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Part #A: Introductory information of this web page:

#A1. What is the goal of this web page:

The goal of this web page is to repeat various folklore claims regarding fruits, especially these ones which describe their healing capabilities. Note, however, that none of the claims repeated here were verified by me - I just repeat them as they come to my attention. Thus, some of these claims may be exaggerated and/or disseminated on purpose by producers of given fruits, to boost their sales and prices.
It is also worth to notice, that internet is developing a "sub-culture of chain-emails". It depends on sending various "chain emails" to hundreds of people. Some of these emails contain outrageous claims, and their lack of merit can be detected at a first glance. Others are more puzzling and the possible close look at whatever they claim could be worth-while. These more puzzling chain emails I try to reproduce here.

Part #B: Papaya:

#B1. A "chain-email" regarding "papaya" circulated in internet in July 2011:

Motto: "Even if you take this email with a 'pinch of salt', it's undeniable that papaya is rich in various vitamins."

       No need to cry about scarcity of blueberries, strawberries, etc in SINGAPORE . We have our wonderful papayas, pineapples, bananas, durians and mangoes are affordable. Papaya was the only studied food found to halt breast cancer
       Scientists studied 14 plant foods commonly consumed in Mexico to determine their ability to halt breast cancer cell growth. These included avocado, black sapote, fuava, mango, prickly pear cactus (nopal), pineapple, grapes, tomato, and papaya. They also evaluated beta-carotene, total plant phenolics, and garlic acid contents and antioxidant capacity. They found that only papaya had a significant effect on stopping breast cancer cell growth. (International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition, May)

Papaya is a store-house of cancer fighting lycopene:
       The intense orangey-pink color of papaya means it is chock full of cancer fighting carotenoids. Not only beta carotene, but lycopene is found in abundance. The construction of lycopene makes it highly reactive toward oxygen and free radicals.
       Scientists at the University of Illinois think this anti-oxidant activity contributes to its effectiveness as a cancer fighting agent. Epidemiological studies have indicated an inverse relationship between lycopene intake and prostate cancer risk. They showed that oral lycopene is highly bioavailable, accumulates in prostate tissue, and is localized in the nucleus of prostate epithelial cells.
       In addition to antioxidant activity, other experiments have indicated that lycopene induces cancer cell death, anti-metastatic activity, and the up-regulation of protective enzymes. Phase I and II studies have established the safety of lycopene supplementation. (Cancer Letter, October 8, 2008)
       Prostate cancer was the subject of a study in Australia that looked at 130 prostate cancer patients and 274 hospitalized controls . The scientists found that men who consumed the most lycopene-rich fruits and vegetables such as papaya were 82% less likely to have prostate cancer. In this study, green tea also exerted a powerful anti-cancer effect. When lycopene-rich foods were consumed with green tea, the combination was even more effective, an outcome the researchers credited to their synergy. ( Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2007)

Isothiocyanates found in papaya restore the cell cycle to eliminate cancer:
       Organo-sulfur compounds called isothiocyanates are found in papaya. In animal experiments, isothiocyanates protected against cancers of the breast, lung, colon pancreas, and prostate, as well as leukaemia, and they have the potential to prevent cancer in humans. Isothiocyanates have shown themselves capable of inhibiting both the formation and development of cancer cells through multiple pathways and mechanisms. (International Journal of Oncology), October, 2008)
       Researchers in Japan clarified the mechanisms of action in a type of isothiocyanate found in papaya known as BITC, that underlies the relationship between cell cycle regulation and appropriate cell death. When cancerous cells die on schedule, they are no longer a problem. The researchers established that BITC exerted cancer cell killing effects that were greater in the proliferating cells than in the quiescent cells. Cancer cells that are proliferating are much more dangerous than cancer cells that are in a state of dormancy. (Forum of Nutrition, 2009)

