What Is a Papain Enzyme?
Papain enzyme is derived from papaya and helps the body digest protein. A popular digestive supplement, papain is commonly sold as a chewable tablet made entirely of papaya papain. Papaya (Carica papaya) has been consumed since the 1750s; by the 1870s, the papaya enzymes were identified. Papaya has two enzymes, chymopapain and papain. Papain is twice as effective as an enzyme and in assisting in the digestion of animal protein. Sri Lanka was the top commercial manufacturer of papain in the early 1930s. More recently, East Africa produced much of the papaya used for papain supplements.