Prickly pear, also known as cactus pear, is a small, egg-shaped fruit containing tiny, edible seeds. The rind, which comes in a range of colors from yellow to purple, is not digestible, though, so do not consume it. While you can eat the prickly pear fresh, you can also juice it or make it into jam, ice cream or sweet sauces. It offers a range of nutritional benefits.
Calories and Macronutrients
A 5.2-oz. serving of prickly pear contains 61 calories, or 3 percent of the number of calories you may consume every day if you follow a 2,000-calorie meal plan. This fruit is low in fat, with 1 g per portion, and the same quantity of protein. The majority of the calories in the prickly pear come from carbohydrates; each serving contains 14 g. Daily suggested consumption of carbs ranges from 225 to 325 g. You take in 5 g of fiber per serving of this fruit, which contributes toward the 25 to 38 g of fiber you need each day to ward off bowel problems like constipation and diarrhea.
Vitamins and Minerals
Each serving of prickly pear contributes 35 percent of the daily recommended intake of vitamin C. The vitamin C in prickly pear contributes to your body's ability to heal after an injury as well as preventing colds and other infections. You also take in 8 percent of the calcium you need each day, which makes prickly pear a good choice for maintaining the stability of teeth and bones; this is important because the National Institutes of Health notes that less than 50 percent of U.S. citizens get enough calcium. Prickly pear serves up lesser amounts of iron and vitamin A as well.
Benefits
Eating prickly pear may increase your rate of urination, which may be a good way to reduce water retention that can cause weight gain and hypertension. A study published in the April 2010 issue of the journal "Phytotherapy Research" indicates that rats treated with an extract from this fruit dramatically increased urine output and decreased body weight. In addition, this extract provides antioxidant protection. Human studies are needed to determine if these findings correlate to humans.
Considerations
Consult your physician about eating prickly pear if you have diabetes. Evidence in the July-August 2010 edition of "The Annals of Pharmacotherapy" highlights the case of a patient with type 2 diabetes who suffered several hypoglycemic events after consuming prickly pear for a period of two months. Researchers theorize that this fruit may interfere with some diabetes medications.
References
- Produce Oasis: Prickly Pear
- MayoClinic.com; Healthy Diet: End the Guesswork With These Nutrition Guidelines; February 2011
- MayoClinic.com; Dietary Fiber: Essential For a Healthy Diet; November 2009
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid); Jun. 18, 2009
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Calcium; Mar. 20, 2009
- "Phytotherapy Research"; Diuretic and Antioxidant Effects of Cacti-Nea...; J.F. Bisson, et al.; April 2010
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