补，和脾，舒筋，涩，敛肺
酸涩而温。入脾、肺血分。敛肺和胃，理脾伐肝，化食（酸能敛，敛则化，与山查同）
止渴（酸能生津），气脱能收，气滞能和，调营卫，利筋骨，去湿热，消水胀。
治霍乱转筋（夏月暑湿，邪伤脾胃。阳不升，阴不降，则挥霍撩乱，上吐下泻，甚则肝
木乘脾，而筋为之转也。《食疗》云∶煮汁饮良。时珍曰∶肝虽主筋，而转筋则因风寒湿热
，袭伤脾胃所致。转筋必起于足腓，腓，音肥，足肚也，腓及宗筋，皆属阳明。木瓜治转筋
，取其理筋以伐肝也。土病则金衰而木盛，故用酸温以收脾肺之耗散，而借其走筋以平肝邪
，乃土中泻木以助金也。陶宏景曰∶凡转筋呼木瓜名，写木瓜字，皆愈），泻痢香港脚（脾主
四肢。或寒湿伤于足络，或胃受湿热之物，上输于脾，下流至足，则成香港脚。恶寒发热，状
类伤寒，第胫肿掣痛为异耳。宜利湿清热，忌用补剂及淋洗。昔有患足痹者，趁舟见舟中一
袋，以足倚之，比及登岸，足已善步矣，询袋中何物，乃木瓜也），腰足无力。多食损齿、
骨，病癃闭（酸收太甚。郑奠一曰∶木瓜乃酸涩之品，世用治水肿、腹胀，误矣！有大僚舟
过金陵，爱其芬馥，购数百颗置之舟中，举舟人皆病溺不得出，医以通利药罔效。迎予视之，
闻四面皆木瓜香，笑谓诸人曰∶彻去此物，溺即出矣，不必用药也。于是尽投江中，顷之，
溺皆如旧）。陈者良（香薷饮用之，取其和脾去湿，补肺生金）。忌铁。
补益，调和脾胃，舒缓筋脉，收敛固涩，敛肺止咳。
味酸、涩，性温。归入脾经和肺经的血分。能敛肺气和胃，调理脾脏并抑制肝气过亢，化解食积（酸味具有收敛作用，收敛之后能促进转化，与山楂功效相似）。
生津止渴（酸味能滋生津液），对于气虚下脱之症有收摄作用，对于气机阻滞之症有疏通调和作用，调节营卫之气，利于筋骨健康，祛除体内湿热，消除水肿胀满。
治疗霍乱引起的转筋（夏季暑湿邪气伤害脾胃。阳气不能上升，阴气不能下降，导致肠胃功能紊乱，上吐下泻，严重时肝木克制脾土，导致筋脉拘挛抽搐。《食疗本草》说：煮汁饮用效果良好。李时珍说：肝脏虽然主管筋脉，但转筋是由于风寒湿热邪气侵袭伤害脾胃所致。转筋通常从小腿肚开始，腓，读音为“肥”，即小腿肚，腓部和宗筋都属于阳明经。木瓜治疗转筋，是利用其理顺筋脉以抑制肝邪的作用。脾土生病则肺金衰弱而肝木偏盛，所以用酸温之性的药物来收敛脾肺的耗散之气，并利用其走窜筋脉的特性来平抑肝邪，这是通过健脾土来泻肝木从而辅助肺金的方法。陶弘景说：凡是遇到转筋，呼唤木瓜的名字，或者书写木瓜的字，都能痊愈），治疗痢疾和脚气病（脾脏主管四肢。如果是寒湿邪气伤害足部经络，或者是胃受到湿热食物影响，湿热上输于脾，下流至足部，就会形成脚气病。症状表现为恶寒发热，类似伤寒，只是小腿肿胀牵引疼痛是其特征不同之处。应当利湿清热，忌用补剂及淋洗疗法。过去有个患足痹的人，乘船时看见船中有一袋东西，便用脚倚靠它，等到上岸时，脚已经能正常行走了，询问袋中是什么东西，原来是木瓜），治疗腰膝无力。
多食会损伤牙齿和骨骼。
治疗小便不通（癃闭）（因为酸收作用太强。郑奠一说：木瓜是酸涩性质的药物，世人用它来治疗水肿、腹胀，是错误的！曾有一位大官乘船经过金陵，喜爱木瓜的芬芳香气，购买了几百颗放在船中，结果全船的船工都患上小便不通的症状，医生用通利小便的药物都没有效果。请我去诊治，我闻到四周都是木瓜的香气，笑着对众人说：把这些东西撤掉，小便自然就能通畅了，不必用药。于是将木瓜全部投入江中，不久后，大家的小便都恢复正常了）。
陈年的木瓜药效更好（在香薷饮中使用，是为了利用它调和脾胃、祛除湿气，补益肺气以生金的作用）。
忌与铁器接触。
Tonifies, harmonizes the Spleen, relaxes the sinews, astringent, and consolidates the Lung.
