Prickly pear is the common name for Nopalea or the Nopal Cactus. It is a well-known cactus plant. It’s been exported worldwide and can be found in most cactus gardens. Opuntia Streptacantha is a cactus species native to the Sonoran Desert region of the United States and Mexico. The best guide to finding peyote cactus for sale.
The people of Mexico and the Southwest United States have used both the Nopal bloom and the pad for food and healing. However, most of us have never considered this highly nutritious food to be food. Nonetheless, it is highly nutritious and contains unique phytonutrients. I’m particularly interested in betalains, a type of antioxidant.
Betalains appear to be particularly beneficial in promoting health at the cellular level. In addition, betalains can aid in the fight against toxic invaders that can cause illness, particularly those associated with inflammation, which can put us at risk for chronic disease.
The Nopal cactus has been dubbed a “superfruit” because it contains a rare class of highly potent betalain antioxidants. The Nopal cactus fruit contains one of nature’s highest concentrations of betalains.
More than 100 studies demonstrate the effectiveness of betalain antioxidants in protecting against an unseen war of environmental toxins. The pigments that give the Nopal cactus fruit its vibrant pink color are known as betalains. But that’s just the start. They’re also natural antioxidants, only found in a few plants worldwide.
The Nopal fruit not only belongs to this small group of unique plants but also leads the group by containing one of the highest amounts of natural betalains.
When ingested betalains, they restore vitality on a cellular level. The betalains found in the Nopal fig can reduce inflammation in the body that leads to disease by assisting the body in reducing the toxins surrounding our cells and allowing essential nutrients to reach each cell.
* Lowers the risk of blood clots-betalains protect the thin lining of your blood vessels, which helps reduce the inflammation that causes your blood to stick together and lead to clots.
* Lowers bad cholesterol-betalains significantly lower oxidized LDL cholesterol.
* Protects cells from toxins-Betalains protect many different types of cells, particularly brain cells, from toxins known to cause tumors.
* Protects your liver-Betalains protect your liver from toxins that directly affect it.
A new nopal wellness drink made from the nopal cactus fruit makes it simple to reap the benefits of betalain antioxidants. Many of the benefits are not immediately apparent, but I have been using the product for about a month and have noticed that my joints are no longer in pain. I’d forgotten how this feels, but it’s a beautiful sensation.
References:
“Antioxidant betalains derived from cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) inhibit endothelial ICAM-1 expression.” Gentile, C The Tesoriere, M Allegra, M A Livrea, and P D’Alessio from the Department of Farmacochemistry, Toxicology, and Biology at the University of Palermo in Italy.
Free Radic Res. 2007 Mar;41(3):335-41. Allegra M, Tesoriere L, Livrea MA.
Lee, MH, Kim, JY, Yoon, JH, Lim, HJ, Kim, TH, Jin, C, Kwak, WJ, Han, CK, and Ryu, JH. Phytother Res. Sep 2006;20(9):742-7.
Phytother Res. 2005 Sep;19(9):796-800. Galati EM, Mondello MR, Lauriano ER, Taviano MF, Galluzzo M, Miceli N. Phytother Res. 2006 Sep;20(9):742-7. Lee MH, Kim JY, Yoon JH, Lim HJ, Kim TH, Jin C, Kwak WJ, Han CK, Ryu JH.
Read Also: How to Prepare Chocolate Covered Strawberries