What Are Papaya Enzymes Used for?

Papaya enzymes are extracted from the papaya, which is a fruit that is mainly cultivated in Mexico and other warm to hot climates. The papaya has a taste similar to pineapples or peaches. Papaya enzymes have been used for centuries for their powerful positive effects on general health. The effects of Papaya enzymes are diverse and it is definitely worth knowing their effects before adding papayas to your diet or buying papaya enzyme dietary supplements.

Eyesight Protection

Papaya enzymes have been shown to assist in keeping your eyesight. WHFoods reports: "Data reported in a study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology indicates that eating 3 or more servings of fruit per day may lower your risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary cause of vision loss in older adults, by 36%, compared to persons who consume less than 1.5 servings of fruit daily." Vitamins A, C, E are all promoters of healthy eyesight, and they all exist in the enzymes of the papaya.

Immune System

The high concentration of Vitamin A and C make papaya extract great for boosting the immune system. Papayas are like carrots in that they are loaded with Vitamin A, but they are also loaded with Vitamin C, making them an all-around great immune system booster. Instead of eating carrots to get vitamin A and oranges to get vitamin C, you can use papaya enzymes in one fell swoop.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects

Some papaya enzymes help lower inflamation and heal burns. These enzymes are called papain and chymopapain. Many of the vitamins in papayas, including vitamins C and E and beta-carotene, also help reduce inflammation. Papaya enzymes can be used to decrease inflammation caused by asthma and osteoarthritis. Though not a miracle cure, they have been shown to help sufferers of these painful diseases.

Protection against Rheumatoid Arthritis

One study presented in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, which was drawn from 20,000 subjects, found that vitamin C could help greatly with the inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis. Though papaya enzymes help with inflammation in general, it is worth noting that they help strongly with rheumatoid arthritis, as this terrible disease afflicts so many people.

Avoiding Emphysema

Richard Baybutt, an associate professor of nutrition at Kansas State university, has discovered that smoking could lead to a deficiency of vitamin A. He found that animals fed a vitamin A-deficient diet tended to develop emphysema. Even more surprising, he found that smokers with a diet high in vitamin A were much less likely to develop emphysema. If someone you know is a smoker, encourage him or her to take papaya enzymes.