Welcome to the world of papaya benefits, the food that Christopher Columbus called the "fruit of the angels".1 Ripened, papaya is a soft fruit with a sweetness that's drier than sloppy wet. Papaya weighs between one and two pounds and is golden orange once you break through its green or yellow shell. This simple fruit is popular with vegans and vegetarians because of its texture, color or taste. The health benefits of papaya, including papaya leaves, can offer deeper benefits such as aiding digestion.