Today: What’s the best fruit for a long life? The No. 1 pick for some centenarians

It’s a staple in some Blue Zones diets and has been called the “fruit of long life.”

March 19, 2024
By A. Pawlowski

Papaya has a reputation for such a trove of health benefits it’s been called the “fruit of long life.”

It’s listed as one of the “longevity superfoods” eaten in the Blue Zones — places around the world where people live extraordinarily long and healthy lives.

Headlines have dubbed it “The #1 Fruit Eaten by the World’s Oldest Living People.”

Pearl Taylor, a 103-year-old woman who lives independently in Dayton, Ohio, and dishes out life advice on TikTok, says she’s been eating papaya every morning for years.

“More people need to learn about papaya,” she told TODAY.com. “Papaya is an excellent fruit.”

What is papaya?

Papaya is a tropical fruit with a vibrant yellow or orange flesh, and black seeds. It’s “aromatic and juicy with a pleasant, sweet flavor,” notes the Florida Department of Agriculture.

It has a buttery, milky texture ideal for smoothies, the American Heart Association adds.

In the U.S., papayas are grown in Hawaii, California, Texas and Florida, but most of the fruit sold in stores is imported from Mexico, according to the Western Institute for Food Safety and Security.

Papaya nutrition

One cup of papaya cut into small pieces contains the following, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture:

62 calories
15 grams of carbohydrates
2.5 grams of fiber
11 grams of sugar
Papaya has no cholesterol and contains less than 1 gram of fat or protein per serving.

It’s packed with nutrients including magnesium, potassium, folate, lycopene, and vitamins A, C, E and K. It also contains a bit of iron and calcium.

What are the benefits of eating a papaya?

Papaya a “fantastic choice in terms of fruits,” says registered dietitian Maya Feller of Brooklyn-based Maya Feller Nutrition and author of “Eating from Our Roots: 80+ Healthy Home-Cooked Favorites from Cultures Around the World.”

“Papaya is a great source of various phenolic compounds, flavonoids,” Feller tells TODAY.com, referring to the bioactive molecules found in plants that are anti-inflammatory and considered beneficial for human health.

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