Question: Is papaya good for pregnant women? Can I eat papaya in pregnancy? What are the benefits and side effects of eating papaya in pregnancy?
Answer: Pregnant woman will get many advises from friends and relatives, about what to eat and what not to eat. And among this papaya will definitely be one of the topics.
Can Pregnant Women Eat Papaya?
It is documented that papaya in raw form contains high concentration of latex, the concentration decreases to minimal when the papaya is ripened.
The main constituent of the latex in raw papaya is papain and chymopapain, they are known to induce abortion and abnormal fetal development.
Besides this latex can cause edema and hemorrhagic placenta which can result into premature delivery.
Is Papaya Good For Pregnant Women?
On the other hand when the papaya is fully ripe the latex content is almost nil, ripe papaya is beneficial due to the rich content of vitamins and minerals which the pregnant woman needs. A ripe papaya is rich in vitamin C and due to its fiber content it is used in treating constipation.
It is a good health tonic in pregnant woman if ripe papaya and honey are mixed in milk and consumed daily in the morning.
Now it is upto an individual whether she should eat papaya or avoid especially in first trimester.