Lemon vs. Papaya
Nutrition comparison of Lemon and Papaya
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
lemon
versus
papaya
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lemon and papaya:
- Both lemon and papaya are high in Vitamin C.
- Lemon has 68% less sugar than papaya.
- Lemon is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Papaya has more niacin and folate.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lemon (Lemons, raw, without peel) and Papaya (Papayas, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Lemon and papaya contain similar amounts of calories - lemon has 29 calories per 100 grams and papaya has 43 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lemon is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to papaya for fat. Lemon has a macronutrient ratio of 10:84:6 and for papaya, 4:91:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lemon | Papaya | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 10% | 4% |
| Carbohydrates | 84% | 91% |
| Fat | 6% | 5% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Lemon and papaya contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon has 9.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and papaya has 10.8g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Lemon is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 65% more dietary fiber than papaya - lemon has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and papaya has 1.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Lemon has 68% less sugar than papaya - lemon has 2.5g of sugar per 100 grams and papaya has 7.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Lemon and papaya contain similar amounts of protein - lemon has 1.1g of protein per 100 grams and papaya has 0.47g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both lemon and papaya are low in saturated fat - lemon has 0.04g of saturated fat per 100 grams and papaya has 0.08g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Both lemon and papaya are high in Vitamin C. Papaya has 15% more Vitamin C than lemon - lemon has 53mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and papaya has 60.9mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Papaya has 46 times more Vitamin A than lemon - lemon has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and papaya has 47ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Lemon and papaya contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - lemon has 0.15mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and papaya has 0.3mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Papaya and lemon contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - papaya has 2.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lemon does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Papaya has more niacin and folate. Both lemon and papaya contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Lemon | Papaya | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.04 MG | 0.023 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.02 MG | 0.027 MG |
| Niacin | 0.1 MG | 0.357 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.19 MG | 0.191 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.08 MG | 0.038 MG |
| Folate | 11 UG | 37 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Lemon and papaya contain similar amounts of calcium - lemon has 26mg of calcium per 100 grams and papaya has 20mg of calcium.
iron
Lemon and papaya contain similar amounts of iron - lemon has 0.6mg of iron per 100 grams and papaya has 0.25mg of iron.
potassium
Papaya has 32% more potassium than lemon - lemon has 138mg of potassium per 100 grams and papaya has 182mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
flavonoids
Naturally occuring in fruits and vegetables, flavonoids are associated with many health benefits and used in a variety of medicinal and pharmaceutical applications. [2][3]
For specific flavonoid compounds, both lemon and papaya contain small amounts of kaempferol.
| Lemon | Papaya | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 1.9 mg | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.03 mg | 0.01 mg |
| myricetin | 0.5 mg | 0.02 mg |
| Quercetin | 1.14 mg | ~ |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 mg |
carotenoids
Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]
For specific types of carotenoids, both lemon and papaya contain small amounts of alpha-carotene.
| Lemon | Papaya | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 3 UG | 274 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 1 UG | 2 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 11 UG | 89 UG |
| lycopene | ~ | 1828 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both lemon and papaya contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Lemon | Papaya | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.026 G | 0.047 G |
| Total | 0.026 G | 0.047 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, lemon has more linoleic acid than papaya per 100 grams.
| Lemon | Papaya | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.063 G | 0.011 G |
| Total | 0.063 G | 0.011 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Lemon g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Papaya g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does lemon or papaya contain more calories in 100 grams?Lemon and papaya contain similar amounts of calories - lemon has 29 calories in 100g and papaya has 43 calories.
Does lemon or papaya have more carbohydrates?
By weight, lemon and papaya contain similar amounts of carbs - lemon has 9.3g of carbs for 100g and papaya has 10.8g of carbohydrates.