Papaya is a fruit that's full of nutritional benefits; however, its use in pregnancy is always doubted. For a pregnant women, papayas are only good in the ripest form. Unripe or semi-ripe papayas only cause some major harm.

So here let us understand the benefits and risks linked with papaya during pregnancy:

Benefits of Eating Ripe Papaya

• Ripe papaya is rich in beta-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin B, and Vitamin C. Both Vitamin A & C boost body immunity while Vitamin C is needed for the development of the fetus. 

• A ripe papaya controls and prevents constipation and heartburn in pregnant women. 

• Morning sickness and stomach cramps be controlled if the pregnant women is fed with ripe papaya.

• Ripe papaya is also known to increase the hemoglobin level in body.

• The sugar content in ripe papaya provides relief from fatigue in pregnancy.

• Ripe papaya is even known to ease the pre and post-partum symptoms.

• Risks Linked with Unripe or Semi-Ripe Papaya

• Unripe or semi-ripe papaya contains latex that can cause utrine contraction thus resulting into a miscarriage.

• The latex content can even lead to pre-mature induction of labor.

• The pepsin and papain content in an unripe papaya slows down the fetus growth and development.

• Oedema, a latex-like substance present in unripe papaya is said to cause haemorrhage and bleeding in the placenta.

• The papain content present in unripe papaya weakens the vital membranes thereby affecting the survival of your foetus. 

• Both ripe and unripe papaya are completely unsafe for women who have a history of  gestational diabetes

Despite the benefits, papaya is still not considered a safe fruit for pregnant women. A great deal of care has to be taken while consuming papaya during pregnancy. And the unripe version should never be consumed, not even by mistake. Make sure to speak to your gynecologist before reaching out to papaya!