The New Complete Book of Food



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r Papaya

Nutritional Profile

Energy value (calories per serving): Low

Protein: Low

Fat: Low

Saturated fat: Low

Cholesterol: None

Carbohydrates: High

Fiber: Very high

Sodium: Low

Major vitamin contribution: Vitamins A, folate, vitamin C

Major mineral contribution: Potassium

About the Nutrients in This Food

Papayas (a.k.a. paw-paws) are high in soluble dietary fiber (gums and pec-

tins) with moderate amounts of vitamin A, as well as an excellent source

of the B vitamin folate and vitamin C.

Half of one five-inch long papaya has 2.8 g dietary fiber, 1,663 IU

vitamin A (22 percent of the RDA for a woman, 56 percent of the RDA for

a man), 58 mcg folate (15 percent of the RDA), and 94 mg vitamin C (1.3

times the RDA for a woman, 100 percent of the RDA for man).

Unripe papayas and the leaves of the papaya plant contain a papain, a

proteolytic (protein-dissolving) enzyme that breaks long protein molecules

into smaller fragments. You can tenderize meat by cooking it wrapped

in papaya leaves or by dusting it with a meat tenderizer of commercially

extracted papain dried to a powder. (Soybeans, haricots verts, garden peas,

broad beans, wheat flours, and egg white all contain proteins that inacti-

vate papain.)

The Most Nutritious Way to Serve This Food

Fresh, sliced.

Diets That May Restrict or Exclude This Food

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