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.
Detailed nutritional comparison of lemon and papaya is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Lemon (Lemons, raw, without peel) and Papaya (Papayas, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Lemon src
Image of Papaya src

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.

Note: The specific food items compared are: Lemon (Lemons, raw, without peel) and Papaya (Papayas, raw) .

Lemon g

()
Daily Values (%)

Papaya g

()
KCAL %
calories
KCAL %
G %
carbohydrates
G %
G %
dietary fiber
G %
G sugar G
G %
total fat
G %
G %
saturated fat
G %
G monounsaturated fat G
G polyunsaturated fat G
G trans fat G
MG cholesterol MG
MG %
sodium
MG %
Vitamins and Minerals
UG %
Vitamin A
UG %
MG %
Vitamin C
MG %
IU %
Vitamin D
IU %
MG %
calcium
MG %
MG %
iron
MG %
MG %
magnesium
MG %
MG %
potassium
MG %
MG %
thiamin (Vit B1)
MG %
MG %
riboflavin (Vit B2)
MG %
MG %
niacin (Vit B3)
MG %
MG %
Vitamin B6
MG %
MG %
pantothenic acid (Vit B5)
MG %
UG %
folate (Vit B9)
UG %
UG %
Vitamin B12
UG %
MG %
Vitamin E
MG %
UG %
Vitamin K
UG %
G %
protein
G %
UG %
biotin (Vit B7)
UG %
MG %
choline
MG %
MG %
chlorine
MG %
UG %
chromium
UG %
MG %
copper
MG %
UG %
fluoride
UG %
UG %
iodine
UG %
MG %
manganese
MG %
UG %
molybdenum
UG %
MG %
phosphorus
MG %
UG %
selenium
UG %
MG %
zinc
MG %
G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol 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.