Prickly pear, a kind of edible cactus fruit, is a candy and scrumptious meals that will have well being advantages.

It has lengthy been utilized in Mexican delicacies, and it’s rising in recognition within the American Southwest and past. Many elements of the plant are edible, and prickly pear fruit is utilized in cocktails, juices, jams, and different dishes.

Along with its culinary makes use of, prickly pear has a formidable dietary profile and should assist promote well being and defend towards sure illnesses.

This text explores prickly pear’s diet, attainable advantages and disadvantages, and methods to organize it.

Prickly pear, scientifically referred to as Opuntia ficus-indica, is a member of the Cactaceae cactus household. It’s additionally referred to as nopal, tuna, sabra, and paddle cactus.

The prickly pear cactus has broad, flat, inexperienced pads (or paddles) which might be generally known as nopales. Nopales are edible and served in Mexican egg dishes, salads, tacos, and soups (1).

They’re pretty crunchy however can have a slimy texture, relying on how they’re ready. The style of nopales has been described as vegetal, barely tart, and citrus-like (1).

The small, oval fruit that grows on prime of nopales is the prickly pear, also called tuna. It varies in shade and might be inexperienced, pink, purple, purple, or yellow-orange (1).

The flesh of prickly pears is juicy, incorporates seeds, and has a candy style just like that of watermelon. You’ll be able to eat prickly pear flesh uncooked or cooked. It’s typically was juice and added to cocktails or cooked down into jams. Prickly pear flowers are additionally edible (1).

Because the title suggests, prickly pear fruit and pads have prickles on their exterior. Often known as glochids, they will stick with your palms and be very painful. Glochids should be eliminated earlier than consuming prickly pear (1).

Because it primarily grows in desert environments, prickly pear is quite common in Mexico and the American Southwest. In actual fact, prickly pear cactus is the state plant of Texas. Additionally it is grown in Italy and different elements of the Mediterranean (2).

You will discover prickly pear fruits (and nopales) at markets and grocery shops in these areas. They might even be imported to grocery shops in different areas, significantly Mexican meals markets and grocery chains that carry distinctive fruits or substances.

As a result of many useful plant compounds and vitamins it incorporates, prickly pear was utilized in Mexican folks drugs to deal with ulcers, liver circumstances, and different points. The potential medicinal properties of this cactus fruit proceed to be explored (2, 3).

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Prickly pear is the title of the oval fruit with prickly pores and skin and juicy flesh that grows on prime of cactus paddles. It’s a standard ingredient in Mexican delicacies and was traditionally used for medicinal functions.

The dietary profile of prickly pears might fluctuate barely relying on the range. They’re typically a great supply of fiber and include many nutritional vitamins and minerals.

One cup (149 grams) of uncooked prickly pear incorporates (4):

  • Energy: 61
  • Protein: 1 gram
  • Fats: 1 gram
  • Carbohydrates: 14 grams
  • Fiber: 5 grams
  • Magnesium: 30% of the Each day Worth (DV)
  • Vitamin C: 23% of the DV
  • Potassium: 7% of the DV
  • Calcium: 6% of the DV

Prickly pears are a great supply of dietary fiber, offering about 19% of the DV in 1 cup (149 grams). They include each soluble and insoluble fiber, each of that are necessary for wholesome digestion (4, 5).

The magnesium, potassium, and calcium in prickly pears are key vitamins for healthy blood pressure, whereas vitamin C performs an necessary position in immune system well being (6, 7).

Prickly pears additionally include many useful plant compounds, together with phenolic acids, flavonoids, and pigments, which act as antioxidants.

Antioxidants assist forestall oxidative harm that’s brought on by reactive molecules referred to as free radicals and might result in illness (2, 3).

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Prickly pears are good sources of fiber and supply a number of nutritional vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant compounds.

Most of the purported advantages of prickly pear stem from its fiber and antioxidant content material. Whereas few human research have analyzed prickly pear’s capability to advertise well being, preliminary analysis suggests promising outcomes.

Weight reduction

The fiber in prickly pear cactus vegetation might assist weight reduction by binding to dietary fats, growing its excretion and lowering power absorption (8, 9).

