As everyone knows that dengue is a dreadful mosquito-borne disease that has seen a rapid spread almost all over the world and is known to cause a lot of complications in the body with fatal and dangerous outcomes. It is usually concentrated in urban and semi-urban regions with high incidence and prevalence. According to a study, almost 50 to 100 million cases are reported for dengue. The virus is transmitted when a female Aedes aegyptii mosquito bites a person who is already infected with dengue and can transmit the disease. The symptoms of this are seen approximately from the 5th day after being bitten by the mosquito. As the virus has four serotypes, one can get infection multiple times.
Dengue fever causes extreme pain and can become life-threatening if not treated properly and on time. The unavailability of any vaccine to combat this deadly disease has made it even more difficult for the doctors to deal and treat it. Papaya leaves have long been used in India to treat and cure dengue fever. They contain a compound that can help the blood to clot and also prevent further damage to the organs caused by internal bleeding. Papaya leaves are known to boost and increase the platelet count which gets depleted drastically with dengue fever.
In this article:
Do Papaya Leaves Cure Dengue?
How do Papaya Leaves Help Dengue Patients?
How to Prepare Papaya Leaves’ Juice?
Dengue Fever Treatment with Papaya Leaves Extracts
Do Papaya Leaves Cure Dengue?
Every kid loves papaya, the yellow fruit grown in most of the tropical places. Every part of the papaya plant is essential and useful. Papaya is very rich in vitamins like E and C and beta-carotene and is considered as an excellent source of anti-oxidants. The leaves of this fruit are known to be used as a home remedy for dengue.
Dengue fever is well known to cause a rapid depletion in the platelet count of patients afflicted with this disease. Papaya leaves help in combating this problem and therefore also increases the platelet count in patients. It is easily available in India which has made it the most convenient home remedy for dengue fever.
How do Papaya Leaves Help Dengue Patients?
Papaya leaves for dengue treatment have been widely used in Ayurveda. According to a recent study, it was seen that papaya leaves could provide relief from the damage done by dengue fever to the body. Papaya leaves contain the most important compounds, known as papain and chymopapain which prevent bloating and also aid digestion. It also contains the compound karpain which is a good remedy for dandruff and balding. Papaya leaves are also very rich in minerals and vitamins. Though a lot more research needs to be done on the use of papaya leaves for dengue patients, in India, it is widely used to treat this disease. Papaya leaves can help in increasing the platelet count in the patient’s blood. During the outbreak of dengue in India, it was seen that a handful of leaves were sold at very high prices. The medicinal properties of papaya have long been proved in Ayurveda. Drinking as little as 30 ml of fresh juice extracted from a papaya leaf twice daily has been said to increase the platelet count in dengue patients which works effectively.
How to Prepare Papaya Leaves’ Juice?
As there is an abundance of papaya trees in India and its leaves are considered the best home remedy for dengue fever. Here is the detailed view on how to use papaya leaves in dengue –
Boiling them in Water
This is a simple and easy way of making papaya leaf juice.
- Take a few fresh mid-size papaya leaves. Wash them thoroughly under running water to get rid of any grime and dirt.
- Pat them dry partly with a fresh kitchen towel or kitchen napkin. Using a chopping board and knife, chop them into very tiny pieces.
- Take a saucepan and add approximately 2 liters of water in it and add the chopped papaya leaves in the saucepan.
- Place the saucepan on a stove and bring the water to a boil. Once the water starts boiling, simmer it for some time.
- Once the water is reduced to almost half, switch off the stove and let the concoction cool down completely at its own. After this strain the liquid and store it in clean glass containers.
Crush the Leaves
This is another way of extracting juice from papaya leaves is by crushing them using a mortar and pestle.
- Take a few fresh papaya leaves. Properly clean them with water to rid them of any dirt or insects. Use a mortar pestle to crush them properly.
- Extract the juice and drink it twice daily to restore the health and get relief from dengue fever.
- Since the juice extract is very bitter, sugar can be added or honey to it before consuming it.
Mosquitos carrying the dengue disease are most commonly found in tropical countries. Avoid getting exposed to mosquito bites and always use a mosquito repellent to keep mosquitoes to the bay. Practise hygiene at home and the surroundings. Don’t let water stagnate anywhere so that mosquitoes cannot breed in them. If one of the family members gets infected with dengue, be vigilant so that the others don’t get bitten by mosquitoes carrying the same disease.
In case there is an infection, check with the doctor for further treatment. Juice from papaya leaves is also made and consumes it daily until it starts to feel better. Papaya leaves juice do not have any side effects, so consuming them would not cause any harm to the body. Drink plenty of water and seek medical advice if there is worse progressively.
Conclusion
Papaya is known to cure and treat dengue in kids. Also, it does not have side effects so it can be used as a home remedy. For further advice consult the doctor.
Refrences
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3614241/
