Papaya
Everyday exposureFood & drinkAlso called · 8 names▾▴
papaya pregnancy, ripe papaya pregnancy, unripe papaya pregnancy, green papaya pregnancy, semi ripe papaya, papaya miscarriage, papaya labor, papaya latex
Myths moms search
General information · effects depend on amount, timing, and how it is used. About these sources
Research strength: 2 / 5
According to Adebiyi et al. (2002), ripe papaya juice did not make isolated rat uterine tissue contract, but crude papaya latex did. A 1978 rat study reported abortions in rats after unripe papaya, with the effect decreasing as the fruit ripened. Neither study tested papaya in pregnant people. NHS guidance includes most washed fruits and vegetables during pregnancy, but it does not mention papaya or ripeness. Human pregnancy outcomes from papaya have not been established. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-18
Research strength: 2 / 5
According to Adebiyi et al. (2002), ripe papaya juice did not make isolated rat uterine tissue contract, but crude papaya latex did. A 1978 rat study reported abortions in rats after unripe papaya, with the effect decreasing as the fruit ripened. Neither study tested papaya in pregnant people. NHS guidance includes most washed fruits and vegetables during pregnancy, but it does not mention papaya or ripeness. Human pregnancy outcomes from papaya have not been established. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-18
Research strength: 2 / 5
According to Adebiyi et al. (2002), ripe papaya juice did not make isolated rat uterine tissue contract, but crude papaya latex did. A 1978 rat study reported abortions in rats after unripe papaya, with the effect decreasing as the fruit ripened. Neither study tested papaya in pregnant people. NHS guidance includes most washed fruits and vegetables during pregnancy, but it does not mention papaya or ripeness. Human pregnancy outcomes from papaya have not been established. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-18
Papaya — Breastfeeding
Research strength: 2 / 5
LactMed reports no published information about papaya components in breast milk or effects in breastfed infants. A 2001 placebo-controlled study gave lactating women in Zimbabwe 650 g of puréed papaya daily for 60 days and measured mothers' vitamin A and iron status, not infant outcomes. NHS breastfeeding guidance includes fruit and vegetables in a varied diet, but it does not give papaya-specific advice. The available evidence does not establish whether papaya components enter milk or affect infants. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-18
Pregnancy
Adebiyi et al. (2002) gave ripe papaya blend to four groups of pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats across different gestational windows and tested ripe juice and crude latex on isolated rat uterine tissue. The study reported no significant difference in implantation sites or viable fetuses in the rats given ripe papaya compared with controls. Ripe juice did not show a significant contraction effect on the isolated tissue, while crude latex caused spasmodic contractions. The authors said further study was needed to assess the human risk from unripe or semi-ripe fruit. A 1978 study feeding different papaya components to adult cycling and pregnant rats reported that unripe fruit interrupted the estrous cycle and induced abortions in rats, with the effect decreasing as the fruit ripened. Neither study was a trial in pregnant people, and neither establishes human pregnancy outcomes.
Breastfeeding
LactMed (last revised January 15, 2025) says no published information was found on papaya components in breast milk, infant levels, or effects in breastfed infants. A 2001 placebo-controlled study in Zimbabwe included lactating women with infants aged 2 to 12 months; the papaya group received 650 g of puréed papaya daily for 60 days. The study measured maternal vitamin A and iron-related markers and reported changes in maternal nutrient status, not milk levels or infant outcomes. This is papaya-specific human research during lactation, but it does not answer questions about transfer into milk or effects in infants. LactMed says no scientifically valid clinical trials support papaya fruit or leaves as a milk-supply aid.
LactMed notes that papaya fruit contains papain and chymopapain before ripening, but those enzymes are not present in ripe fruit. Adebiyi et al. tested ripe juice and crude papaya latex separately; their rat-tissue results differed by form.
What was tested
Adebiyi et al. (2002) fed ripe papaya blend to four groups of Sprague-Dawley rats across gestational days 1-5, 6-11, 12-17, and 1-20, with water as the control. The authors also applied ripe juice and crude latex to isolated uterine tissue from pregnant and non-pregnant rats. Group sizes were not stated in the PubMed abstract. Gopalakrishnan and Rajasekharasetty (1978) fed different fruit components to adult cycling and pregnant Wistar rats; the abstract does not report doses or group sizes. Ncube et al. (2001) studied lactating women in Zimbabwe with infants aged 2 to 12 months. The papaya group received 650 g of puréed papaya per day for 60 days, and the study measured maternal nutrient markers rather than infant outcomes.
We found no disagreement between the sources checked.
- NHS pregnancy guidance says most fruits and vegetables may be eaten after thorough washing; its page does not name papaya or discuss ripeness. (NHS: Pregnancy fruit and vegetable guidance)
- FDA guidance says to rinse raw fruits and vegetables under running water before eating or preparing them, especially fruit that will be peeled or cut, and not to use soap or bleach on produce. (FDA: Fruits, Veggies and Juices for Pregnant Women)
- NHS breastfeeding guidance recommends a varied diet that includes fruit and vegetables; the page does not give papaya-specific advice. (NHS: Breastfeeding and diet)
General research, not specific to pregnancy.
LactMed reports that papaya allergy and cross-reactions with latex and kiwi have been described. In a selected study of 82 adults with latex allergy, 3 had positive skin tests to papaya extract; this does not estimate the rate of papaya allergy in the general population.
- In an allergy-clinic study of 82 adults with latex allergy, papaya-extract skin tests were positive in 3 participants. The study measured sensitization in a selected group, not the rate of papaya allergy in the general population. (LactMed (NIH): Papaya, Isola et al., Allergy Asthma Proceedings 2003 (latex and fruit skin tests))
Experiences from moms and non-medical voices. Not medical evidence.
- Adebiyi et al., British Journal of Nutrition 2002 (rat and uterine-tissue study)US governmentPrimary
- Gopalakrishnan and Rajasekharasetty, 1978 (rat study)US governmentPrimary
- NHS: Pregnancy fruit and vegetable guidanceUK governmentSecondaryPage dated 2026-06-15Independent check
- FDA: Fruits, Veggies and Juices for Pregnant WomenUS governmentSecondaryIndependent check
- LactMed (NIH): PapayaUS governmentSecondaryPage dated 2025-01-15
- Ncube et al., Journal of Nutrition 2001 (papaya and maternal vitamin A status)US governmentPrimaryIndependent check
- NHS: Breastfeeding and dietUK governmentSecondaryIndependent check
- Isola et al., Allergy Asthma Proceedings 2003 (latex and fruit skin tests)US governmentPrimaryIndependent check
Last reviewed 2026-10-18
Independent check 2026-10-18
Not yet clinician-reviewed
Ask your provider about your situation.