The many benefits of prickly pear fruit

I was searching for information on a fruit I like a lot and found that prickly pears can be beneficial to many and since now they are in season, readers may be interested to learn about them.

Winston F. Craig, PhD, RD of Michigan claims that prickly pears help normalise blood sugar and many years ago they were used for medicinal purposes.

In Mexico, the prickly pear is used for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol. Cactus prickly pear helps normalise blood sugar. They have been used successfully for centuries.

The Aztecs extracted the milky juice from the plant and mixed it with honey and egg yolk to provide an ointment to treat burns.

The Chinese dressed abscesses with the fleshy pad of the plant. The Indians used the fruit for food and also made syrup from it to treat whooping cough and asthma.

In Italy, the flowers have served as a diuretic. A tea made from the blossoms has treated colitis. In Israel, researchers found that the dried flowers may be used to battle an enlarged prostate.

Researchers in Mexico found that patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus who were given broiled nopal stems experienced a significant drop in blood glucose levels, while insulin showed improved effectiveness.

There is insufficient data to validate its effectiveness for other uses or to support its use during pregnancy or breast-feeding.

If you Google "prickly pears medicinal value" you'll find lots of fascinating detail about this fruit.

My friend Daniel Micallef, who is a well-known medical doctor, believes in the fruit and in its leaves (pal tal-bajtar) which more or less have the same effect as aloe vera.

While eating prickly pears, drink water often.