Health Benefits of Pawpaw

 Health Benefits of Pawpaw

(Asimina triloba)
Annonaceae
Common names;Poor-man’s banana and Indiana banana

The North American pawpaw is a temperate member of the mostly tropical Annonaceae or Custard Apple 

family.Another rare find.The Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is one of United State's most over-looked fruits.Native to most parts of the United States, the Pawpaw thrives with little or no care. It is a small (12-20 feet tall), deciduous tree with a pyramidal shape.The fruit is 4 to 5 inches long with a custard smooth, white to apricot flesh. Delicious and complex combination of banana, mango and pineapple like flavor is awesome.The fruit is usually eaten fresh, but may also be used for making custard pies and preserves.In addition, wild fruit collected from some trees can have a bitter aftertaste. Fruit from grafted trees of named varieties is of a higher quality, does not have a bitter aftertaste,and has greater market potential. Pawpaw is also a common name for papaya (Carica papaya), a tropical fruit in the family Caricaceae. The two fruits are very different from each other, but some pawpaws do have a papaya-like flavor.

Pawpaw pollination is worth knowing something about. Now these are truly strange trees. Two trees are
needed for cross-pollination. Their favorite pollinator is the green bottle fly. Some growers have gone to great lengths to attract this shy creature. One noteworthy method is to place rotten hamburger in buckets around the tree for a few weeks before bloom to build up the fly colony. Whew! Must be a better way! (Also hand pollinate using small brushes to transfer pollen between trees).

Health Benefits
1. Malaria fever- Squeeze some yellow pawpaw leafs in water. Take a glassful three times daily for seven days. This preparation is also good for jaundice. The dosage is the same.

2. Diabetes- The green leafs of pawpaw are good foe diabetes-induced hypertension. Squeeze the green leaves in water and take a glass thrice daily. This preparation is also good for constipation.

3. Stomach Ulcer- Cut a big unripe pawpaw fruit into pieces. Do not remove the peel or seeds. Simply cut the whole fruits into cubes. Then soak in five bottles of water for four days. Sieve and take ½ a glass thrice daily for 2 weeks. This is a very good remedy for any type of intestinal ulcer.

4. External Ulcer- The white milky sap of the unripe pawpaw contains a high percentage of papain, which is used for chronic wounds or ulcers. This can be obtained by making a slight cut of the unripe pawpaw fruit to allow the juice drop. Papain is also present in the ripe pawpaw fruit.

5. Asthma- Burn dried pawpaw leaves and inhale the smoke during an attack of asthma. This will bring quick relief. Therefore, to prevent an attack, inhale the smoke every night.

6. Bronchitis- The root of the pawpaw plant is a good remedy for respiratory problems especially bronchitis. Bring some pawpaw roots to boil and take ½ a glass thrice daily. For cough, simply chew a tender pawpaw root and swallow the juice.

7. Piles- Pawpaw root is effective for the cure of piles. Prepare as for bronchitis. The dosage is half a glass twice daily.

8. Impotence- Cut two unripe pawpaw fruits into pieces (seeds and peel inclusive). Bring to boil in eight bottles of water. Take half glass thrice daily.

9. For chronic external ulcers or sores, cut a piece of unripe pawpaw fruit and tie directly to the wound. Do this four times daily. Continue till the wound has dried, which will be in few days or weeks. To make the wound heal faster, eat plenty of ripe pawpaw.

10. The ripe fruits are rich in vitamins A, B and C. Vitamin A is good for eyesight, Vitamin B for the nerves and muscles while Vitamin C strengthens the immune system and helps fight against illnesses. Form worms, chew 2 tablespoons of the seeds of ripe pawpaw fruit first thing on rising and last thing at night. Do this for 3 days. Take only fruits for breakfast and supper for those three days.