Papaya: The Natural Anti-Wrinkle Remedy

July 23, 2011

This article is for all you girls out there that are obsessed with wrinkles, and who spend huge amounts of money on lotions, creams and whatever the cosmetic industry is throwing at you with the promise of make you look younger or prevent aging.
But hear this out, in order to get smoother, younger looking skin you should work from the inside (not only from the outside) by eating more of a sweet, buttery-textured fruit: papaya.

In fact, recent researches shows that a diet high in carotenoid-rich foods, such as papaya, helps
boost people's defenses against the sun's damaging rays and, as a consequence, that helps ski fight off wrinkles on your skin.




More papaya = less wrinkles

The intense orangey-pink color of papaya means it’s full of cancer fighting carotenoids.
A recent study conducted on individuals between the ages of 40 and 50, showed that those who had the highest skin levels of carotenoids had the smoothest, youngest looking complexions. Their furrows and wrinkles were not as numerous or as deep.
And researchers speculate that this was due the high concentration of provitamin A carotenoid phytonutrients in Papayas circulating in the bloodstreams of the younger looking group.
Carotenoids are a family of antioxidants that include body helpers like beta carotene, lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, just to name a few. They are very powerful antioxidants and a good source of vitamins A, C, and E.
In particular, it’s lycopene (highly reactive toward oxygen and free radicals) that works the magic on your skin.




Where to find caroteinoids

Carotenoids are found in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, so papaya isn't your only source of skin-protective nutrients. Mangoes and cantaloupe are also good sources. So are tomatoes, watermelon, and grapefruit.
And you'll want to get your fill, because your body uses carotenoids not only to maintain healthy skin but also to boost immunity along with eye and heart health. But because carotenoids perform so many functions, and because everyday things like stress, illness, lack of sleep, and sun exposure can sap your levels, you need to eat a whole bunch of fruits and vegetables every day.




But it’s only about skin

Scientists have documented this common sense observation by finding that papaya promotes digestive health and intestinal cleansing, fights inflammation, and supports the immune system. It protects lung and joint health, revitalizes the body, and boosts energy levels. Papaya is a potent cancer fighter that is highly effective against hormone related cancers as well as other cancers. New research shows papaya can stop the growth of breast cancer cells, halt metastasis, and normalize the cell cycle.




In addition, papaya contains the digestive enzyme, papain, which is used like bromelain (a similar enzyme found in pineapple) to treat sports injuries, other causes of trauma, and allergies.
Finally, the fiber present in papayas can help bind the toxins that cause cancer. In the colon, these toxins help in keeping the cancer causing toxins at bay. The other nutrients contained in papaya are also known to reduce the risk of cancers, especially that of colon cancer.

Nutrition facts

A cup of papaya scores just 55 calories, which is pretty low. No fat, 8 grams of sugar and 1 gram of protein.
What is really remarkable is the amount of Vitamin C, with just one cup you get 133% of the recommended daily intake and of Vitamin A.
Remember that too much Vitamic C doesn’t do any harm since the extra that is no used by your body will flushed away with your urine.



Considerations

You really want to get a younger looking skin and prevent wrinkles? Then be sure to include papaya (or other high-carotenoids fruits) in your diet.
Also remember that what makes your skin aging is not time but just exposure to sun (especially UVA and UVA rays) so make sure to wear
sunscreen everyday!

The Iron You

5 comments:

  1. I am still young, no wrinkles yet, but I always eat papaya at least 5 times a week, in slices. I knew papaya has got lots of health goodness in them but your post has explained those goodness in detailed and useful manner. thanks.

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  2. I have also been using papaya and other fruits and vegetables to take care of my skin and prevent the signs of aging. Yet, there are times that I really need to use skin peeling cream.

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  3. Aside from papaya, my wife also uses cucumber extract applied on her face to fight aging and wrinkles. She seldom apply astringents and lotions.

    Herbal Medicines

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  4. The digestive enzyme papain in papaya also has the ability to assist with digestion, which may promote weight loss. Papaya is a low-calorie and nutrient-rich fruit so you should include it in your diet.

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  5. Yes, papaya assists with digestion, but it's quite hard to find fresh papaya fruit in our local grocery. Good thing there's papaya supplements. My wife has gluten intolerance and papaya enzyme tablets help her digest whatever she eats.

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