Papaya vs. Spirulina
Nutrition comparison of Papaya and Spirulina
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
papaya
versus
spirulina
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in papaya and spirulina:
- Papaya has 31.7 times less saturated fat than spirulina.
- Papaya has 55% less carbohydrates than spirulina.
- Papaya is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
- Spirulina has 60% less sugar than papaya.
- Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Spirulina is an excellent source of calcium, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Papaya (Papayas, raw) and Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Spirulina is high in calories and papaya has 85% less calories than spirulina - papaya has 43 calories per 100 grams and spirulina has 290 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, papaya is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to spirulina per calorie. Papaya has a macronutrient ratio of 4:91:5 and for spirulina, 59:25:17 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Papaya | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 4% | 59% |
| Carbohydrates | 91% | 25% |
| Fat | 5% | 17% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Papaya has 55% less carbohydrates than spirulina - papaya has 10.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and spirulina has 23.9g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Spirulina is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 112% more dietary fiber than papaya - papaya has 1.7g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and spirulina has 3.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Spirulina has 60% less sugar than papaya - papaya has 7.8g of sugar per 100 grams and spirulina has 3.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Spirulina is an excellent source of protein and it has 121 times more protein than papaya - papaya has 0.47g of protein per 100 grams and spirulina has 57.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Papaya has 31.7 times less saturated fat than spirulina - papaya has 0.08g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spirulina has 2.7g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Papaya is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 503% more Vitamin C than spirulina - papaya has 60.9mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and spirulina has 10.1mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Papaya and spirulina contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - papaya has 47ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and spirulina has 29ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Spirulina has 15 times more Vitamin E than papaya - papaya has 0.3mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and spirulina has 5mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spirulina has 881% more Vitamin K than papaya - papaya has 2.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and spirulina has 25.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Papaya | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.023 MG | 2.38 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.027 MG | 3.67 MG |
| Niacin | 0.357 MG | 12.82 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.191 MG | 3.48 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.038 MG | 0.364 MG |
| Folate | 37 UG | 94 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Spirulina is an excellent source of calcium and it has 500% more calcium than papaya - papaya has 20mg of calcium per 100 grams and spirulina has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Spirulina is an excellent source of iron and it has 113 times more iron than papaya - papaya has 0.25mg of iron per 100 grams and spirulina has 28.5mg of iron.
potassium
Spirulina is an excellent source of potassium and it has 649% more potassium than papaya - papaya has 182mg of potassium per 100 grams and spirulina has 1363mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
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 papaya and spirulina contain significant amounts of beta-carotene.
| Papaya | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 274 UG | 342 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 2 UG | ~ |
| lycopene | 1828 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 89 UG | ~ |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spirulina has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than papaya per 100 grams.
| Papaya | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.047 G | 0.823 G |
| Total | 0.047 G | 0.823 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, spirulina has more linoleic acid than papaya per 100 grams.
| Papaya | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.011 G | 1.254 G |
| Total | 0.011 G | 1.254 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.
Papaya g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Spirulina 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 papaya or spirulina contain more calories in 100 grams?Spirulina is high in calories and papaya has 90% less calories than spirulina - papaya has 43 calories in 100g and spirulina has 290 calories.
Is papaya or spirulina better for protein?
Spirulina is a fantastic source of protein and it has 121 times more protein than papaya - papaya has 0.47g of protein per 100 grams and spirulina has 57.5g of protein.
Does papaya or spirulina have more carbohydrates?
By weight, papaya has 60% fewer carbohydrates than spirulina - papaya has 10.8g of carbs for 100g and spirulina has 23.9g of carbohydrates.
Does papaya or spirulina contain more calcium?
Spirulina is a rich source of calcium and it has 500% more calcium than papaya - papaya has 20mg of calcium in 100 grams and spirulina has 120mg of calcium.
Does papaya or spirulina contain more iron?
Spirulina is an abundant source of iron and it has 113 times more iron than papaya - papaya has 0.25mg of iron in 100 grams and spirulina has 28.5mg of iron.
Does papaya or spirulina contain more potassium?
Spirulina is a rich source of potassium and it has 650% more potassium than papaya - papaya has 182mg of potassium in 100 grams and spirulina has 1363mg of potassium.