Papayas are native to Central America.
There are two varieties of papayas, the Hawaiian papaya is
the most common variety and may weigh one pound each, and
the less common Mexican Papaya which can weigh up to 15
pounds. They are available all year. Papayas are known for
their enzyme; papain, which is the basis for many meat
tenderizing products on the market.
A genetically altered papaya was introduced
to Hawaii when the crop was destroyed by a virus.
The following information is a summary from the site,
killerplants.com
Relatively few papaya fruits reach the supermarkets. Their
greatest demand is for the latex that exudes from the cut
green fruit, which is the source of the enzyme, papain. This
enzyme has a multitude of commercial uses. Besides its use
as a meat tenderizer, it is used to treat wool products to
prevent shrinkage. It is also used in products that remove
stains from fine fabrics. It is used in antidotes for insect
and jellyfish stings. It is used in making toothpaste, beer
and cosmetic products. It is used in cleaners for soft
contact lenses.
Papayas, raw, 1 cup
cubes
| Nutrient |
Units |
1.00 X 1 cup, cubes
-------
140g |
| Proximates |
| Water |
g
|
124.36
|
| Energy |
kcal
|
55
|
| Energy |
kj
|
228
|
| Protein |
g
|
0.85
|
| Total lipid (fat) |
g
|
0.20
|
| Ash |
g
|
0.85
|
| Carbohydrate, by difference |
g
|
13.73
|
| Fiber, total dietary |
g
|
2.5
|
| Sugars, total |
g
|
8.26
|
| Minerals |
| Calcium, Ca |
mg
|
34
|
| Iron, Fe |
mg
|
0.14
|
| Magnesium, Mg |
mg
|
14
|
| Phosphorus, P |
mg
|
7
|
| Potassium, K |
mg
|
360
|
| Sodium, Na |
mg
|
4
|
| Zinc, Zn |
mg
|
0.10
|
| Copper, Cu |
mg
|
0.022
|
| Manganese, Mn |
mg
|
0.015
|
| Selenium, Se |
mcg
|
0.8
|
| Vitamins |
| Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid |
mg
|
86.5
|
| Thiamin |
mg
|
0.038
|
| Riboflavin |
mg
|
0.045
|
| Niacin |
mg
|
0.473
|
| Pantothenic acid |
mg
|
0.305
|
| Vitamin B-6 |
mg
|
0.027
|
| Folate, total |
mcg
|
53
|
| Folic acid |
mcg
|
0
|
| Folate, food |
mcg
|
53
|
| Folate, DFE |
mcg_DFE
|
53
|
| Vitamin B-12 |
mcg
|
0.00
|
| Vitamin B-12, added |
mcg
|
0.00
|
| Vitamin A, IU |
IU
|
1532
|
| Vitamin A, RAE |
mcg_RAE
|
77
|
| Retinol |
mcg
|
0
|
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) |
mg
|
1.02
|
| Vitamin E, added |
mg
|
0.00
|
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) |
mcg
|
3.6
|
| Lipids |
| Fatty acids, total saturated |
g
|
0.060
|
| 4:0 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 6:0 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 8:0 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 10:0 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 12:0 |
g
|
0.001
|
| 14:0 |
g
|
0.010
|
| 16:0 |
g
|
0.045
|
| 18:0 |
g
|
0.003
|
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated |
g
|
0.053
|
| 16:1 undifferentiated |
g
|
0.028
|
| 18:1 undifferentiated |
g
|
0.025
|
| 20:1 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 22:1 undifferentiated |
g
|
0.000
|
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated |
g
|
0.043
|
| 18:2 undifferentiated |
g
|
0.008
|
| 18:3 undifferentiated |
g
|
0.035
|
| 18:4 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 20:4 undifferentiated |
g
|
0.000
|
| 20:5 n-3 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 22:5 n-3 |
g
|
0.000
|
| 22:6 n-3 |
g
|
0.000
|
| Cholesterol |
mg
|
0
|
| Amino acids |
| Tryptophan |
g
|
0.011
|
| Threonine |
g
|
0.015
|
| Isoleucine |
g
|
0.011
|
| Leucine |
g
|
0.022
|
| Lysine |
g
|
0.035
|
| Methionine |
g
|
0.003
|
| Phenylalanine |
g
|
0.013
|
| Tyrosine |
g
|
0.007
|
| Valine |
g
|
0.014
|
| Arginine |
g
|
0.014
|
| Histidine |
g
|
0.007
|
| Alanine |
g
|
0.020
|
| Aspartic acid |
g
|
0.069
|
| Glutamic acid |
g
|
0.046
|
| Glycine |
g
|
0.025
|
| Proline |
g
|
0.014
|
| Serine |
g
|
0.021
|
| Other |
| Alcohol, ethyl |
g
|
0.0
|
| Caffeine |
mg
|
0
|
| Theobromine |
mg
|
0
|
| Carotene, beta |
mcg
|
386
|
| Carotene, alpha |
mcg
|
0
|
| Cryptoxanthin, beta |
mcg
|
1065
|
| Lycopene (1) |
mcg
|
0
|
| Lutein + zeaxanthin |
mcg
|
105
|
USDA National Nutrient Database for
Standard Reference, Release 18 (2005)
