Page 94 - EBOOK_Jamu: The Ancient Indonesian Art of Herbal Healing

Indonesia where it is called the Medicine Tree. Native to Central America, the

fruit was eagerly embraced by Southeast Asia’s populations, and the hot, humid
climate ensured papaya trees flourished in the region. Plant papaya seeds today
and the tree will bear fruit just six months later.
The digestive power of papaya is well documented. In the 16th century,
Columbus noted natives of the Caribbean could eat enormous meals without any
sign of indigestion if papaya was served for dessert. Marco Polo believed his
crew were saved from scurvy by being treated with papaya. Chester D. French, a
botanist who in 1972 wrote the book papaya— The melon of Health after
approximately 50 years of research on the fruit, related how an agonizing
stomach cramp disappeared after a Guatemalan native gave him what he called
papaya melon. Spanish soldiers serving with Cortez in Mexico had a similar

experience. There is no doubt papaya has impressive international credentials.
It is now known that what makes the fruit so effective is an enzyme present
in the juice, called papain; it seems able to digest just about anything. In its pure
form papain can digest up to 35 times its own weight in lean meat, so is often
used as a meat tenderiser. The enzyme is found in the juice or latex of the plant,
and is highly concentrated in the leaves and skin of an unripe fruit. You only
have to scratch the surface and latex flows. The pharmaceutical industry has
flirted with papain for years, but its commercial potential has been hampered by

the logistics of collecting and drying the latex before it rots. However, research
continues because the potential profits are enormous if this problem can be
overcome.

Papaya is one of the most versatile of the tropical fruits. As food it provides generous doses of vitamins A
and c; as medicine it helps digestive and other health problems. pulped papaya can also be applied to the