A examine together with 20 wholesome adults discovered that taking 2 tablets, every containing 500 mg of cactus fiber, 3 occasions per day (a complete of three grams of cactus fiber day by day) after meals led to considerably extra fecal fats excretion, in contrast with a placebo (9).

The examine authors concluded that these outcomes supported the concept that cactus fiber may play a job in weight reduction by lowering the quantity of dietary fats obtainable for absorption. Nevertheless, they didn’t measure weight reduction within the individuals (9).

Nevertheless, different research on cactus fiber tablets’ capability to extend fecal fats excretion have tracked weight reduction. One 12-week examine famous that supplementing with cactus fiber led to higher weight reduction, in contrast with a placebo (8).

Whereas the outcomes of those research are fascinating, it’s necessary to notice that they’ve targeted on fiber tablets derived from the prickly pear cactus plant — not the fruit itself.

A typical prickly pear fruit incorporates greater than three grams of fiber and is comparatively low in energy, so you may even see related weight reduction advantages. Nevertheless, extra analysis is required to grasp how consuming prickly pear might play a job in weight management (4).

Pores and skin and hair

Consuming prickly pear is usually boasted as a technique to get glowing pores and skin and shiny hair. Variations of prickly pear are even added to hair conditioners and skincare merchandise.

A few of its compounds and vitamins, like vitamin C and betalain pigments, have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant results. Prickly pear additionally incorporates polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly within the seeds and peel, which play a job in pores and skin and hair well being (10, 11).

A small examine together with 18 wholesome adults discovered that consuming 250 grams of prickly pear fruit pulp twice day by day for two weeks was akin to a vitamin C complement with reference to growing blood ranges of the antioxidant nutritional vitamins C and E and lowering oxidative stress (10).

The antioxidant enhance from prickly pear might enhance pores and skin and hair well being by defending towards harm to those areas brought on by oxidative stress associated to getting old, irritation, solar publicity, or different causes (12, 13).

Nonetheless, no research have particularly targeted on prickly pear’s advantages for pores and skin or hair. As such, the idea that antioxidant-rich prickly pair protects towards pores and skin and hair harm is usually untested.

Nevertheless, topical functions of prickly pear for pores and skin — however not hair — have been studied.

One examine in check tubes and rats discovered that oil pressed from prickly pear seeds had antimicrobial results towards pores and skin infections and wound-healing properties (14).

Whether or not topically making use of prickly pear oil to human pores and skin or consuming prickly pear fruit would have related advantages for pores and skin well being is unclear. General, the pores and skin and hair advantages of prickly pear should not but absolutely understood.

Diabetes

One other attainable advantage of prickly pear is its use in blood sugar management and diabetes problems.

The soluble fiber pectin in prickly pears might have blood-sugar-lowering properties and useful results on blood fats ranges (15, 16).

Some preliminary research in people counsel that prickly pear consumption might lower fasting blood sugar ranges and post-meal insulin ranges in each wholesome adults and people with kind 2 diabetes (15).

Nevertheless, the findings have been blended, and the results of prickly pear appear to be largely depending on the type of consumption and the a part of the plant used.

One evaluation of 20 human research discovered that consuming the flat pads of the prickly pear cactus led to vital reductions in blood sugar and insulin ranges. The prickly pear fruit had no vital results on blood sugar (15).

Nevertheless, prickly pear fruit could also be extra useful than the pads in the case of coronary heart well being. Many individuals with kind 2 diabetes have excessive triglyceride and complete and LDL “dangerous” levels of cholesterol, which can improve the danger of coronary heart illness (17, 18).

Consuming prickly pear fruit might result in vital reductions in complete and LDL levels of cholesterol, based on one other systematic evaluation of 11 research together with each wholesome adults and people with kind 2 diabetes and different metabolic circumstances (17).

Alternatively, the consumption of cactus pads or powders constituted of this a part of the cactus didn’t seem to have equally useful results on blood fats ranges (17).

Extra analysis is required to grasp how a lot and what type of prickly pear is most useful for managing blood sugar ranges and enhancing blood fats ranges.

Liver well being

Prickly pear has been traditionally used to deal with liver issues, and a few trendy research again this concept.

It’s thought that the antioxidant compounds in prickly pear assist defend towards irritation and oxidative stress that may harm the liver (11).

One examine in rats with weight problems discovered that consuming prickly pear cactus might defend towards nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, partially by lowering oxidative stress (19).

