Nutritional and Therapeutic Applications of Prickly Pear Cacti

Abstract

Abstract Prickly pear cactus is commonly known to both the Mexican and Mexican American population by its vernacular name, “nopal.” Prickly pear cactus includes various species of food and fodder plants that people on both sides of the United States-Mexico border have used for both nourishment as well as medicine for centuries. Diverse species of prickly pear cactus have been studied for their hypoglycemic properties, and potential application as a safe and effective treatment for type 2 diabetes. This chapter mainly reviews the principal studies that investigated the effects of the cacti on blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetes, a rapidly spreading noninfectious disease, especially among Hispanics. The potential applications of the cacti as functional foods are also mentioned. Research in both humans and animals suggests that various species of prickly pear cacti possess both nutritional as well as therapeutic value for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, among many other health issues. For this reason, more clinically controlled studies are necessary in order to confirm these plants potential benefits as natural and safe phytotherapeutic agents, as well as nutritionally valuable supplements.