Nopal’s rich composition of phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and amino acids is responsible for its many therapeutic attributes, including being anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, antimicrobial, antiviral, and neuroprotective. These medicinal qualities may help with metabolic disorders, including diabetes and obesity.

History

Historians believe the prickly pear was known and used by indigenous peoples of Mexico for more than 9,000 years. The Aztecs used the juice to treat burns and wounds. Nopales have 114 species common to Mexico, which produces about 800,000 tons annually. More than 7 million acres are grown by 10,000 nopal farmers.

Prickly pear cactus grows in the arid and semi-arid climates of Mexico, Latin America, and Mediterranean countries. The flowers, fruits, and pads are still used today by traditional medicine practitioners in remedies for burns, wounds, edema, glaucoma, liver conditions, obesity, whooping cough, and gastritis.

Benefits

Studies show that nopal may be effective in treating diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, rheumatism, cancers, viruses, and bacterial infections. Extract of nopal may help with alcoholism and alcohol addiction prevention because of its anti-inflammatory effects. Its antiviral activity is being used against herpes simplex virus, respiratory syncytial virus, and HIV.

Nopal Flowers

Nopal flowers are a major source of polyphenols and flavonoids. Because of their gallic acid content, they show high antioxidant activity, which helps reduce cell damage from free radicals, a significant cause of chronic diseases. The normal metabolic processes in the body produce free radicals. Stress on the body from today’s unhealthy foods, lifestyles, and environmental toxins can increase the creation of these radicals.

Nopal Fruit

The nopal fruit contains vitamins C and E, carotenoids, and fiber. Once peeled, the fruit is refreshing and delicious. Studies show that the juice is high in antioxidant properties because of the red-purple pigments betaxanthin and betacyanin.

Nopal Seeds

The fruit seeds are rich in minerals, especially potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, and calcium. The oil from the seeds contains a high level of omega-6 linolenic acid, higher than in sunflower, grape seed, and sesame oils.

Nopal Pads

The pads have a mucilaginous quality and are used topically in traditional medicine for oozing wounds, abscesses, and skin ailments. The pads have a high level of vitamin C and dietary fiber, which helps improve digestion and elimination, gastric disorders, diarrhea, and water retention. The fiber slows down the movement of food, allowing better digestion of glucose. This quality helps in obesity and diabetic management and can improve colon health.

Extracts of the pads, which have bactericidal properties, have been studied for their potential use in the food industry to ameliorate food-borne gastroenteritis, mainly from poultry products.

The prickly pear cactus has shown significant beneficial results for the following three diseases.

Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a leading cause of death worldwide. According to a 2021 report from the American Diabetes Association, 38 million American adults, or 11.6 percent of the population, have diabetes. A deficiency of dietary fiber may be a cause of diabetes. Consequently, there is ongoing research evaluating nutraceuticals—plant-based drugs—to help manage and reduce this disease.

Extracts of the nopal fruit and pads are studied for their positive effects on the metabolism of both lipids and glucose. The abundant dietary fiber in the pads, which are eaten raw or cooked, slows bowel movement so glucose is better digested, giving this plant a low glycemic index.

Cancer

The nopal is rich in polyphenols, including gallic and linoleic acids. Linoleic acid is known to help lower cholesterol, which may contribute to inhibitory properties against colon cancer. Gallic acid has a cytotoxic effect against tumor cells from some cancers, including breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and leukemia.

Cardiovascular Disease

Science has demonstrated that polyunsaturated fatty acids have health and therapeutic effects on the body. These acids can be obtained only through diet. Nopal’s fatty acids and fiber significantly affect heart health. Research has indicated that increasing dietary alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA, reduces the risk of fatal coronary heart disease by 20 percent and total cardiovascular disease by 10 percent.

For a complete analysis of the nutritional value of nopal cactus, see the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s FoodData Central nutrition table.

Health Cautions

• Because nopal may cause blood pressure to lower, monitor blood sugar levels closely, especially if taking diabetes medications.
• It is best to eat fresh prickly pear pads and fruit, which are often found year-round in local grocery stores and farmers markets. Make sure they have been cleaned of their spines.
• Nopal supplements need more testing.