Papaya leaves are considered medicinal herbs and plants in the Philippines and Asia. Rural folks in the Philippines make natural teas from them primarily as a herbal relief from stomach problems like indigestion, dyspepsia, and acid reflux among others. So, how do you "drink" papaya leaves and get the stomach health benefits and other healing goodness?
Make a Tea
Brewed tea is often the best way. Some old folks in the Philippines dry the leaves under the sun, crush the leaves afterwards, boil them in water, and there they have brewed tea of papaya leaves. Some are braver and simply boil fresh papaya leaves in water, saying you get more health benefits that way.
There are a few I have heard who simply soak the leaves overnight in water and drink that. I would recommend boiling them first, fresh or dried leaves, because the leaves are exposed to the elements and simply washing them and soaking them in water may not be safe.
Wonder Papain
The secret is all in the phytochemical called Papain. And among its wonders are relief for prostate problems (imagine that?), normalizing blood sugar, reducing tumor size, deworming, anti-infection, and even relief for slip discs. Lately, many claim it's a cure for dengue fever, but experts say it remains to be seen.
You may find ready-made papaya tea in tea bags sold commercially (they're doing that today with almost every kind of leaves), and that's convenient. But be careful with what preservatives they may come in with. So it's much better to make your own papaya tea. And remember to boil them when asked how do you drink papaya leaves--and you don't drink the leaves. You make a tea of them.