Papaya Leaf Extract

Specifications

Botanical: Carica papaya
Family: Caricaceae (papaya)
Other common names:  Papaw, Mamao, Paw-Paw, Tree Melon, Gandul, Fan Kua

Papaya Leaf contains a remarkable protein-dissolving enzyme called papain, and if you suffer from indigestion or heartburn, give Papaya Leaf a try!   The enzyme in Papaya Leaf also breaks down wheat gluten and carbohydrates for extra digestive protection.

Papaya Leaf has been used as an aid for stomach ailments, due to its enzyme content. Papaya Leaf especially aids in the digestion of proteins, but also helps to digest carbohydrates and fats.  Papaya Leaf also shows promise as a way to combat ulcers.

Disclaimer:
The information presented herein by Viable Herbal Solutions is intended for educational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent disease. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

History and Uses:
If you can't get through a day without popping an antacid (or two or three), Papaya is the herb for you.  Papaya Leaf contains a substance called papain, which is chemically similar to pepsin, an enzyme that helps digest protein in the body, and it is a safe and natural digestive aid.  It's easy enough to buy an over-the-counter alternative, but it is certainly not any better.  In fact, in a lot of ways, it is much worse.  If you take too many antacids, you run the risk of the "rebound effect," that is, your body will respond by producing even more acid, which will cause even more gastrointestinal problems.  Papaya, however, can be taken freely without any fear of rebounding.  Papaya provides us with many benefits:

It aids in the breakdown and metabolism of protein, exhibits anti-ulcer activity and helps

to relieve indigestion.  Papaya Leaf contains the powerful proteolytic enzymes, papain and chymopapain, which digest proteins, small peptides, amides and esters.  Their activity extends to carbohydrate and fat, and they are said to be more effective than naturally- occurring proteases like pepsin and trypsin.  Since stomach ailments are often the direct result of indigestion, Papaya Leaf may help prevent and remedy these by increasing digestive processes, as the digestive properties of papain are well established.  Recently,

a Taiwanese research team found that animals pretreated with Papaya Leaf were significantly more resistant to stress-induced ulcers than untreated animals. Papaya Leaf's tendency to reduce acid secretion could account for these effects.

Papaya leaf extract 'fights cancer'

Researchers said on Tuesday that papaya leaf extract and its tea have dramatic cancer-fighting properties against a broad range of tumours, backing a belief held in a number of folk traditions.

University of Florida researcher Nam Dang and colleagues in Japan, in a report published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, documented papaya's anticancer effect against tumours of the cervix, breast, liver, lung and pancreas.

The researchers used an extract made from dried papaya leaves, and the effects were stronger when cells received larger doses of papaya leaf tea.

Dang and the other scientists showed that papaya leaf extract boosts the production of key signalling molecules called Th1-type cytokines, which help regulate the immune system.

This could lead to therapeutic treatments that use the immune system to fight cancers, they said in the February issue of the journal and released on Tuesday by the university.

Papaya has been used as a folk remedy for a variety of ailments in many parts of the world, especially Asia.

Dang said the results are consistent with reports from indigenous populations in Australia and his native Vietnam.

The researchers said papaya extract did not have any toxic effects on normal cells, avoiding a common side effect of many cancer treatments.

Researchers exposed 10 different types of cancer cell cultures to four strengths of papaya leaf extract and measured the effect after 24 hours. Papaya slowed the growth of tumours in all the cultures.

Dang and a colleague have applied to patent the process to distil the papaya extract through the University of Tokyo