Prickly Pear Diabetes Supplement - How Prickly Pear Cactus Leaves can help with Diabetes

Prickly Prickly Cactus for diabetes control is not a new idea.

The plant is well known in Mexico, and has been used traditionally to treat 'sweet urine'. The ancient Mexicans used it by making a cold extract from the young leaves.

The drink was given to those that had sweet urine.

In recent times it has been used to treat Diabetes (Type II), lower Cholesterol levels and help with weight loss.

In this article I am going to concentrate on the constituents of Prickly pear Cactus and what makes it work.

The Prickly Pear Cactus plant is also known as Nopales, Opuntia and Indian Fig Plant

The Prickly Pear Cactus plant is also known as Nopales, Opuntia and Indian Fig Plant.

The young leaves (known as pads) and the rich pink fruits are edible. Prickly Pear contains a lot of natural fibers and pectin.

The pectin content makes it easy to make jellies and jams out of the fruit.

While the fruit makes a refreshing drink, a Diabetic's interest on Prickly pear Cactus lies in the leaves

The Pectin and Fibers contained in the Prickly Pear Cactus leaves prevent sugar from being absorbed from the food eaten.

This way they have a direct effect on blood sugar.

Additionally, the fibers in the Nopales leaves combine with fat in the meals to form an unabsorbable mass. They bind some of the fat and prevent it from being absorbed.

This has a positive effect on obesity, a common problem in Diabetes.

First, always tell your Doctor everything about your diet and supplements. In an recent study on the antidiabetic effect of one of the Opuntia species, the researchers found that the plant improved glycemic control in the study animals - lab rats.

They concluded by stating that 'These data support the traditional use of the plants as "agua de uso", a cold infusion of the plant consumed over the course of a day'

And that is the best way to use the Prickly Pear cactus plant a s a diabetes supplement.

Chew on the leaves or Juice it, mix with water and sip all day long. Be sure to use the younger tender leaves as the older ones are too tough.

You could filter the mixture to remove some fiber as it makes for a smoother drink.Alternatively, you could drink it whole to take advantage of the effect of the fibres on both diabetes and obesity.