Is it safe to eat papaya during pregnancy: raw papaya versus ripe papaya, foods to avoid

The moment a woman gets pregnant and shares the news with family and friends, she starts getting advice - especially if she’s a first-time mother. A lot of this advice is about what to eat and what to not to eat during pregnancy.

A balanced diet during pregnancy is vital, as the baby growing in the uterus derives nutrition from the mother. And so, listening to advice given by experienced parents and grandparents is good.

The only trouble is that a lot of these suggestions are not backed by science, and there are a number of myths attached to the pregnancy diet. One such suggestion often given to pregnant women is that they should avoid papaya during pregnancy.

But is eating papaya actually bad for your health during pregnancy? Is such advice backed by science or is it just a pregnancy myth?

The fact is that ripe papaya is beneficial for pregnant women, but raw or unripe papaya is extremely harmful. This article will explain why you should avoid unripe papaya during pregnancy, but eat ripe papayas every day during the same gestation period.

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Side effects of raw papaya during pregnancy
Benefits of ripe papaya during pregnancy
Takeaway - Pregnancy me papita kaise aur kitna khaye

Side effects of raw papaya during pregnancy

Raw papaya is a rich source of carbohydrates, dietary fibre, calcium, potassium, iron and protein. With such a high nutritional value, raw papaya is considered to be very good for health. Eating raw papaya can improve heart health, digestion and skin health.

So why is raw papaya not safe during pregnancy? This is because raw papaya also has a very high content of latex and papain.

These nutrients, especially latex, can induce uterine contractions. This in turn can trigger premature labour and childbirth. If this induced labour occurs early in the pregnancy, it can lead to miscarriage or loss of the foetus. If it happens late in the pregnancy, it can lead to premature birth - which has a number of negative health outcomes for the baby. Papain also has similar effects on pregnant women, especially if taken in high doses.

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Benefits of ripe papaya during pregnancy

While having raw papaya during pregnancy is out of the question, eating ripe papaya is very important.

Ripe papaya is sweet and succulent, and it’s very easy to have, too. This fruit is also full of fibre, beta-carotene, choline, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin B, including folate, and vitamin C. Folic acid, a form of folate, is a vital supplement that is recommended to all pregnant women, so having ripe papayas can help.

That apart, ripe papaya is also known to reduce inflammation, aid digestion, and is packed with an antioxidant called lycopene which can reduce cell damage.

Takeaway - Pregnancy me papita kaise aur kitna khaye

One of the common suggestions given to pregnant women is that they should avoid papaya during pregnancy. But this is only partially true.

Only unripe or raw papaya is harmful during pregnancy. The reason: raw papayas have latex and papain, which can induce labour and cause miscarriage. If you are pregnant, you must take care to avoid raw papaya as well as foods that may contain raw papaya. This could include curries and salads, too. If you accidentally eat raw papaya in a Thai salad, South Indian sambhar or any curry during your pregnancy, contact a doctor immediately.

On the other hand, having ripe papaya is very good for the health of a pregnant woman. If you are pregnant, having ripe papaya is safe and a good health practice as it contains many important vitamins, minerals, carbs, protein, iron and fibre.