Enzymes from papaya digest proteins including those that protect tumors:
       The fruit and other parts of the papaya tree, also known as the paw-paw tree, contain papain and chymopapain, powerful proteolytic enzymes that facilitate chemical reactions in the body. They promote digestion by helping to break down proteins from food into amino acids that can be recombined to produce protein useable by humans. Proteolytic enzymes protect the body from inflammation and help heal burns. They do a good job of digesting unwanted scar tissue both on the skin and under its surface.
       Research has shown that the physical and mental health of people is highly dependent on their ability to produce proteins they can use effectively. However, as people age, they produce less of the enzymes needed to effectively digest proteins from food and free needed amino acids. They are left with excessive amounts of undigested protein which can lead to overgrowth of unwanted bacteria in the intestinal tract, and a lack of available amino acids.
       Eating papaya after a meal promotes digestion, and helps prevent bloating, gas production, and indigestion. It is quite helpful after antibiotic use to replenish friendly intestinal bacteria that were the casualties in the war against the unwanted bacteria. When the intestinal tract is well populated with friendly bacteria, the immune system is strengthened, and can better protect against flu and cancer.
       Being a proteolytic enzyme, papain is able to destroy intestinal parasites, which are composed mostly of protein. To rid the body of intestinal parasites, half a cup of papaya juice can be alternated each hour for twelve consecutive hours with the same amount of cucumber or green bean juice.
       Papaya contains fibrin, another useful compound not readily found in the plant kingdom. Fibrin reduces the risk of blood clots and improves the quality of blood cells, optimizing the ability of blood to flow through the circulatory system. Fibrin is also important in preventing stokes. Proteolytic enzymes containing fibrin are a good idea for long plane rides to minimize the potential of blood clots in the legs. People who sit at a desk all day might want to use proteolytic enzymes too.
       Proteolytic enzymes are able to digest and destroy the defense shields of viruses, tumors, allergens, yeasts, and various forms of fungus. Once the shield is destroyed, tumors and invading organisms are extremely vulnerable and easily taken care of by the immune system.
       Undigested proteins can penetrate the gut and wind up in the bloodstream where they are treated by the immune system as invaders. If too many undigested proteins are floating around, the immune system becomes overburdened and unable to attend to the other tasks it was meant to do. Proteolytic enzymes can digest these rogue proteins, freeing up the immune system.
       Let's ensure a slice of papaya every day in our diet. Papaya juice would be great.

Part #C: Onions:

#C1. A "chain-email" concerning "onions" circulated in internet in August 2011:

Motto: "One apple a day keeps doctor away, one onion a day keeps everyone away, one garlic a day keeps even Dracula away."

In 1919. When the flu killed 40 million people, there was this doctor that visited the many farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu. Many of the farmers and their family had contracted it, and many died.

The doctor came upon this one farmer, and to his surprise, everyone was very healthy.

When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different, the wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in the rooms of the home (probably only two rooms back then).

The doctor couldn't believe it, and asked if he could have one of the onions, and place it under the microscope.

She gave him one, and when he did this, he did find the flu virus in the onion.

It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore keeping the family healthy.

Now, I heard this story from my hairdresser in Arizona.

She said that several years ago, many of her employees were coming down with the flu, and so were many of her customers.

The next year, she placed several bowls with onions around in her shop. To her surprise, none of her staff got sick. It must work. (And no, she is not in the onion business.)

The moral of the story is, buy some onions and place them in bowls around your home.

If you work at a desk, place one or two in your office, or under your desk, or even on top somewhere.

Try it and see what happens. We did it last year, and we never got the flu. If this helps you and your loved ones from getting sick, all the better.

If you do get the flu, it just might be a mild case.

Whatever, what have you to lose? Just a few bucks on onions!

Now there is a P.S. to this for I sent it to a friend in Oregon who regularly contributes material to me on health issues.

She replied with this most interesting experience about onions: I don't know about the farmer’s story, but I do know that I contracted pneumonia, and needless to say I was very ill.

I came across an article that said to cut both ends off an onion, put one end on a fork, and then place the forked end into an empty jar, placing the jar next to the sick patient at night.

It said the onion would be black in the morning from the germs.

Sure enough, it happened just like that. The onion was a mess, and I began to feel better.

Another thing I read in the article was that onions and garlic placed around the room saved many from the black plague years ago.

#C2.1. My comments regarding the above "chain-email" concerning "onions":

Already the first paragraph hit me strongly - namely, the picture of a doctor from 1919, who used a primitive optical microscope available at that time, and still managed to see flu viruses on the onion, that are hardly detectable with present "electron microscopes". How he did it? A similar reservation I have towards the final description concerning an onion end kept on a fork throughout the night. Actually, ends of any fruits, e.g. tomatoes, cucumbers, plums, etc., not just onions, kept in jars on forks throughout an entire night, in the morning would become "a mess" full of germs.
Anyway, I am NOT to verify the "email-folklore" story, but to simply repeat it. So even if we take it with a "pinch of salt", we must remember that onions are sources of numerous folklore medicines - for example see item #C3 on the totaliztic web page named healing.htm.

