Is Papaya in Pregnancy really Unsafe?

For a women, there are different stages in her life, Pregnancy is one of the stage in her life which is very exciting for every women. Many women experience emotional changes during pregnancy. 

Pregnancy is a challenging and exciting time too. It is normal for expectant parents to experience ups and downs during pregnancy. However, it can effect daily lives too due to anxiety and depression which a women can have during pregnancy.

Physical health complications can also occur for example, high blood pressure, mental health problems etc. So eating healthy during pregnancy is crucial.

Diet during Pregnancy 

During pregnancy, one should be very diet conscious as some foods will give very good effect to your baby while other will have harmful effects during different stages of pregnancy. For example, raw foods, fish which contain high mercury, papaya etc. 

Pregnant women should take food which are high in nutrients, vitamin C, folic acid which is present in fruits like grapes, oranges etc. and vegetable like broccoli, tomatoes etc. 

Pregnant women should get proteins, carbohydrates, iron, calcium etc. which are present in different foods such as carrots, milk, spinach etc. 

Dieting during pregnancy or losing weight during pregnancy can be hazardous to infant, thus a proportionate amount of calorie intake must be increased in addition to your daily meal. 

Stages of pregnancy 

Pregnancy lasts for 40 weeks from the first day of last menstrual period (LMP). The foetus undergoes many changes during these 40 weeks for maturation.

The pregnancy is divided into three trimester based on different developments happening in your body and so the diet and food requirement also changes accordingly.

We have to eat healthy but what and when? As foods will have different effect in every stage. Let us discuss about how “Papaya” during pregnancy will effect in different stages. 

PAPAYA - Overview

Papaya is a nutritious fruit. It is a good source of fiber, vitamin A, carbohydrates, folate, magnesium etc.

Papayas are a soft, fleshy fruit, having sweet taste and vibrant colour. The nutrients found in papaya have a variety of health benefits. These may help to protect against a number of health conditions. 

Health Benefits

The different health benefits of Papaya are listed below. 

1. Heart disease

The fiber, potassium, and vitamin content in papaya help in heart disease. If a person have high intake of potassium and low intake of sodium then this consumption is used to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease. 

2. Diabetes

The high fiber present in papaya will help to lower type 1 diabetes and people with type 2 may have improved blood sugar and insulin levels. 

3. Skin problems

Mashed papaya appears to be beneficial when applied topically helps in wound healing and prevent infection of burned areas. Ointments also contain an enzyme which is present in papaya (papain) is used to treat ulcers. 

4. Eye health

Vitamin A present in papaya is used to improve vision. 

Can I eat Papaya during Pregnancy? Yes or No 

Doctors recommend to avoid papaya in early stage of pregnancy as it may cause miscarriage. The latex present in unripe papaya may cause early labour.

Ripe papaya contains fibre, carbohydrates Vitamin C etc. but unripe papaya contains latex and papain.

Latex present in unripe papaya will allow contractions which leads to early labour. Papain will weaken the membrane that supports foetus. But ripe papaya is a beneficial part of nutrition for pregnant women. 

Everything that a woman eats during her pregnancy effects the child. That’s why it is essential to know what a mother should or should not consume. A lot of harmful food items may prove to be dangerous for the developing child. 

As papaya is both harmful and nutritious, we will see what will it do to women during pregnancy in different stages of pregnancy. 

Papaya – In First Trimester 

In the first trimester (1-12 weeks) of pregnancy, the foetus is not formed properly and it is called an embryo. So, we should take every possible care, even the slightest amount of harmful substances can cause a lot of harm to embryo.

The latex present in papaya can cause uterine (womb) contractions. The latex of fruit also contain ‘papain’.

This ‘papain’ acts like prostaglandins and oxytocin (a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland of the brain), which is responsible for inducing contractions and causing early labour.

These abnormal and unnatural uterine contractions during pregnancy may cause miscarriage or premature childbirth of a baby. Papain can also weakens the vital membranes of the foetus, making its survival difficult.

Papaya increases bowel movement which can create pressure in and around the uterus which can cause miscarriage.

Even though the papain concentration is high in unripe fruit and leaves than ripe fruits. It is still advisable to avoid consuming papaya during first trimester.

Papaya – In Second Trimester 

In the second trimester (13-26 weeks) of pregnancy, embryo is turned to foetus. The latex present in papaya act as prostaglandins and oxytocin which is used to treat respiratory disorders.

1. Vitamins present in papaya Vitamin A, B and C and potassium will all act as anti- oxidant and used to boost immunity and immunity improvement prevents infections. 

2. Consumption of high vitamins will prevent skin problems and ulcers. Fibers present in papaya will facilitate digestion and constipation, which is common problem in pregnancy. 

3. Morning sickness can also be cured from papaya and if right amount of papaya has been taken will helps to increase milk production.

4. Papaya will used to treat viral illness during pregnancy may help to increase platelet count.

5. Folic acid is also present in papaya which is very essential during pregnancy.

Hence consumption of proper quantity of papaya during pregnancy is beneficial to infant and pregnant women. 

Papaya – In Third Trimester 

In the third trimester (27-40 weeks) of pregnancy, consumption of papaya causes contractions due to papain enzyme, hence it is very beneficial in third trimester to induce labour. 

Unripe papaya latex almost acts like prostaglandin and oxytocin, which are body’s natural mechanism to induce labour. 

This will also relieve from symptoms of constipation.

Therefore, a papaya has several merits and demerits during pregnancy. The major benefit can be the use of papaya to cause contractions while delivery and major disadvantage is its use in the early stages of the pregnancy. 

Thank you for you patient reading. 

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