Can You Eat Papaya Skin

A large pile of ripe papayas.

Image Credit: enterphoto/iStock/Getty Images When you’re shopping for a papaya at the supermarket, pay special attention to the skin. In general, a papaya with smooth, yellow skin that isn’t too soft is ready to eat. When you’re set to enjoy the fruit, however, it’s time to discard the skin. Although you might be able to eat the skin of your papaya with no side effects, doing so is not advised.

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Skip the Skin

The skin of the papaya isn’t poisonous, which means you could technically eat it, if desired. But, as is the case with oranges and bananas, you’re better off enjoying the flesh of the fruit, rather than the skin. Dr. Susan Evans reports that the papaya’s skin isn’t generally edible. The papaya plant produces latex, and some of this substance can come in contact with the skin during harvest. As such, eating the fruit’s skin can lead to stomach irritation. Although you shouldn’t eat the skin, you can safely eat the seeds of the fruit, which has a spicy flavor.

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  references & resources
  
      Hawaii Papaya Industry Association: Papaya Information
    
      The Dr. Oz Show: Papaya: The Secret to Longevity and Healthy Eating
    
      Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies: Traditional and Medicinal Uses of Carica Papaya
    
      Purdue Agriculture: Papaya
    
      California Rare Fruit Growers: Papaya
    
      U.S. Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference: Papayas, Raw
       




  references & resources
  
      Hawaii Papaya Industry Association: Papaya Information
    
      The Dr. Oz Show: Papaya: The Secret to Longevity and Healthy Eating
    
      Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies: Traditional and Medicinal Uses of Carica Papaya
    
      Purdue Agriculture: Papaya
    
      California Rare Fruit Growers: Papaya
    
      U.S. Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference: Papayas, Raw
    




A large pile of ripe papayas.

Image Credit: enterphoto/iStock/Getty Images

      Hawaii Papaya Industry Association: Papaya Information
    
      The Dr. Oz Show: Papaya: The Secret to Longevity and Healthy Eating
    
      Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies: Traditional and Medicinal Uses of Carica Papaya
    
      Purdue Agriculture: Papaya
    
      California Rare Fruit Growers: Papaya
    
      U.S. Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference: Papayas, Raw