Discovering Herbs: Papaya
Wherever there are dangers to our health, nature seems to provide locally the means of resistance or remedy. Alfred Vogel, Secrets of Therapeutic Herbs.
Alfred Vogel discovered Papaya whilst travelling in the Amazon area, in Lagunas on the Maranon river, and recommended chewing a leaf of the plant after every meal to prevent parasites and stomach bugs. Despite the dangerous amoebas, hookworms, whipworms and many others that were rampant in the region, he was never troubled throughout his repeated travels in the tropics.
Papaya thrives in the hot, humid tropical regions. The fruit look like melons and are hollow inside, full of small, black, moist, round seeds. The fruit aids digestion, so you can eat a slice after meals if you are visiting the tropics. The curative constituents of papaya, though, especially the enzyme papain, are found in the unripe fruit, the seeds and leaves. Papain is an excellent remedy on two accounts.
Beat the Bugs
Papain actually digests intestinal parasites, dissolving their outer cuticle and thus killing them.
Power to the Pancreas
Papaya can help stimulate the pancreas and so help to digest protein. If you overindulge in a heavy protein meal, Papaya can help to overcome that feeling of being overfull and listless. By stimulating the pancreas, it will also help with the digestion of sugars and starches.
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