Fight indigestion with pawpaws

Sep 12, 2010

EMMA Marunga had indigestion problems for years. She also suffered dizziness, weakness and nausea. A nutritionist suggested she consume more protein in her diet. “He also said I was bound to become aneamic, hence advised me to include pawpaw more often in my daily fruit diet,” narrates Marunga.

By Gilbert Kidimu
EMMA Marunga had indigestion problems for years. She also suffered dizziness, weakness and nausea. A nutritionist suggested she consume more protein in her diet. “He also said I was bound to become aneamic, hence advised me to include pawpaw more often in my daily fruit diet,” narrates Marunga.

In a couple of weeks she felt much better and has now completely recovered. A pawpaw is a large edible berry with numerous seeds; it is green when unripe, maturing to yellow or orange.

It is recommended in cases of indigestion
because it is very easy to digest and contributes to the digestion of other foods.

Nutritional benefits Paw paws are high in
vitamin C, magnesium, iron, and manganese, according to Doreen Tindyebwa, a nutritionist says: “Paw paws are a good source of potassium and several essential amino acids, and they also contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin, calcium, phosphorus,
and zinc”.

Paw paws contain these nutrients in amounts that are generally greater than those found in bananas, apples, or oranges.

Tindyebwa says it is a suggested diet for those with skin disorders such as eczema and acne because of its richness in vitamin A.

In spite of its sweetness; a diabetic can take pawpaw. “A fresh pawpaw would be encouraged since fresh fruits and vegetables are part of a healthy diet. As long as the person tests the blood sugar and takes their medicine or insulin as directed by their doctor, they can eat papw paws,” she explains

According to traditionaloven.com; the water content is relatively low, 75%, compared to most fruits with water content of 85%. Pawpaw’s nutritional value exceeds that of apples, peaches and grapes in vitamins, minerals, amino acids and calories. The pawpaw tree contains many bioactive compounds that may be either beneficial or toxic in the human diet, depending on the
amount consumed by the individual,
and on an individual’s sensitivity.

However, important to note is that the bark or seeds of paw paws are not edible and contain poisonous compounds. Paw paws are available in both markets and supermarkets.

At 3,000 shillings you can buy a paw paw to serve the whole family in the ordinary markets. However when buying; don’t just take any fruit the seller
hands you; but rather, select fruit which isn’t bruised and free from other signs of deterioration such as black spots or holes.

A healthy pawpaw fruit should be at least half yellow when purchased.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});