Prickly pear cactus, a thorny, flat-leave cactus that has been a Mexican food staple since Aztec times. Prickly pear is the fruit of a cactus that grows widely in desert or semi-desert regions. The fruit is delicious (one of my favorite fruits) and has many health benefits. Prickly pear (also known as Opuntia or Nopal) contains many flavonoids, including quercetin.
Benefits of Prickly Pear or Cactus
Pear
Prickly pear extract contains powerful antioxidants, may be helpful
in gastic ulcer prevention, has blood lipid
and cholesterol lowering potential, and may even
ease hangover symptoms.
Consumption of cactus pear fruit decreases oxidative damage to
lipids, and improves antioxidant status in healthy humans. Supplementation with
vitamin C at a comparable dosage enhances overall antioxidant defense but does
not significantly affect body oxidative stress. Components of cactus pear fruit
other than antioxidant vitamins may play a role in the observed effects.
Anti-inflammatory
One of many active anti-inflammatory substances identified in
this plant is beta-sitosterol.
Diabetes and blood sugar
Dr Oz, in his December 2010 show, said that prickly pear cactus comes from the
Grand Canyon in Arizona and is full of tons of fiber. There is also a fruit that
grows on the cactus. Bryce Wylde said that it can treat diabetes, which maybe
surprising since it also has sugar in it, but the fiber is both soluble and
insoluble fiber, so the insoluble fiber slows down how long it takes the sugar
to be released into your blood stream and system.
Hypoglycemic activity of two polysaccharides isolated from
Opuntia ficus-indica and O. streptacantha.
Proc West Pharmacolology Soc. 2003.
Osteoporosis
Food Nutr Research 2013. Intake of dehydrated Opuntia ficus indica improves bone
mineral density and calciuria in adult Mexican women. The intake of dehydrated
prickly pear at a high stage of maturity along with high calcium content could
improve bone mineral density and calciuria and thus prevent osteoporosis.
Ulcer treatment or prevention
Antiulcer activity of Opuntia ficus indica.
J Ethnopharmacology 2001.
In Sicily folk medicine, prickly pears are used for
the treatment of gastric ulcer. We studied the effect of administration of
lyophilized prickly pear cladodes on experimental ethanol-induced ulcer in rat. In this
paper, we report the ultrastructural observations of gastric mucosa. The
ultrastructural changes were observed by trasmission electronic microscopy (TEM)
confirming the protective effect exercised by administration of lyophilized
cladodes. Pre-treatment test in rats revealed a protective action against
ethanol-induced ulcer. Probably, the mucilage of prickly pear cactus is
involved.
Weight loss
Obesity (Silver Spring). 2013. A natural fiber complex reduces body weight
in the overweight and obese: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled
study. Practice for General Medicine, Berlin, Germany. A proprietary natural
fiber complex (Litramine IQP G-002AS) derived from Opuntia ficus-indica, and
standardized on lipophilic activity.
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014. A Review of the Efficacy and Safety of Litramine IQP-G-002AS, an Opuntia ficus-indica Derived Fiber for Weight Management. In a 12-week study, significant greater weight loss was observed in overweight and obese subjects treated with Litramine IQP-G-002AS as compared to placebo. No relevant gastrointestinal side effects have been reported for Litramine IQP-G-002AS at the dosages studied.
Other forms
Many things can be made from the prickly pear plant. You can find juice,
margarita, syrup and jam.
Composition
The stems and fruits of prickly pear cactus contain flavonoids
such as kaempferol, quercetin, narcissin,
(taxifolin, eriodictyol , and terpenoids. Many of these flavonoids have potent
antioxidant activity and can help protect tissues, including brain tissue, from
oxidative damage. The phenolic profile of the Opuntia ficus-indica seeds display
a high complexity, with more than 20 compounds detected. Among them, three
isomers of feruloyl-sucrose are identified and another is a sinapoyl-diglycoside.
Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2013. The optimization of phenolic compounds
extraction from cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) skin in a reflux system using
response surface methodology. To extract, quantify, and evaluate the phenolic
content in Opuntia ficus-indica skin for their antioxidant capacity with three
different methods (ABTS, DPPH, and lipid oxidation) and to optimize the
extraction conditions (time, temperature and ethanol concentration) in a reflux
system. It can be concluded the by-products of Opuntia ficus-indica represent a
good source of natural antioxidants with possible applications in food,
cosmetics or drugs industries.
Prickly Pear Cactus study
Explore (NY). 2013 Nov-Dec. Clinical improvement of recalcitrant cutaneous
sarcoidosis with regular nutritional supplementation with extract of the prickly
pear cactus.
