Papayas And Estrogen: How can Papaya affect hormones
Most often than not, people with hormone imbalances and people that try to maintain their body in a healthy state will pay attention to the foods they eat, giving birth to one of the most important questions (no pun intended) : “Will this Papaya affect my estrogen levels ? and if so, how ?”
Before we get into the effects of Papayas on your estrogen levels, we need to understand what estrogen really is.
What is estrogen and how does it affect your body ?
Estrogen is one of the hormones that promotes both reproductive and sexual development.
While a hormone like estrogen will always be present in both men and women of all ages, women that are in their reproductive age will have much higher levels.
Estrogen promotes the development and maintenance of female characteristics, it also helps you keep a regulated menstrual cycle, which is why it’s beneficial to ask yourself questions like : how will this Papaya affect me ?
Nevertheless, estrogen levels decline throughout menopause, leading to symptoms like night sweats and hot flashes, for this reason we need to look at two important definitions before learning about the effects of Papayas.
What are Phytoestrogens ?
Phytoestrogens are compounds that occur naturally in plants (fruits, veggies, grains, etc.), their structure is similar to estrogen, consequently they have the ability to bind to the same receptors as estrogen.
When eating phytoestrogens, our body can respond as if it’s our own natural estrogen.
What are Lignans ?
Lignans are a category of phytoestrogen that is most often found in grains, nuts, seeds, tea, plants and wine. Their most beneficial quality is their antioxidant effect. Bacteria that naturally occurs in your body can convert lignant into estrogen.
The effects of Papayas on your estrogen levels
Q : Is Papaya high in estrogen ?
A: According to recent studies, papaya has huge amounts of phytoestrogen. When consumed, phytoestrogen binds to the same receptors as estrogen, making your body respond as if it’s your own estrogen.
Q : What does Papaya do to hormones ?
A: Papaya activates human growth hormones, along with being an estrogen booster.
Q: What can Papayas do to females ?
A: Papaya can help you increase your estrogen levels and it can help you have young-looking skin, it is high in antioxidants, it may improve heart health, may fight inflammation and improve digestion
Q: What can Papayas do to males ?
A: It can help you have young-looking skin, it is high in antioxidants, it may improve heart health, may fight inflammation and improve digestion
Q: Why is it good to eat Papayas ?
A: It can help you have young-looking skin, it is high in antioxidants, it may improve heart health, may fight inflammation and improve digestion
Q : What are the side effects of consuming Papayas ?
A: A large consumption of papaya can lead to skin irritation, nasal congestion, breathing difficulties and skin discolouration
What do Papayas contain ?
150 grams of raw papaya contains :
- Calories: 58
- Carbohydrates: 15 grams
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Protein: 1 gram
- Vitamin C: 157% of the RDI
- Vitamin A: 33% of the RDI
- Folate (vitamin B9): 14% of the RDI
- Potassium: 11% of the RDI
Are phytoestrogens and lignans dangerous ?
Phytoestrogen-rich foods can usually be safely consumed in moderation, as the benefits will likely outweigh the potential risks.
Also, contrary to what most people think, it has been demonstrated in studies that phytoestrogens have no effect on human male sex hormones.
The bottom line
Phytoestrogen is easy to find in a huge variety of plant foods.
In order to boost your estrogen levels, you can moderately incorporate phytoestrogen-rich foods into your diet.
In most cases, there are either no risks or the benefits outweigh the potential risks.
Eating Papayas in moderation is unlikely to harm you.