Prickly Pear Fruit—opuntia spp
The Prickly Pear cactus is a flowering plant in the cactus family that grows in the United States, Mexico and other parts of South America. This plant also grows in the Mediterranean, Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe. This plant is loaded with medicinal properties and nutritional benefits that have been utilized by the indigenous people of these regions. In this section we will focus on the prickly pear fruit that is also referred to as the Cactus fruit or Indian Fig. This fruit can range in colors—from red-purple, yellow-orange and white -green, it has a tart sweet taste and is packed with nutrients.
Description and Nutritional composition:
The fruit is an oval elongated berry with a pericarp, pulp and rind.
The colors vary from hues of green, white, yellow, orange, red, pink and purple.
This fruit is considered as a functional food secondary to the rich content of bioactive compounds like polyphenols, carotenoids, flavonoids, pigments, vitamin C and E, and fiber.
The fruit also has water soluble pigments called betalains such as betacyanin, and betaxanthin—present in the purple-pink and yellow-orange hued fruit respectively. Indicaxanthin is the pigment present in the light-colored fruits.
Health properties:
Antioxidant effects:
The bioactive agents in this cactus fruit may have the ability to protect from oxidant damage that happens in our cells in response to contaminants and pollutants in the atmosphere, water, and air we breathe, as well as the food we eat.
There may be a beneficial effect from the ingredients in this fruit that decrease lipid peroxidation which creates reactive agents that mediate oxidant injury in cells. It is accepted that the betacyanin in the purple-colored fruits has the highest antioxidant potential.
Antihyperlipidemic/Antidiabetic effects:
The Nopal or stems of the plant also have a high fiber content and may help regulate cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Anti-inflammatory/Anti-tumor effects:
Owing to the rich content of bioactive ingredients, this fruit may help with decreasing inflammation.
Chronic inflammation is the cornerstone of chronic diseases and ingestion of antioxidant rich foods help protect our bodies from various disease-causing toxins.
It is noteworthy to mention that the juice of red purple prickly pear fruit has the ability to reduce the mutagenic (cancer causing effects) of harmful carcinogenic chemicals like MMS (Methyl methane sulfonate).
From the above discussion we can learn that foods have functional value in medicine. I would encourage all my readers to view food as medicine and eat foods that are minimally processed. Get to know the nutritional qualities of your food and stay away from fast foods, deep fried foods and deli meats. Eat with an emphasis on health and well-being and live long and strong!
Caution—Secondary to multiple thorns on the fruit and stems, extreme caution must be exercised in preparing these foods and guidance from an expert is recommended to avoid injury.
