Prickly pear.. Learn about its health benefits

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Do you hear the call of the prickly pear seller from the window and do you want to eat this summer fruit that is rich in fruitful benefits? The pleasure is not limited to putting these delicious fruits in the refrigerator and eating them cold, but rather they contain within them a package of therapeutic properties. As for its taste, it is similar to a taste in which watermelon and raspberries are mixed, while… Its smell tends to smell like cucumber, and since prickly pear is widespread during the summer, we will discuss in our next article the benefits of prickly pear.

About prickly pear

When was the last time you ate prickly pear? You will love the sweetness of the wonderful taste of these fruits that are sold on the beaches in the hot season. They are called cactus fruit or cactus. They can be found growing on the tips of the leaves of certain types of cactus. Although there are more than 200 types of them common, some types are not edible.

In terms of talking about the appearance of the prickly pear, we will find that it has that cylindrical shape, but be careful before touching it. It is preferable to wear gloves to protect your hands from the thorns spread on its outer peel. In the beginning, when the fruits of the prickly pear are not yet ripe, the peel and pulp take on a green color until they reach the stage of Ripening, during which color gradations appear on the internal content of the fruit, between yellow and red.

Health benefits of prickly pear

Prickly pear can be used to include it in the diet of people who suffer from many health problems or as an important fruit to prevent some disease symptoms.

1- Controlling blood sugar levels

Prickly pear is included among the types of fruits suitable for people most at risk of developing diabetes, as it has been proven that it plays a regulatory role in supporting blood sugar indicators within stable limits. Among the effective effects of prickly pear in the field of preventing cases of high blood sugar is its positive contribution:

• Decrease and decrease in blood sugar indicators by rates ranging between 17-48%.
• Reduced risk of developing type 1 and type 2 diabetes

Perhaps the prickly pear contains a number of nutrients that are useful in controlling diabetes, which makes it of such importance

– MagnesiumIt has been found that suffering from deficiencies in the levels of the mineral magnesium in the body is accompanied by an increase in blood sugar

– ManganeseStudies have proven the existence of this relationship between the presence of manganese in the prickly pear and its role as a stimulant that has a specific role in stimulating the function of the pancreas to secrete the hormone insulin, which is necessary for the regulated control of blood sugar levels.

– PotassiumIt is one of the most important essential minerals needed to enhance heart health and reduce the risk of heart disease and atherosclerosis

– AntioxidantsIt is considered an effective nutrient in protecting against cell damage and achieving controlled blood sugar levels, in addition to improving cases of insulin sensitivity.

Read also the benefits of cauliflower…the most prominent of which is reducing the accumulation of harmful cholesterol in the arteries

2- Promoting digestive health

As a result of the prickly pear’s high dietary fiber content along with powerful antioxidants, making sure to eat desert figs on a regular basis will bring many benefits to the health of the digestive system. It also works to prevent common stomach disorders, and a number of the most common benefits can be observed:

• A natural cleanser of colon waste and toxins, maintaining and improving its health
• Preventive treatment for cases of constipation, stool hardening and hardening as a result of bowel movement difficulties.
• Good organization and management of healthy digestion and excretion of waste
• Reducing serious complications resulting from the development of digestive system problems, especially colon cancer and stomach ulcers

3- Strengthening the health of the heart and arteries

Given that they are considered excellent sources rich in important essential elements such as potassium and fiber, in addition to many nutrients that have been proven important for the circulatory system, which consists of the heart, blood vessels, and blood, therefore, including prickly pear fruit among your favorite benefits is useful in reducing the risk of heart disease and coronary arteries, among its benefits. Vitality in this context:

• Reducing the levels of harmful cholesterol accumulated in the body, whether caused by hereditary familial hypercholesterolemia or another type acquired due to unhealthy habits.
• Reducing high blood pressure levels
• Alleviating the severity of symptoms associated with some heart diseases, such as feeling pain in the chest muscles

Perhaps high blood pressure and high levels of cholesterol are among the factors that increase the incidence of more serious chronic diseases such as atherosclerosis.

4-Enhancing the strength of the immune system

The immune system has strong defense mechanisms to protect the body from any disease-causing infection, and prickly pear will help make your immune system stronger, thanks to the high levels of vitamin C in addition to vitamin E it contains, in addition to the antioxidant properties that are useful in helping the body:

• Expel toxins and harmful chemicals from the body
• Improve metabolic function
• Preventing the harmful effects of free radicals that cause cell damage and thus preventing cancer
• Activating the process of releasing more white blood cells.

5-Improving bone and dental health

Due to the anti-inflammatory properties that prickly pear fruits carry, they protect against the harmful effects brought by disease infections in the form of chemical compounds within components that have been found to have a protective role against the risk of inflammation targeting the joints and muscles, which increases the chances of developing osteoporosis, which falls within the inflammatory diseases of the age. It is considered a rich source of calcium, which is necessary to support healthy bones and teeth