Supplementation with cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) fruit decreases
oxidative stress in healthy humans: a comparative study with vitamin C.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2004.
Cactus pear ( prickly pear ) fruit contains vitamin C and
characteristic betalain pigments, the radical-scavenging properties and
antioxidant activities of which have been shown in vitro. We investigated the
effects of short-term supplementation with prickly pear cactus fruit
compared with vitamin C alone on total-body oxidative status in healthy humans.
In a randomized, crossover, double-treatment study, 18 healthy volunteers
received either 250 g fresh prickly pear pulp or 75 mg vitamin C twice daily for
2 wk, with a 6-wk washout period between the treatments. Both treatments caused
comparable increases compared with baseline in plasma concentrations of vitamin
E and vitamin C. Consumption of cactus prickly pear fruit positively affects the body's redox balance,
decreases oxidative damage to lipids, and improves antioxidant status in healthy
humans.
Effect of raw and cooked nopal
ingestion on growth and profile of total cholesterol,
lipoproteins, and blood glucose in rats]
Arch Latinoam Nutr. 1998.
Two different concentrations (approx. 6 and 12%) and two presentations (raw and
cooked) of dehydrated prickly pear cactus were fed to laboratory rats and growth and serum
total cholesterol, lipoprotein profile and glucose determined. Samples of raw
and cooked nopal prickly pear were chemically characterized for moisture, protein, ash, crude
fiber, ether extract, total dietary fiber, reducing sugars, amino acids,
minerals and gross energy. Cooking slightly affected some of the nutrients
analyzed. After one month feeding, blood was withdrawn via intracardiac puncture
and serum glucose, total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and VLDL were determined. Rats
fed 12% nopal had lower weight gains (P < 0.05) when compared with counterparts
fed 6% nopal or the control diet. Consumption of nopal did not affect
glucose, total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol levels. However, rats fed raw
nopal at the 12% concentration level had a 34% reduction in LDL cholesterol
levels; thus, it was concluded that raw nopal prickly pear had a potentially beneficial
effect for hypercholesterolemic individuals.
Studies on the pharmacological action of prickly pear cactus:
identification of its anti-inflammatory effect.
Arch Pharm Res. 1998.
The ethanol extracts of prickly pear cactus fruit and prickly pear cactus stem were prepared and used to evaluate the pharmacological
effects of cactus. Both the extracts inhibited the writhing syndrome induced by
acetic acid, indicating that they contains analgesic effect. The oral
administrations of prickly pear extracts suppressed carrageenan-induced rat paw edema
and also showed potent inhibition in the leukocyte migration of CMC-pouch model
in rats. Moreover, the extracts suppressed the release of beta-glucuronidase, a
lysosomal enzyme in rat neutrophils. It was also noted that the prickly pear extracts showed
the protective effect on gastric mucosal layers. From the results it is
suggested that the cactus extracts contain anti-inflammatory action having
protective effect against gastric lesions.
Cactus Pads Research
Oxalate reduces calcium availability in the pads of the prickly pear
cactus through formation of calcium oxalate crystals.
USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor
College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
J Agric Food Chem. 2004.
The pads (nopales) of the prickly pear cactus are considered to be a good
source of minerals and other nutrients on the basis of compositional analysis.
In this study, this analysis is taken a step further by assessing the
availability of selected minerals in nopales using an in vitro digestion and
dialysis method. The results obtained suggest that although nopales are enriched
in a number of minerals, their tissue calcium is not freely available.
Microscopic analysis, energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis, and oxalate
measurements suggest that this reduction in available calcium is a result of its
sequestration in the form of calcium oxalate crystals. The issue of mineral
availability in plant foods is important when the dependence of many populations
around the world on plant foods as their main source of minerals and other
nutrients is considered.
Popularity
The production of prickly pear cactus is increasing as it
wins a reputation as a natural remedy for maladies ranging from diabetes
to hangovers.
Thought to have originated in central Mexico, the prickly pear cactus, or
nopal as it is known locally, survives in searing deserts and freezing
mountaintops and can be found in different forms across the Americas and
parts of Europe.
Just 50 years ago it was an almost forgotten remnant of Mexico's Aztec
past, grown by poor indigenous families in their backyards as an insurance
against food shortages.
But revived interest in the tangy tasting plant as an ingredient in
Mexican cooking led to a farming boom centered in Milpa Alta on the edge
of Mexico City, where rolling hills are carpeted with rows of the dark
green cactus.
