If you have acid reflux and want to eat papaya you might be wondering if papaya is a good choice.
Papaya typically is a good choice for acid reflux. While it is acidic it is not acidic enough to irritate most people with acid reflux. It can also help with digestion overall too.
Below we will get into papaya in more detail and if you should eat it if you have acid reflux.
Is Papaya Good or Bad for Acid Reflux?
Papaya is a great fruit that has a lot of great nutrients such as Vitamin A, C & E, potassium, and fiber too. In addition to the great nutritional value of papaya, it also has enzymes included like papain and chymopapain. These enzymes are particularly good at helping with the digestion of proteins.
Papaya in general is considered a good and safe choice if you have acid reflux. While papaya is acidic it has a pH of around 5.6 pH. This makes it acidic on the pH scale though it’s not a high acidity, and almost everyone even with more severe acid reflux like GERD or LPR can eat it without concern.
One thing to keep in mind when eating papaya is that ripe papaya is the best choice. Ripe papaya is easier to break down and digest which makes it easier on the stomach and less likely to cause acid reflux.
Also, papaya that is not ripe is more likely to be more acidic than its ripe counterpart. On top of that unripe papayas tend to contain higher amounts of papain. While papain may be helpful for digestion of proteins too much of it can be problematic for some people.
Therefore, it’s best to avoid unripe papayas if you have acid reflux. The best way to know if a papaya is ripe is by their color. Papayas that have yellow or orange skin have ripened. Also, ones that are soft to the touch are more ripe too.
A final thing that is important to mention about papayas is that they are a good source of fiber. Fiber is generally considered beneficial for digestion and gut health which is often correlated with acid reflux too.
If you are lacking fiber in your diet it may be affecting or worsening your acid reflux symptoms. Therefore, for some people eating papaya getting the extra fiber can help their digestion and reduce their acid reflux problems. This is very case specific and is not guaranteed to help everyone with acid reflux though.
Round Up
Overall papaya is a good choice if you have acid reflux and may even slightly aid and improve your acid reflux symptoms.
You don’t need to have any concern because papaya is even a good choice if you have more severe acid reflux too, it’s a good choice for all in this regard. The only thing you need to watch out for is unripe papaya because they are harder to digest and tend to be a little more acidic than ripe papayas. Therefore, it’s best to stick with ripe papayas.
For more diet advice and guidance for acid reflux check out my Wipeout Diet Plan. Also, for more tailored help and guidance book a Private Acid Reflux Consultation Here.
Important Related Questions
Is Papaya Good for Gastric Problems?
Generally, papaya is a safe choice if you have any gastric problems. While it is considered a safe choice it isn’t guaranteed to make gastric problems better but in some cases it may help ease and calm gastric issues. Though it really shouldn’t be relied on to help these issues.
What Foods Make Acid Reflux Go Away?
The best kinds of foods that will help acid reflux go away tend to be more cooling foods, that are alkaline or low acidity.
Some great examples of this include watermelon, cucumber, and celery. In addition to these cooling foods, foods with more substance that are more plain are great choices, examples of this include rice, oats, and potatoes to name a few.
These kinds of foods help calm the stomach and help to lower excess acidity which often helps lower acid reflux and help it go away in the long run.