contains certain enzymes (papain), which might cause pregnancy problems¹².  
• It might affect certain hormone levels. Hence, it might be harmful to the mother’s and baby’s health.  
• It may cause oedema, which is recognized by the swelling of cells due to excess fluid retention. 

Ayurvedic herbs may have specific side effects and may react differently in every people. Ensure that you consult an Ayurvedic physician before using it for proper guidance.  

Precautions to Take with Raw Papaya

Eating raw papaya may be considered safe. However, general precautions need to be followed. 

• Raw papaya might produce side effects in pregnant women. Hence, pregnant women should avoid having papaya during pregnancy to prevent unnatural complications.  
• Breastfeeding mothers should consult an Ayurvedic physician to be on the safe side. 
• Extra precautions must be taken while giving them to children and older adults to avoid any health-related problems. 

We recommend you consult your Ayurvedic physician before having papaya for medicinal purposes. They will be the correct person to guide you about the safe dosage form. 

Interactions with Other Drugs

There is not enough information available on the interaction of raw papaya with other drugs. However, this does not mean that there are no interactions at all.  

Therefore, it is always better to follow the advice of an Ayurvedic doctor. They will prescribe you the best way to have it.  

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

References

1. Krishna K, Paridhavi M, Patel Jagruti. Review on nutritional, medicinal and pharmacological properties of Papaya (Carica papaya Linn.). Nat Prod Radi. 2008 Apr;7(4):364–73. Available from: http://nopr.niscair.res.in/bitstream/123456789/5695/1/NPR%207%284%29%20364-373.pdf 
2. Leitão M, Ribeiro T, García PA, Barreiros L, Correia P. Benefits of fermented papaya in human health. Foods. 2022 [cited 2025 Apr 16]. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8870802/  
3. Srivastava R, Jaiswal N, Kharkwal H, Dubey NK, Srivastava R. Phytomedical properties of Carica papaya for boosting human immunity against viral infections. Viruses. 2025 [cited 2025 Apr 16]. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11861161/ 
4. Barbagallo M, Marotta F, Dominguez LJ. Oxidative stress in patients with Alzheimer’s disease: effect of extracts of fermented papaya powder. Mediators of Inflammation. 2015 [cited 2025 Apr 16]. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25944987/ 
5. Tacias-Pascacio VG, Castañeda-Valbuena D, Morellon-Sterling R, Tavano O, Berenguer-Murcia Á, Vela-Gutiérrez G, et al. Bioactive peptides from fisheries residues: a review of use of papain in proteolysis reactions. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 2021 [cited 2025 Apr 16]. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0141813021012824 
6. Kong YR, Jong YX, Balakrishnan M, Bok ZK, Weng JKK, Tay KC, et al. Beneficial role of Carica papaya extracts and phytochemicals on oxidative stress and related diseases: a mini review. Biology. 2021 [cited 2025 Apr 16]. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8066973/ 
7. Topical use of papaya in chronic skin ulcer therapy in Jamaica. PubMed. 2000 [cited 2025 Apr 16]. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10786448/ 
8. Starley IF, Mohammed P, Schneider G, Bickler SW. The treatment of paediatric burns using topical papaya. Burns. 1999 [cited 2025 Apr 16]. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S030541799900056X 
9. Traditional and medicinal uses of Carica papaya. Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies. 2013 [cited 2025 Apr 16]. Available from: https://www.plantsjournal.com/vol1Issue1/Issue_jan_2013/2.pdf 
10. Patel S, Rana K, Arya P, Nelson J, Hernandez V, Minakova V. Anticancer activity of phytochemicals of the papaya plant assessed: a narrative review. Journal of Cancer Prevention. 2024 [cited 2025 Apr 16]. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11467756/ 
11. Koul B, Pudhuvai B, Sharma C, Kumar A, Sharma V, Yadav D, et al. Carica papaya L.: a tropical fruit with benefits beyond the tropics. Diversity. 2022 [cited 2025 Apr 16]. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/14/8/683 
12. Adebiyi A, P NGA, Prasad RNV. Papaya (Carica papaya) consumption is unsafe in pregnancy: fact or fable? Scientific evaluation of a common belief in some parts of Asia using a rat model. British Journal of Nutrition. 2002 [cited 2025 Apr 16]. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12144723/ 
13. Matsuane C, Kiage BN, Karanja J, Kavoo AM, Rimberia FK. Hypolipidaemic effects of papaya (Carica papaya L.) juice on rats fed on a high fat and fructose diet. Journal of Nutritional Science. 2023 [cited 2025 Apr 16]. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10345780/ 
14. Adetayo A, Adetayo M, Shokunbi O, Oyelese A. In-vitro antisickling and sickling-reversal activities of Carica papaya fruit at different stages of ripening. Babcock University Medical Journal. 2020 [cited 2025 Apr 16]. Available from: https://bumj.babcock.edu.ng/index.php/bumj/article/view/38 

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.

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