Try Papaya for Heartburn Relief During Pregnancy
Papaya, often referred to as a “common man’s fruit” due to its high nutritional value and relatively reasonable price contains vitamin C, vitamin A, and more carotene than other fruits such as apples and guavas.[1] Not only that, but the enzymes in papaya can also be used as a natural and effective method for heartburn relief during pregnancy.
What makes papaya such an effective method of reducing heartburn related symptoms? It’s believed that the enzyme called papain (also known as vegetable pepsin) which is found in the leaves and fruit of the papaya plant helps to soothe digestion and indigestion. In addition, papaya has been used to treat a variety of other issues including helping to reduce constipation, inflammation, and cholesterol along with being used as an antimicrobial and antifungal treatment.
Forms you can take papaya in
There are a variety of different ways for you to take papaya to ease your heartburn and acid reflux symptoms including:
- Fresh papaya
- Dried papaya
- Canned papaya
- Papaya extract tablets
- Papaya Juice
Clearly, there are many options out there for you to get your dose of papaya.
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Crunchy N Yummy Organic Freezed Dried Fruit Papaya |
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Dosage
Speaking of doses, when should you eat papaya to treat your heartburn and to aid in digestion? Well, you’ll want to take papaya immediately after meals. Especially, if you have just eaten a meal that contained a lot of fats, proteins, or you consumed a larger than normal portion size. Eating a small amount of fresh papaya will typically work best. However, you can also take papaya tablets found at your local supermarket or health foods store. You might also want to consider trying a few slices of papaya before your meal to see if that works to reduce your heartburn symptoms before they occur, as well.
Avoid eating unripe papayas while pregnant
If you are pregnant you should NOT consume any unripe papaya. What’s so bad about eating unripened papaya during pregnancy? Unripened papayas contain a latex substance that may trigger uterine contractions which could lead to either a miscarriage or going into early labor.[1] If you want to get a little more technical, papaya latex is composed primarily of papain and chymopapain which are both natural uterine-stimulants used to either start or strengthen labor contractions. In addition, during a study using mice, researchers found that pregnant mice that were given green papaya extract (i.e., high in latex) generally gave birth to mice with significantly lower birth weight. [3]
On the other hand, fully ripe papaya contain very little or negligible amounts of both papain and chymopapain and can be safely eaten without provoking uterine-stimulation while still serving as a pregnancy heartburn relief.[2]
If your doctor has told you that you are prone to preterm labor (i.e. going into labor early) then you will want to avoid using papaya for heartburn relief, period. The reason being that your body will likely be more vulnerable to smaller amounts of papaya latex (which can trigger uterine contractions) found in either semi-ripe or unripe papaya.[4]
As always, just to be on the safe side, you’ll want to consult with your doctor first as to whether you should be consuming papaya during pregnancy.
Papayas and Latex Allergies, a bad combination
If you know that you are already allergic to natural rubber latex, then there is a good chance that you will be allergic to foods that also contain latex such as papaya. Allergic reactions can include itching, burning, and/or swelling of the lips, tongue, mouth, and throat. Severe allergic reactions are also possible including anaphylaxis where your airways can become so inflamed that they constrict. Either way, if you suffer from latex related allergies you’ll want to stay away from foods such as avocados, bananas, kiwis, eggplant, passion fruit, mangos, and, of course, papayas.
Clearly making sure that you eat only ripened papayas in pregnancy is really a big deal. Therefore, we figured that we would also help our readers by providing them the perfect way to check if a papaya is ripe or not.
How to check if a papaya is ripe
Step One: Look at the color of the papaya. Since papayas are shipped from tropical regions to your local supermarket, they are often picked while still green to help minimize any bruising that may occur in transit. You’ll want to pick a papaya that is green and half yellow. However, once you get home DO NOT eat them right away. Instead, let them ripen until the papaya is predominantly yellow. If you are in a hurry and can’t wait to eat your papaya right away, then look for a papaya that has an orange and reddish color to it. Again, avoid picking papayas at your local market that are completely green as these have NOT ripened.
Step Two: Gently squeeze the papaya. Unripened papayas will be hard to the touch while ripened papayas will be soft and retain a slight indentation. Avoid papayas with black or dark colored soft spots which occur when the papayas become bruised due to handling.
Step Three: Smell the papaya. Take the papaya and look at its base where the stem used to be attached. You’ll want to hold this area of the papaya up to your nose and take a good whiff. The papaya should have a nice genuine papaya smell to it (i.e., slightly sweet). If the papaya smells slightly moldy or smells overly sweet then you’ll want to pick a different one.
Other tips and tricks
- If you would like to speed up the ripening process, place your papayas into a paper bag that also contains either an apple or a banana. Then place your paper bag in a sunny spot for a day or two.
- While in the store, you might also want to look for a yellow ring around the area where the stem was attached to the papaya which indicates that the papaya will ripen well. If the ring is green where the stem was attached, then chances are that it won’t ripen.
- Fully ripened papayas should be stored in the refrigerator. You’ll also want to eat the fully ripened papaya within two days for maximum flavor.
Causes and Remedies Quick Tip Summary:
Eating papaya during pregnancy for heartburn relief might be the perfect natural cure for you. However, if you do decide to try papaya, please make sure that you only eat ripe papayas (generally orange or red in color). That way, you will avoid any potential negative effects caused by the uterine-stimulating chemicals found in papaya latex. In addition, if you know that you have a latex allergy then do not eat papaya. As always, ask your doctor if you have any doubts as to whether you should be consuming papaya or not.
References
[1] Krishna, K.L., Paridhavi, M., Patel, J. “Review on nutritional, medicinal and pharmacological properties of papaya (Carica papaya Linn.)”. Natural Product Radiance. Vol. 7(4) (2008) : 364-373.
[2] Patil, R., Anuj, M. Vedapriva, D.R., et al. “Taboos and misconceptions about food during pregnancy among rural populations of Pondicherry”. Calicut Medical Journal Vol. 8(2) e4 (2010).
[3] Anuar, N.S., Zahari, S.S., Taib, I.A., Rahman, M.T. “Effect of green and ripe Carica papaya epicarp extracts on wound healing and during pregnancy”. Volume 46(7) (2008) : 2384-9.
[4] Adebiyl, A, Adaikan, P, Prasad, R., “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 Volume 88 (2002) : 199-203.
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