7 Potent Benefits of Papaya Seeds: Uses, Side Effects and How to Take Them

While most people throw them away, papaya seeds are not only edible, small amounts of them in your diet can be very beneficial.

Keep in mind though that chewing half a teaspoon of the seeds is not like eating papaya fruit. They have a strong flavor — like a cross between wasabi and black peppercorns.

If you can handle that, ahead are 7 papaya seed benefits, potential precautions and the best ways to use them as a natural remedy.

1. Papaya Seed Liver Treatment

Liver cirrhosis is a disorder, usually caused by excessive alcohol consumption, wherein the liver shrinks and becomes hardened. In this state it’s ineffective at removing toxins from the body, leading to a variety of serious problems.

Papaya seeds are often reported as an effective natural treatment for liver cirrhosis and overall detoxification of the liver.

The recommended method is to grind up half a teaspoon of dried seeds in a pepper grinder, or crush up fresh ones in a mortar and pestle. Next mix them with a tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice in a glass of water.

A ¼ of a teaspoon of these organic powdered ones can also be used as an effective replacement if you don’t have the fresh fruit available.

Drink this papaya seeds liver treatment down twice a day for a month. Many cirrhosis sufferers have had dramatic improvements with this natural remedy but it does need to be used regularly.

Make sure to consult your GP first if you are being treated for cirrhosis of the liver, especially with regards to the papain enzyme that may interfere with certain prescriptions.

Even for people without such obvious liver damage, a small amount of the seeds taken regularly can help support this vital organ and improve its ability to eliminate toxins within your body.

2. Fighting Bacterial Infections and Treating Food Sickness

Another potential use of papaya seeds is to combat bacterial infections and treat food sickness caused by bad bacteria.

The seeds of papayas have a strong antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect on your digestive system. Scientific studies have shown an extract made from the seeds is effective at killing E coli, Salmonella, Staph and other dangerous bacteria.

As a natural remedy for food sickness, papaya seeds should be taken at the first sign of symptoms and continued 3 times a day with each a meal until they subside.

It’s best to take the freshly crushed up seeds with a small amount of food. Something simple to digest like fruit would be ideal.

For general protection against gastrointestinal infections from bad bacteria, they can be used daily in the small dosage described in this article on how to eat papaya seeds.

3. Combating Candida Yeast Overgrowth

The potent digestive enzymes in the seeds of papayas help change your intestinal ecology to one that is more favorable to ‘good’ bacteria, rather than the bad ones that can cause so many problems.

In this way, papaw seeds can also be a helpful aid in the treatment of candida yeast overgrowth, a common yet often undiagnosed issue with serious consequences.

Candida thrives when your digestive system is out of balance and, left untreated, it can cause chronic fatigue, intestinal inflammation and a myriad of disorders throughout your body.

By creating a supportive environment for healthy intestinal bacteria, both pathogenic yeasts and debilitating bad bacteria are much less likely to take hold within your digestive system.

This concentrated liquid gut cleanse can be used to fight both candida yeast and bacterial infections. Unlike the fresh seeds, it’s best taken with just a big glass of water and used on an empty stomach 2 to 3 times a day. 

4. Protecting Your Kidneys

Oxidative stress is common culprit in chronic kidney disorders and can lead to renal failure wherein your kidneys can no longer properly filter metabolic waste from your bloodstream.

This research study found an extract of Carica papaya seeds had nephroprotective (kidney protecting) effects against oxidative stress, though being an animal study there isn’t as much evidence here as with human research.

Parsley juice would be an even better natural treatment for detoxifying your kidneys and it’s highly beneficial for your liver as well.

5. Better Digestion

Many people eat large amounts of difficult to digest meat and other high protein foods. Poorly broken down protein can putrefy in your colon, creating toxic compounds, encouraging bad bacteria overgrowth and really smelly gas.

Proteolytic enzymes, like papain found in the seeds of papayas, are some of the most potent natural substances for breaking down undigested protein in your digestive tract.

Eating a small amount of the seeds with a meal containing a lot of meat is a simple way to improve protein digestion and prevent problems like constipation and bad gas later on.

Both papain and the alkaloid carpaine found in papaya seeds have a positive effect on your overall intestinal ecology as well.

It’s also important to support your digestive health with proper nutrition. If you find it difficult to get a good variety of fruits and veggies into your diet then consider taking superfood supplements, like one of these Balance of Nature alternatives or similar substitutes.