Acid and astringent in taste, warm in nature. Enters the Blood aspect of the Spleen and Lung meridians. Consolidates the Lung and harmonizes the Stomach, regulates the Spleen and subdues the Liver, resolves food stagnation (Acidity can astringe; astringency leads to transformation, similar to *Crataegi Fructus* [Shanzha, 山楂]).
Generates fluids and relieves thirst (Acidity can generate body fluids), collects Qi that is sinking or escaping, harmonizes Qi stagnation, regulates Ying and Wei (Nutritive and Defensive Qi), benefits the sinews and bones, dispels damp-heat, and reduces edema and distension.
Treats Huoluan (Colic with vomiting and diarrhea) with tendon spasms (In summer, pathogenic heat-dampness injures the Spleen and Stomach. Yang fails to ascend, Yin fails to descend, causing chaotic gastrointestinal dysfunction with severe vomiting and diarrhea. In severe cases, Liver Wood overacts on Spleen Earth, leading to tendon spasms. *Shiliao* states: boiling it into juice for drinking is beneficial. Li Shizhen stated: Although the Liver governs the sinews, tendon spasms are caused by wind-cold-damp-heat pathogens invading and injuring the Spleen and Stomach. Spasms typically begin in the calf. "Fei" (pronounced "fei") refers to the calf muscle. Both the calf and the Zongjin (Major Sinew) belong to the Yangming meridian. Papaya treats spasms by regulating the sinews to subdue the Liver. When Spleen Earth is diseased, Lung Metal weakens and Liver Wood becomes excessive. Therefore, acid-warm substances are used to collect the dissipating Qi of the Spleen and Lung, and their ability to travel to the sinews is borrowed to calm Liver pathogenic factors. This is draining Wood from within Earth to assist Metal. Tao Hongjing stated: Whenever one suffers from spasms, calling out the name "Papaya" or writing the character "Papaya" will result in a cure), dysentery, and Jiaogi (Beriberi/Leg Qi) (The Spleen governs the four limbs. If cold-dampness injures the collaterals of the feet, or if the Stomach receives damp-heat from food, which then transmits upward to the Spleen and flows downward to the feet, Jiaogi results. Symptoms include aversion to cold and fever, resembling Taiyang disease, but distinguished by swelling and pulling pain in the shins. Treatment should focus on promoting urination to clear dampness and clearing heat; tonics and washing therapies are contraindicated. Once, a patient suffering from foot numbness was on a boat and saw a bag, resting his foot against it. By the time he disembarked, his foot could walk normally. Upon inquiry, the bag contained Papaya), and weakness of the waist and legs.
Excessive consumption damages teeth and bones.
Treats Longbi (Difficulty in urination/Urinary retention) (Due to excessive astringent action. Zheng Dianyi stated: Papaya is an acid-astringent substance; using it to treat edema and abdominal distension is erroneous! A high official once passed through Jinling by boat, admiring its fragrance, and purchased hundreds of fruits to place in the cabin. Consequently, all the boatmen suffered from urinary retention. Physicians administered diuretics without effect. I was summoned to examine them. Smelling the fragrance of Papaya everywhere, I laughed and said to the men: Remove these items, and your urine will flow freely; no medicine is needed. They threw all the Papaya into the river, and shortly after, urination returned to normal).
Aged Papaya is superior (Used in Xiangru Yin [Mosla Decoction] to harmonize the Spleen, dispel dampness, tonify the Lung, and generate Metal).
Contraindicated with iron.