There are many benefits that can be obtained from papaya plants. Not only from the fruit, papaya flowers also have various health benefits. One of the benefits of papaya flowers is to maintain heart health.
The benefits of papaya flowers can be obtained because this flower contains various kinds of nutrients that the body needs, including potassium, sodium, beta carotene, minerals, fat, carbohydrates, and protein.
Various Benefits of Papaya Flowers
Although it is still being researched, there are various benefits of papaya flowers that are believed to be useful for health. Following are some of them:
Maintain fluid balance in the body
Papaya flowers contain a variety of important nutrients that the body needs, one of which is potassium. This mineral is needed by the body to maintain fluid balance in the body and support the work of muscles, nerves, and heart.
Maintain heart health
The content of beta carotene in papaya flowers is considered beneficial for heart health. Several studies have shown that consumption of vegetables rich in vitamins, minerals and beta carotene, such as papaya flowers, can reduce the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer. However, this still needs to be investigated further.
Maintain tissue health and immune system
Papaya flowers are one type of food that is rich in protein content. The protein content found in papaya flowers brings various health benefits, and one of them is building and repairing body tissues. Not only that, protein from papaya flowers is also a source of energy for the body, and can help increase endurance.
Processing Papaya Flowers
To get the benefits of papaya flowers for health, you can process them into food. There are various servings of papaya flowers that can be an option, one of which is sauteed papaya flowers. Here are the ingredients and how to make it:
Ingredients:
- 200 gr papaya flowers, clean
- 50 grams of anchovy
- 5 cloves of red onion, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- 5 pieces of cayenne pepper, sliced oblique
- 2 red chilies, sliced oblique
- 2 green chilies, sliced oblique
- 1 spring onion, cut into approximately 1 cm
- 1 sheet of young pandan leaf, coarsely sliced
- 1 finger galangal, geprek
- Salt and pepper to taste
How to make:
- Boil papaya flowers in water that has been mixed with a little salt. Boil until soft, remove and drain.
- Sauté the onion and garlic until wilted and fragrant, then pour in the cayenne pepper, red chili, green chili, spring onion, galangal, and pandan leaves. Mix well.
- After the spices wilt and smell good, put the papaya flowers and anchovies back in. Stir until smooth, then add salt, pepper, and basil leaves.
- Stir again until well blended and wait until cooked.
- Sauteed papaya flowers are ready to be served.
Besides being able to be processed into cooking menus, papaya flowers can also be processed into tea. How to process it is quite easy, you just need to let the papaya flower wither by itself, then heat and dry it at low temperature to remove the bioactive content in it.
Dried papaya flowers that are brewed into tea bring various health benefits. One of them is lowering cholesterol levels in the blood. This is thanks to the phytosterol content found in papaya flower tea.
The benefits of papaya flowers are varied, but make sure you also eat other nutritious and nutritious foods so that your body's health is maintained. If you have certain medical conditions or want to use papaya flowers to treat a disease, you should consult a nutritionist first.
