INTRODUCTION
For centuries the Nopal has proven to be one of the important allies in the human being's feeding. Their preventive and healing properties are of the most varied: The excess of cholesterol combats in the blood; it impedes the increase in the levels of glucose (which it converts to the Nopal in auxiliary effective for the treatment of the diabetes); it stimulates the circulation and, its high content in fiber optimizes the operation of the digestive system.
The first news on the medicinal use of a Cactaceae offers it Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés inside the work "Of the natural history of the Indies", in 1535 who relates the employment of a Cereus for the treatment of broken bones among the Antillean.
He tells us that among the natives from Mexico one of the most frequent uses was the employment of the pencas(cladodes) of the Nopal like hot dressing to alleviate inflammations. To heal the wounds, the old Mexicans were applied the shafts of the Nopal or the tuna shells (without thorns and skin), roasted, in form of cataplasms which it was useful to mitigate muscular pains and of molars.

The Nopal (Prickly Pear) are rich in Calcium

The daily consumption of nopalitos helps us to prevent illnesses like they are the osteoporosis or the weakness of bones and teeth. To consume 100 gr. of nopalitos (approx. 5 grs. of powdered Nopal) they contribute us around 81 mg. of calcium

The Nopal are rich in Fiber
All type of gastrointestinal problems, as the constipation, the diverticulosis, the colon cancer and the appendicitis, are the result of a low diet in fiber
Who carry out a rich diet in fibers, they will have an appropriate intestinal operation, and difficultly they will suffer of diverticulosis, diabetes, appendicitis, illnesses of the heart or colon cancer.

The Nopal contain natural antibiotics

The antibiotic property of the Cactaceae has been documented for 500 years. This property is related with the crasuláceo acid metabolism (CAM) of the plants, the one which, in the Cactaceae it inhibits or it suspends the growth of several bacterial species. With the result that so much the consumption of the Nopal like the application of cataplasms of Nopal pencas has beneficent effects in wounded and infections of the skin.

HYPOGLYCEMIC EFFECT

The purpose of this summary is to document to people in general about the properties that scientifically have been apparent in the regular consumption of the Nopal, and excessively interesting is its hypoglycemic power, that is to say, as an effective treatment for the prevention of the diabetes and maybe in a near future, when you reaches the conclusion of which are the active principles that intervene, you can achieve an extract that cures this illness.

In some of the experiments carried out by the National School of Biological Sciences of the National Polytechnic Institute it is documented that the Nopal is a probable hypoglycemic agent  that diminishes the concentrations of sugar in the blood. In this respect there are the works of investigation of Blanca Berdeja and Ma. Estela Meléndez; the publication carried out by Rubén Román in the Magazine of traditional medicine  number 100 of the IMEPLAN where it documents the clinical observation on the hypoglycemic effect  of the Nopal. and the work of Frati entitled Munari "Decrease of Glucose and Sanguine Insulin for Nopal", taken of the File Medical Investigations..

In this respect, consulted the Medical Alberto Frati Munari manifested: " Until the moment it has been demonstrated that the ingestion of Nopal before each food, at least during ten days, it causes decrease of the corporal weight, as well as reduction of the Cholesterol, Glucose and Insulin. What is still for it turns it is if the Nopal has undiabetics substances  or if alone it is a rich food in fibers, which reduces the hunger and it eliminates of the body unnecessary surpluses,  if instead of a coffee with milk, white abundant sugar and two breads, you decide to have breakfast nopalitos, you are  making a good decision, be or non diabetic."
After the statements that a diet of four months with the help of Nopal made disappear the symptoms of the diabetes mellitus, the doctor Xavier Lozoya manifested: Don't exist" Medicinal plants that substitute to the insulin that some patients require for the medical control of their illness ... however, in patients that are resistant to the insulin, we have found in Nopal (prickly pear) a powerful help."

In a new experiment carried out by the doctor Munari in the General Hospital of  La Raza of the IMSS, the following thing is documented:

By virtue of that has been demonstrated in animals of experimentation that the Nopal administration has hypoglycemic action, they began a series of experimental studies in human healthy and diabetics and it has been demonstrated that:

1. In healthy individuals the Nopal ingestion doesn't modify in important form the concentrations céricas of glucose and of insulin in you fast

2. In healthy individuals the Nopal ingestion the elevation of the concentrations céricas of glucose and insulin that it happens after a load of glucose administered via buccal diminishes

3. In individuals with diabetes mellitus not clerks of insulin the Nopal ingestion causes a sharp decrease of the ceric concentrations of glucose and insulin in you fast

4. In individuals with diabetes mellitus not clerks of insulin the Nopal ingestion before each food during ten days caused a significant decrease of the seric concentrations of glucose in you fast.

5. In healthy, obese individuals and diabetics the Nopal ingestion before each food during ten days caused a decrease of the corporal weight and of the concentrations céricas of total cholesterol, cholesterol beta, triglycerides and of the index aterogénico

does the Nopal cure the cancer?

It exists the popular belief that the Nopal have a powerful anticancerous effect. There still are not definitive conclusions, but the studies indicate that foundations exist in the effectiveness of this remedy.
In an experiment carried out with mice to who the formation of tumors had been induced with 20-metilcolantreno, watery extracts of Opuntia maxim were administered and it was found the continuation of the period of latency of this wicked tumors.
In conclusion, it fits to point out that the pharmacological study of some Cactaceae, among those that highlights the Nopal, has demonstrated the presence of anticancerous active principles that at the present time are object of wide studies

the Nopal juice is a cardiovascular tonic

The cactus employment like cardiovascular tonic it is studied and their positive effects are documented, although it is still ignored which the active principle is, to which has been denominated cactina.
The high content in pectin that is in the nopalitos, joined to a low density lipoprotein  well-known as LDL that contains the Nopal, carries out in this group an effect regulator of the cholesterol and killer of what people have given in calling bad cholesterol. This way announced it The Arizona Daily Star on Sunday February 2 1992: Eating Prickly Pear can cut bad Cholesterol US scientist says.
To big features, the text of the The Arizona Daily Star says that in the cd. of Tucson it was informed that the nopalitos helps to lower the cholesterol. Very well, but because?, is the journalist interrogated. The interviewee María of the Luz Fernández, nutrition graduate for the university of Arizona explains that the lipoprotein LDL and the pectin of the Nopal diminish the cholesterol in the blood and they help people that consumes Nopal regularly to avoid attack to the heart. The Mexico-American investigator affirms that among the pectin, gums, dietary fibers and jellied substances studied in variety of fruits and that they have these properties that diminish the cholesterol, the Nopal  even shows advantage on the apples.
The doctor Fernández thinks that this is due to that the LDL works at level of the liver, removing the cholesterol and throwing it outside of the organism as if is about a toxic substance. At the time that doesn't affect the lipoproteins of high density or HDL, well-known as good cholesterol.

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Fuente:

 EL PODER CURATIVO DEL NOPAL  Guillermo Murray Prisant

Editorial Selector

Marzo del 2000