What Is a Papain Enzyme?

Papain enzyme is derived from papaya and helps the body digest protein. A popular digestive supplement, papain is commonly sold as a chewable tablet made entirely of papaya papain. Papaya (Carica papaya) has been consumed since the 1750s; by the 1870s, the papaya enzymes were identified. Papaya has two enzymes, chymopapain and papain. Papain is twice as effective as an enzyme and in assisting in the digestion of animal protein. Sri Lanka was the top commercial manufacturer of papain in the early 1930s. More recently, East Africa produced much of the papaya used for papain supplements.

For Upset Stomach

If you have occasional stomach upset or have overeaten, consuming papain digestive supplements might help. Many papaya tablets taste exactly like the fruit they are derived from, and you can buy some that are sweetened with fruit juice and not refined sugar to reduce the risk of further stomach upset.

Benefits

People who are doing a detoxification often will eat only papaya fruit and liquids for a few to several days. Doing so enables them to cleanse their gastrointestinal tract easily. The advantage of eating papaya is that most people enjoy its sweet taste and can sustain eating it for the length needed to accomplish a detoxification program.
Few people are allergic to papaya, but if you think you are, stop consumption immediately.

Misconceptions

There is a misconception that papaya enzyme is enough to digest anything. This is not so. For example, lactase is the enzyme best suited to digest milk protein. For people who are lactose intolerant, consuming live culture yogurt is appropriate because the milk protein in yogurt is partly "digested" by the live cultures. Papaya is best for helping to digest protein.

Time Frame

As with most dietary supplements, papain digestive enzymes are best taken immediately after a meal. Papaya tablets are usually chewable and can double as a breath freshener in a pinch.

Considerations

If you find that you often have an upset stomach, consider how you are combining your food. Generally, eating fruits separately from meats reduces stomach upset. This is because fruits digest very quickly and meats take 2 to 4 hours, depending on the type and amount consumed. Dividing three very large meals into four to six smaller meals throughout the day may reduce or eliminate digestive upsets as it gives your stomach less food to digest at a time.