Papaya

What it does

Papain aids protein digestion; the fruit is dense in vitamins C and A.

• Papain enzyme, vitamin C & A

Where the number comes from

Papaya sits in the fruit group of the Fadnes model, the only peer-reviewed model that converts eating into years of life. The lifetime gain for that group is spread across the days you actually eat it — a daily serving from age 20 to 80 — which gives +10 min per serving. The authors rate the evidence behind this group as low.

What it is made of

• Papain
• Vitamin C
• Beta-carotene

How to eat it

Ripe and raw — the enzyme is heat-sensitive.

Minutes derived from Fadnes LT, Økland J-M, Haaland ØA, Johansson KA. Estimating impact of food choices on life expectancy: A modeling study. PLOS Medicine 19(2):e1003889, 2022. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1003889