Part #D: Other veges (inne warzywa):

#D1. Parsley (pietruszka oczyszczaj¹ca nerki):

Clean Your Kidneys with LESS Than RM1.00Years pass by and our kidneys are filtering the blood by removing salt, poison and any unwanted entering our body. With time, the salt accumulates and this needs to undergo cleaning treatments and how are we going to overcome this?It is very easy, first take a bunch of parsley (MALLI Leaves)and wash it cleanThen cut it in small pieces and put it in a pot and pour clean water and boil it for ten minutes and let it cool down and then filter it and pour in a clean bottle and keep it inside refrigerator to cool. Drink one glass daily and you will notice all salt and other accumulated poison coming out of your kidney by urination also you will be able to notice the difference which you never felt before. Parsley is known as best cleaning treatment for kidneys and it is natural! Please forward to all your friends!

Part #E: Summary and the final information of this web page:

#E1. Summary of this web page:

This web page is to provide examples of claims that folklore of various nations states regarding their fruits. I am unable to verify these claims (after all I am NOT a medical doctor) - but just repeating them here. So it is up to the reader to make his or her own mind regarding their merit and validity.
Notice that tropical fruits discussed on this web page are described (and illustrated) more comprehensively on a different web page named fruit.htm.

#E2. Emails and contact details to the author of this web page:

       Current email addresses to the author of this web page, i.e. officially to Dr Eng. Jan Pajak while courteously to Prof. Dr Eng. Jan Pajak, at which readers can post possible comments, inquiries, or replies to questions which I ask on my web pages, are provided on the web page about me (Dr Eng. Jan Pajak). That page also provides other commonly used contact details to the author.
       The author's right for the use of courteous title of "Professor" stems from the custom that "with professors is like with generals", namely when someone is once a professor, than he or she courteously remains a professor forever. In turn the author of this web page was a professor at 4 different universities, i.e. at 3 of them, from 1 September 1992 untill 31 October 1998, as an "Associate Professor" from English-based educational system, while on one university as a (Full) "Professor" (since 1 March 2007 till 31 December 2007 - means at the last place of employment in his professional life).
       However, please notice that because of my rather chronic lack of time, I reluctantly reply to emails which contain JUST time consuming requests, while simultaneously they document a complete ignorance of their author in the topic area which I am researching. Therefore, if the reader sends a request to me, I suggest to let me know somehow that he or she actually went through the trouble of reading my web pages and learning what these pages try to say.

#E3. How with the web page named "skorowidz_links.htm" one can find totaliztic descriptions of topics in which he is interested:

A whole array of topics equally interesting as these from the above web page, is also discussed from the angle that is unique to the philosophy of totalizm. All these related topics can be found and identified with the use of content index prepared especially to make easier finding these web pages and topics. The name "index" means a list of "key words" usually provided at the end of textbooks, which allows to find fast the description or the topic in which we are interested. My web pages also has such a content "index" - only that it is additionally supplied in green links which after "clicking" at them with a mouse immediately open the web page with the topic that interest the reader. This content "index" is provided on the web page named skorowidz_links.htm. It can be called from the "organising" part of "Menu 1" of every totaliztic web page. I would recommend to look at it and to begin using it systematically - after all it brings closer hundreds of totaliztic topics which can be of interest to everyone.

Copyrights © 2013 by Dr Jan Pajak. All rights reserved. This web page is a report from outcomes of research of the author - only that is written in a popular language (so that it can be understood by readers with non-scientific orientation). Ideas presented on this web page (and also in other publications by the author) are unique for the author’s research, and thus from the same angle these ideas were NOT presented by any other researcher. As such, this web page presents ideas which are the intellectual property of the author. Therefore, the content of this web page is the subject to the same laws of intellectual ownership as every other scientific publication. Especially the author reserves for himself the credit-rights for the scientific discoveries and inventions described on this web page. Therefore, the author reserves that during repeating any idea presented on this web page (i.e. any theory, principle, deduction, interpretation, device, evidence, proof, etc.), the repeating person gives a full credit to the author of this web page, through clearly explaining that the author of a given idea is Dr Jan Pajak, through indicating the internet address of this web page under which this idea was published, and through mentioning the date of most recent update of this web page (i.e. the date indicated below).

* * *

Date of initiation this web page: 25 July 2011
Date of the most recent update: 7 February 2013
English: If you prefer to read in a different language, click on the selected flag or green link below
Po polsku: Jeœli preferujesz czytanie w odmiennym jêzyku, kliknij na wybran¹ flagê lub zielony link poni¿ej

In English

index.htm

Po polsku