One other examine in mice prompt that prickly pear juice helps forestall liver harm brought on by power alcohol consumption by enhancing antioxidant standing and stopping oxidative harm triggered by alcohol (20).

Prickly pear might have related results in people who drink alcohol. A examine in 55 wholesome adults discovered that taking an extract of the cactus plant earlier than consuming alcohol helped scale back hangover signs and blood markers of irritation greater than a placebo (21).

Nevertheless, extra analysis in people is required to raised perceive prickly pear’s results on liver well being. It’s additionally unclear whether or not consuming prickly pear fruit presents advantages akin to these of consuming different elements of the plant.

Abstract

Research counsel prickly pear might assist with weight reduction, promote pores and skin and hair well being, enhance blood sugar and blood fats ranges, and defend the liver. Nevertheless, extra analysis is required.

Prickly pear is secure to devour when correctly ready, however it could have some downsides.

In the event you eat an excessive amount of prickly pear, you could expertise unintended effects associated to extreme fiber consumption. These embrace diarrhea, indigestion, bloating, or nausea.

Moreover, prickly pear fruit seeds have been linked to uncommon circumstances of bowel obstruction. When consumed in extra, they might kind a nondigestible obstruction that causes fecal impaction (22, 23).

Consuming prickly pear fruit or cactus pads within the quantities generally utilized in recipes is mostly thought-about secure.

Nevertheless, there isn’t a lot analysis on prickly pear dietary supplements and extracts. Pregnant and lactating individuals ought to discuss with their healthcare staff and possibly keep away from these merchandise as a result of a lack of expertise about their unintended effects.

The glochids (prickles) on the outside of prickly pears should be rigorously eliminated throughout preparation in order that they don’t get lodged in your pores and skin or ingested.

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Prickly pear is fit for human consumption in average quantities when correctly ready. On account of its excessive fiber content material, extra consumption of this meals may result in digestive discomfort and associated signs.

When making ready prickly pear fruit or cactus pads, you have to first take away the glochids. Put on gloves and use tongs when dealing with prickly pear.

Relying on the place you bought the prickly pear fruit or pads, the glochids might already be eliminated.

If the prickles are nonetheless on the cactus pads, use a blunt knife to scrape them off after which take away the “eyes” that held them. Peel the pads with a vegetable peeler to take away the pores and skin (1).

You’ll be able to then slice the cactus pads into strips or cube them into cubes to make use of in recipes.

To take away the prickles from a prickly pear fruit, you possibly can singe them off over a gasoline range or fireplace. Use tongs to carry the fruit should you use this methodology. Alternatively, you possibly can scrub the glochids off with a vegetable brush (1).

Subsequent, make a number of slits within the pores and skin and peel it off. Minimize the prickly pear in half and take away the seeds earlier than slicing it into your required form (1).

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To correctly put together prickly pear fruit or pads, you have to first take away the glochids and pores and skin. Then you possibly can slice it into your required form and use it in recipes.

Add prickly pear cactus pads (nopales) to soups, stir-fries, eggs, and salads. They’re particularly scrumptious when grilled or served with scrambled eggs.

When cooking nopales, you could discover that they emit a gel, just like what you would possibly see on okra. Isabel Eats, a recipe weblog run by a first-generation Mexican American, supplies tips about eradicating the slimy liquid and how to cook nopales.

Prickly pear fruit, alternatively, is normally utilized in juices, cocktails, jams, and extra. It additionally makes a scrumptious snack reduce up and served by itself or with different fruits.

Strive making homemade prickly pear juice, prickly pear margaritas, or a prickly pear and coconut water smoothie.

Abstract

Get pleasure from prickly pear cactus pads with scrambled eggs or added to salads and soups. Prickly pear fruit is scrumptious by itself or in juices and smoothies.

Prickly pear fruit grows on prime of the flat paddles of the Opuntia ficus-indica cactus plant.

It’s wealthy in fiber and incorporates many antioxidant compounds. In consequence, it’s thought to assist with weight reduction, blood sugar administration, liver well being, and extra. Nevertheless, extra analysis in people is required.

You’ll be able to take pleasure in prickly pear fruit and pads in quite a lot of recipes, particularly Mexican delicacies.



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