Hawaii papayas are simply one of the healthiest fruits in the world. The highly respected Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer watchdog organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., ranks papaya as one of its Top 5 "Fantastic Fruits," along with guava, watermelon, grapefruit and kiwifruit. These five rank well ahead of other well-known healthy fruits such as oranges, apples and bananas.
The Center bases its nutritional scoreboard on the sum total of the percentage of the Daily Value for six key nutrients: vitamin C, folate, potassium, iron, calcium, and fiber plus carotenoids.
In addition, papayas are rich in protein-digesting enzymes, such as papain and chymopapain that aid digestion. They are also low in fat and are a good source of fiber, which has been shown to lower high cholesterol levels. Papayas are an excellent source of Vitamins C and E and beta-carotene—three powerful antioxidants. These nutrients help prevent the oxidation of cholesterol that may damage the blood vessel walls and eventually cause heart attack or stroke.
Papayas are also a very good source of calcium, potassium and Vitamins A and B.
| Papaya | Apple | Orange | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 39 | 52 | 47 |
| Fat (g) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cholesterol (mg) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sodium (mg) | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Carbohydrate (g) | 10 | 14 | 12 |
| Calcium (mg) | 24 | 6 | 40 |
| Potassium (mg) | 257 | 107 | 181 |
| Vitamin A* | 22% | 1% | 4% |
| Vitamin C* | 103% | 8% | 89% |
| Beta Carotene (mcg) | 276 | 27 | 71 |