Emails
Q. Do
you know of any studies regarding consumption of the pads (not fruit) in cooked
food, or fresh pads juiced and mixed 50/50 with orange juice, as far as the
benefits to health? I read your article on prickly pear fruits. I grow prickly
pear for food, and eat of it 2-4 times a week. We use the pads mostly, as is
typical in Mexico. We eat the fruits as well, but, of course, the fruits are
less plentiful than the pads, and are not on the plant all year like the pads
are. Do the pads carry the same benefits as the fruits? Are there any safety
concerns on eating of the pads frequently?
A. I could only find one study regarding cactus pads. It appears that they are a
good source of minerals and I would suspect the pads would have antioxidants and
flavonoids. However, the calcium seems to be in a form difficult to be
biologically available. My thoughts would be that cactus pads, just like many
vegetables or fruits, would be healthy to eat as long as its not done in excess. I love the prickly pear
fruits and August/September are the months when they are available in stores in
Los Angeles. I buy 2 or 3 dozen at a time and can eat a full dozen at one
sitting. Along with watermelon, figs, and mangos, I would say the prickly pear
fruit is in my top 5 list of favorite fruits.
Can prickly pear supplement be taken the same day as
dmae bitartrate,
tongkat ali herb,
ginseng,
saw palmetto, or
yohimbe?
As long as the dosages are low, prickly pear can be
taken the same day as the potent nutrient and herbs you mention above.
You mention on your website that you can eat a few prickly pear fruits at a
time... could you please explain how you like to prepare them? Do you eat them
raw? How do you deal with the spiny fuzz... peel them, or burn it off? And do
you scoop out the seeds with a spoon or something?
Prickly pears sold in a market usually have all the spines
removed. I peal the skin by cutting the skin with a knife from one end to the
other and then separating the skin from the flesh. The fruit is eaten raw,
and the seeds are swallowed. If the spines are present, then the prickly pears
are placed in a bowl with water and the spines come off, but you need thick
garden gloves since there can be small spines left over.
Q. I am currently studying at Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Israel. I
have been reading your research papers regarding supplements and I am impressed
and intrigued by this subject. I am currently starting my research for a thesis
paper on the effect of consuming "Opuntica Ficus Indica" (I haven't decided yet
if I will study the fruit or the furmula - capsule) on Fibromyalgia and
specifically quality of life. I am struggling to find relevant research on the
subject, and so far I have only found that their may be a connection between
free radicals and antioxidant (the prickly pear contains antioxidant) to
pathophysiology of fibromyalgia.
A. I have not seen such research as of 2017.
New products
New clinical study on Cacti-Nea by Bio Serae Labs on Cacti-Nea has confirmed the
diuretic and weight management effect of this original prickly pear cactus fruit
extract (Opuntia ficus-indica). The 28-days clinical study was conducted on 49
women with normal BMI (between 20 and 25). The aim of this clinical study was to
evaluate Cacti-Nea diuretic effect at the dose of 2g/day, in women showing water
retention.
Other products
Cinnamon 6 - 750 mg with Prickly
Pear (Nopal)
243 Tablets - Veggie caps
Herbal Promise
Cinnamon is one of the oldest remedies used in
traditional Chinese herbalism. Recent studies show cinnamon (Cinnamomum
aromaticum) may support healthy blood sugar levels when used as part of
your diet, by activating insulin and glucose transport and improving
glucose metabolism.
Additional herbs involved in sugar management include
gymnema, prickly pear, fenugreek, and bitter melon.
Cinnamon 6 Supplement Facts:
Serving Size: 9 Tablets
Chromium picolinate - 450 mcg (375% daily value)
Cinnamon herb,
Gymnema Sylvestre
leaves (Gumar), Nopal (prickly pear),
American ginseng,
fenugreek, bitter
melon.
All the herbs used in this product are either organic,
wild harvested, non-fumigated, non-irradiated, pesticide free and/or
non-genetically altered.
Nature's Way Opuntia buy Prickly Pear pills
Nature's Way's Opuntia
capsules contain the flower portion of the medicinally useful prickly pear
cactus.
Prickly pear is a large genus in the cactus family with
over 300 species. Opuntia ficus-indica, native to Mexico, was taken to Europe at
an early date and is now common in many warmer regions of the world. Used
traditionally as an ointment, opuntia has also been taken internally and used as
a folk medicine.
Buy Prickly Pear supplement
Supplement Facts
Prickly Pear ( flower ) -- 250 mg
Zinc 20 mg 133%DV
(as Zinc amino acid chelate)
Copper - 4 mg 200%DV
(as copper amino acid chelate)
Recommendation: As an addition to the daily diet, take two prickly pear capsules
1 to 3 times daily with water.