Is Unripe papaya safe during pregnancy?
Unripe or semi-ripe (green) papaya is best avoided in pregnancy; ripe papaya hasn't shown the same concern.
What the sources say
Evidence comes mainly from animal and lab studies: crude latex from unripe papaya caused strong uterine contractions in rats, similar to oxytocin, while ripe papaya fruit did not and caused no harm in pregnant rats. The authors concluded normal intake of ripe papaya may not pose significant danger but unripe or semi-ripe papaya could be unsafe in pregnancy. Human data are lacking, so we take the cautious view. No concern has been identified for breastfeeding; CDC says breastfeeding parents generally don't need to avoid specific foods.
Also listed as
green papaya, semi-ripe papaya, papaya salad, green papaya salad, som tam, papaya latex
Sources
- NIH/PubMed (peer-reviewed): Papaya consumption is unsafe in pregnancy: fact or fable? (rat study, Adebiyi et al.)
- CDC: Maternal Diet and Breastfeeding
Last reviewed . This is general information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor or midwife about your own situation.