New Delhi, Dec. 13 -- Papaya seeds usually end up in the dustbin. Taste wise, these are bitter and peppery, easy to trash. Fruit seeds, especially those of papaya, are rarely treated as food. But research suggests those small black seeds carry far more biological activity than most people realise. A 2017 review published in the Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry examined the nutritional and medicinal properties of papaya seeds, compiling findings from laboratory, animal, and in-vitro studies.

Here is what the science points to:

Papaya seed extracts have shown the ability to inhibit harmful bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella and Staphylococcus in lab studies. This might be your clue to consume some every now and then. Research...