Prickly pear – characteristics, properties, application

Proven content

The prickly pear does not grow in our climate. It grows naturally, among others in Mexico. However, it contains many properties that are valuable to health, so it is worth remembering about it. Few people know that this is an edible cactus species. The prickly pear grows as bushes or trees. Its fruits, leaves and flowers are edible.

Prickly pear, due to its pro-health nutritional values, should be included in our diet. It has a positive effect not only on our health, but also on the figure. What other values ​​does it have? Why is it worth introducing it to the diet?

Prickly pear – what is worth knowing about it?

The prickly pear (Indian fig or cactus fig) is a plant native to Mexico, but is also grown in Europe, especially Italy. It has as many as 150 varieties, although most of them are already threatened with extinction. The Aztecs used the fig prickly pear as a medicinal plant and is still used in phytotherapy to this day. Depending on the species, the prickly pear can take the form of a shrub or a tree.

The prickly pear is a cactus. It has flattened shoots, is covered with a waxy skin and about 2 cm long spines. Its fruit is oval or ovoid in shape, resembling a berry in appearance, and may be red, yellow, orange or green in color. The fruit of the prickly pear has a flesh with seeds of various shapes – some of them round and others elongated, resembling figs.

What nutrients does prickly pear contain?

Both the fruit, leaves and flowers of the fig opuntia are edible. The fruit is 90% water, and the dry matter contains carbohydrates and a large amount of the soluble fiber fraction, i.e. pectin and B-glucans. In 100 g of dry weight of fruit, there are 19 to 25 grams of simple carbohydrates (glucose and fructose); from 13 to 13,8 g of protein and only about 1 g of fat.

Prickly pear contains many water-soluble vitamins, e.g. vitamin C, B vitamins and fat-soluble vitamins, e.g. B-carotene and vitamin E. In addition, the prickly pear fruit contains a lot of ash, which includes calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, sodium and phosphorus. It is also worth mentioning that it also contains bioactive phytochemicals, such as phenolic compounds and cartoneids.

The peel of the fig prickly pear contains about 2,5% of lipids, but the most valuable ingredients are unsaturated fatty acids and antioxidant vitamins. The edible part of the fruit in about 35% are seeds of high nutritional and antioxidant value. The fig prickly pear fruit has sterol fractions, stigmasterol and ergosterol, and its seeds contain many polyphenols, tannins and flavonoids.

What are the health benefits of the fig prickly pear?

Folk medicine specialists have long known the unique health properties of the fig opuntia. In Mexico, for example, it serves both as a natural remedy to accelerate wound healing and as a medicine for internal use for gastrointestinal ailments. Prickly pear pulp stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin and lowers blood glucose levels.

When external factors can harm the flesh, the plant begins to produce a special substance responsible for its protection. Opuntia G, because this is the name of the substance, affects the synthesis of HSP in the human body – thanks to HSP stimulation, the skin becomes more resistant to sunlight. What’s more, Opuntia G is also treated as an anti-wrinkle preparation. The fig prickly pear is present, among others, in in Bioherba Prickly Pear Serum for mature skin, as well as in Bioherba Oil Serum with vitamin C.

Eating prickly pear fruit is recommended for people who want to maintain their body weight. After eating a small amount, a feeling of fullness quickly appears. The presence of dietary fiber reduces the level of LDL cholesterol, i.e. the harmful cholesterol. In turn, the flowers of the prickly pear contain flavonoids, which are used, for example, to produce an antidepressant.

Which ailments can the fig opuntia treat?

The plant has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral and lactogenic properties. There is a thesis that prickly pear fruit extract reduces cervical cancer cells, but scientists have reached such conclusions as a result of studies conducted on mice. These studies have shown that prickly pear extract inhibits the proliferation of cervical, ovarian and bladder cancer cells in vitro.

The antitumor activity of prickly pear was confirmed on the basis of observations of the effects of betanin isolated from it – it turned out that the substance induces apoptosis in the human chronic myeloid leukemia cell line. This makes the prickly pear helpful in treating asthma, shortness of breath, gastritis, ulcers and indigestion.

Prickly pear helps in the treatment of rheumatism, erythema, chronic skin diseases, cuts and wounds. Heated poultices of prickly pear applied to the breast can positively affect the lactation process. In addition, it can be helpful in the treatment of anorexia, headaches, dizziness and dry mouth.

Prickly pear and alcohol poisoning syndrome

Alcohol poisoning syndrome, commonly known as “hangover”, can be soothed not only by vitamin B6 but also by the fig prickly pear. The results of the study, in which 64 people participated, were published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. The participants were divided into two groups and were given alcohol to drink. 5 hours before drinking the drink, participants in the first group were given an extract of fig opuntia, and those in the second group were given a placebo.

After completing the trial and repeating the study after two weeks, it turned out that the hangover symptoms in the first group were less severe – participants had less anorexia and less dry mouth. This is because the fig opuntia extract reduces the mediators of inflammation and thus makes the symptoms of alcohol intoxication milder.

How to eat a fig prickly pear?

Prickly pear leaves are a popular addition to Mexican dishes. Moreover, Mexicans consider it a vegetable and add it both to dishes and eat it as a separate dish. Indian fig has sweet fruit, so it can also be eaten raw. Its flesh is used as an addition to desserts, it is also used to make alcohol, juices, jellies and other dishes.

The use of prickly pear in herbal medicine

In herbal medicine, prickly pear fruit is used to prepare, among others: compresses that are used to treat inflammation of the skin and eyes. In folk medicine, prickly pear was used as a plant to help heal fungal infections and skin diseases – mainly extracts were prepared from it. Currently, it is one of the ingredients of various slimming products due to its high fiber content. Prickly pear also has a positive effect on the liver and is used as an adjunct, for example in the treatment of liver cirrhosis.

You will get green tea with prickly pear along with tea supporting liver function and chicory root coffee in the liver kit available at a promotional price on Medonet Market.

The use of the fig prickly pear in cosmetics

Prickly pear oil is one of the most expensive oils available on the market – 1 liter of liquid can cost up to PLN 400. The reason for this price is the high cost of preparation. To obtain 1 liter of oil, approximately one million seeds are needed from 470 kg of fresh fruit. Prickly pear oil, also known as natural botox, is used in many natural cosmetics.

According to manufacturers of cosmetics containing fig opuntia oil, the use of such products, among others smoothes the skin, reduces the depth of wrinkles, hydrates the skin, has antioxidant properties, removes dark circles under the eyes and improves skin tone. Moreover, it reduces inflammation and skin irritation. However, it is important to know that this is not a guaranteed effect.

Fig opuntia oil, although it contains many substances that are valuable for the skin, such as vitamin E and linoleic acid, is not a “magic” agent. When the skin requires the basics of care and the reconstruction of the hydrolipid barrier, then a more effective cosmetic can be, for example, borage oil or evening primrose oil – both contain gamma linolenic acid needed for this, which is not found in fig opuntia oil.

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