Most of us grew up with our mothers telling us that we need to get our two-three servings of fruit each day. They’re full of fiber, antioxidants, and nutrients to help us grow big and strong, right? Yes, but there’s a catch. Fruit also tends to be fairly high in sugar. Even when you’re consuming it with fiber and all those good nutrients, most of us still get a significant spike in blood sugar after chowing down on a papaya.
Paleo and Carbohydrates
That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Some people would have you believe that fruit should be sworn off as a carrier of the evil mastermind that is sugar, but that’s not always the case. Some people might feel better swearing off fruit, while others need that sugar boost every once in awhile, particularly after an intense workout. As always, it’s a case of N=1: if you feel better adding a little fruit to your diet, don’t let anyone tell you that you’re slowly killing yourself. Only you can make the best decisions for your own health.
The Nutritional Content of Papaya
Although papaya is fairly high on the glycemic index, it also has a number of beneficial nutrients to offer, including carotenoids (which our body converts into vitamin A), various B vitamins, and an impressive amount of vitamin C. It’s also rich in trace minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
If you’re looking for more information when deciding whether or not to include fruit (or which fruits, or how much fruit) in your Paleo diet, Mark Sisson has a post in which he lists the best and worst Primal fruit choices based on their sugar content.