4. Treating Dengue

People use papaya seeds and the leaves of papaya plants to treat dengue fever in parts of Central America and Asia. This is a serious condition so consult a GP if you contract dengue for monitoring.

7. Parasitic Infections

Like green papaya, the seeds of papaya fruit contain high levels of the proteolytic enzyme papain, which can help rid your body of parasites like intestinal worms.

Papain is well known for breaking down undigested protein from your food. In the same way, it can also dissolve the protective biofilm and fibrin that covers worms, and their eggs, in your lower intestine.

Good levels of digestive enzymes in your diet also help to improve and normalize your intestinal ecology, making it much less hospitable to parasites and much harder for them to breed.

Alongside proteolytic enzymes, the seeds from papaya also contain a unique anthelmintic alkaloid called carpaine that has been shown to be very effective at killing parasitic worms and amoebas.

There is much more detail on the human parasite problem and a great tasting smoothie treatment to get rid of them in using papaya seeds for parasites. 

Side Effects and Precautions

Despite all of their beneficial properties, papaya seeds do have some side effects to be aware of and certain people shouldn’t take them. Please check if any of these apply to you before eating them.

• As a precaution, pregnant women should not use papaya seeds or the enzyme rich green papaya powder. This warning on their use also extends to mothers who are breastfeeding.
• Additionally, while the seeds of papayas do have anti-parasitic properties, they should not be given to young children as they may be too strong for their gastrointestinal tracts.
• There is also animal research showing that eating the seeds regularly may temporarily but greatly reduce a man’s fertility. I’ll leave it up to male readers whether they currently consider this effect a good or bad thing. There’s much more on using papaya seeds as a contraceptive for men here if you’re interested.
• The papaya enzymes side effects here would apply to the seeds as well. Keep that in mind if you are currently dealing with any of the conditions mentioned there.

How to Use Papaya Seeds

The benefits of papaya seeds, with their high levels of digestive enzymes, anti-bacterial, anti-parasitic and liver-regenerating properties are potent. You don’t need to eat too many at a time, certainly not a whole fruit’s worth.

For detailed instructions on how to take the seeds regularly see this page on eating papaya seeds for digestive health, including recommended dosage and timing, and some unusual ways to add them into your diet.

To use fresh papaya seeds at home first you’ll need to get a papaya fruit. Hawaiian and Mexican papayas are most commonly sold in the USA.

I prefer Mexican fruits as these are generally larger and contain more seeds. They also avoid the GMO issues of the smaller Hawaiian fruits.

After you scrape the seeds out of a fresh fruit, it’s better to store them in a sealed container in the fridge if you’re using them regularly, or in the freezer if only occasionally.

At the recommended dose of half to a full teaspoon, a large papaya fruit could easily supply enough seeds for several weeks of detoxification treatment.

Also remember, you need to crush, pound or grind the seeds up in some way before using them for best results. A mortar and pestle is great for this, but the flat bottom of a clean jar on a chopping board will also work.

Recommended Papaya Seed Powder and Extract

While fresh papaya seeds are best, in some parts of the USA and Europe buying papaya fruit can be very expensive. They also simply aren’t in season for much of the year. The best alternative I’ve found is this organic powder.

Definitely don’t get commercial seeds for planting as they may be treated with chemicals. Only use proper food grade powdered papaya seeds.

When using the powder instead of the fresh seeds you only need to use around a ¼ of a teaspoon. This is because they are finely ground and therefore more concentrated.

Another good option are papaya seed extracts, like the ones generally used in scientific studies. The safest and most potent one is this GMO-free and organic gut cleanse.

Unlike the fresh seeds or the powder, you can take the extract on an empty stomach with a big glass of water. This may make it more effective at treating candida and bacterial infections and it’s certainly easier to take.

Once again, before using the fresh seeds, or any of the papaya seed products recommended, make sure you are aware of possible side effects above, particularly if you are pregnant or are being treated by a GP for a serious condition.

Getting Started

I hope within all of these benefits of papaya seeds you’ve found some good reasons to give this potent natural remedy a try.

Remember to start off slow at first with just a small amount. Perhaps just a few seeds to begin with the first time. You really don’t need much of them to feel their positive effects.

Please share that papaya seeds are not only edible, but also highly beneficial as a natural detox and treatment to improve your intestinal environment.