Chewable Papaya

Chewable Papaya is a dietary supplement in chewable tablets, manufactured in Taiwan for Coral Club. The pack holds 90 tablets with a net weight of 72 g, and the directed amount is one tablet three times a day with a meal — which makes one pack a 30-day supply.

Four declared ingredients per tablet

Papaya fruit extract 75 mg, bromelain powder 20 mg, turmeric root extract 3.3 mg and vitamin B2 as riboflavin 0.15 mg, the last at 12% of the Daily Value. Full amounts are set out under Ingredients.

What the manufacturer states

Coral Club frames the product around proteolytic enzymes, which break large protein molecules in the digestive tract into peptides and amino acids. The card notes that difficulty digesting protein can arise with raised stress levels, after illness, with a sedentary lifestyle or on a high-protein diet, and in athletes and older adults.*

• Bromelain — a plant proteolytic enzyme that helps digestion and supports protein absorption, extracted from the non-edible parts of the pineapple, the core and stems, where it is most concentrated.*
• Papaya fruit extract — the card names papain as its most valuable component, a proteolytic enzyme that may improve and support digestion and assimilation of protein foods.*
• Turmeric extract — described as supporting a healthy appetite and as possibly stimulating gastric acid to support digestive health.*
• Vitamin B2 — helps maintain the health of the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract.*

The bromelain comes from pineapple

Worth stating plainly, because the product name points to papaya and the pineapple is easy to miss. Anyone who avoids pineapple, or who reacts to it, should take that into account before chewing the first tablet.

Two amounts to read carefully

Turmeric root extract is present at 3.3 mg per tablet, under 10 mg a day across the directed three. That is far below the amounts used in published work on turmeric, and its presence is better read as part of the blend than as a dose in its own right.

The card declares no enzyme activity units for either the bromelain or the papaya extract. For enzymes, activity — measured in units such as GDU or FCC PU — describes what a preparation does, and milligrams alone do not. That figure is not available from this label.

What the tablet is made of besides the actives

Glucose heads the other-ingredients list, followed by microcrystalline cellulose as a bulking agent, passionfruit flavor, glycine and steviol glycosides from stevia as sweeteners, citric acid as an acidity regulator, magnesium stearate as a lubricant and calcium carbonate as an anticaking agent.

A chewable tablet built on a glucose base is worth a moment's thought for anyone counting sugars, though the card gives no amount.

Labels, storage and shelf life

Coral Club declares the product free of soy and suitable for vegetarians. Shelf life is 2 years from the date of manufacture. Store in a dry place at room temperature, out of reach of children, and do not use if the safety seal is broken or missing.