Do you know what is Nopal, a plant species of the family Cactaceae, native to Mexico? Better known as "Prickly Pear", the nopal is a plant remarkable for its medicinal properties.
Nopal leaves have been used for thousands of years by traditional medicine. In this article, we present you the exceptional properties of this plant and the various diseases that it could help to cure.
Nutritional values of nopal:
This plant is a concentrate of compounds essential for the proper functioning of the human body. It is rich in calcium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium. Nopal also offers carbohydrates, nitrogen compounds, fiber, vitamin A, B, C and K complexes, chlorophyll, riboflavin and proteins.
There are many studies and research that claim that nopal is valuable to human health, helping to promote the proper functioning of the nervous, immune, circulatory, digestive and respiratory systems.
It can be consumed in different ways: in the form of juice, added to sauces and stews, salads, in jams, broths, or combined with cereals, fruits or flax seeds.
Some healing properties of nopal:
1. It is a powerful antibiotic:
One of the healing properties of nopal is that it directly inhibits or suspends the growth and development of many bacteria. Nopal (its leaves) is used as a poultice and has very good effects on the skin, both to treat wounds and to treat infections.
2. Treat atherosclerosis:
This cardiovascular inflammation caused by plaque formation in the blood vessels can be treated with nopal. It is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory without equal. For this, regularly eating fresh or powdered nopal juice helps prevent the onset of this disease.
3. Anti-carcinogenic:
The cactus has many dietary fiber, soluble and insoluble. These absorb water and help food to pass better into the digestive tract. This also contributes to the dilution of the concentration of cells that may be potentially cancerous in the colon.
4. It helps regulate cholesterol:
Nopal regulates cholesterol through amino acids, vitamin B3 and the fibers it contains. It prevents the excess of sugar in the blood and the conversion into fat, because it substantially reduces the "bad" cholesterol and the triglycerides. It eliminates bile acids, which are then converted into cholesterol.
5. Regulates diabetes:
It helps to regulate the level of blood sugar for those who suffer from this disease. Thanks to the 18 amino acids present in the plant, the body will have more energy and fatigue will be reduced, so that the glucose will also drop.
Nopal strengthens the liver and pancreas and increases insulin sensitivity, stimulating the movement of glucose to all cells in the body. It also decreases the digestion of carbohydrates, reducing the production of insulin.