Cactus the new coconut?

Kathleen Clemens
Jan 31, 2018
2 min read

While the thought of a desert is far from hydrating, further contemplation on how much water native plants must store to survive such an arid environment quenches my mental thirst. It makes a whole lot of sense why the fruit of the prickly pear cactus plants is being juiced to produce cactus water. If you are a natural food store shopper, chances are you have started to see this product on the shelf. Is this new fad worth all the hype? With about half the calories and sugar of coconut water, plus unique beneficial compounds – my answer is YES. Absolutely. Read on for the fruitful facts.

THE YUMMY HEALTH BENEFITS OF NOPAL CACTUS WATER:

low amount of sugar

high amount of electrolytes (esp. potassium)

high amount of minerals

high amount of vitamins

low in calories

potent source of Betalain Antioxidants *

potent source of Taurine*

*Let’s discuss these two benefits in a bit more detail as they are vital to the achievement of optimal health.

BETALAIN ANTIOXIDANTS:

Betalains are powerful antioxidants that studies have shown provide protection against oxidative stress-related disorders. Particularly they prevent cell damage and are anti-inflammatory. They also revitalize our skin. The cactus fruit is the only fruit which contains all 24! To give you a better picture, cactus water has two times the amount of these betalain antioxidants than beets do.

TAURINE:

While you will often hear Taurine referred to as an “amino acid”, it is not so biochemically speaking. Yes it is an acid that contains an amino group, but rather than a carboxyl group (like true amino acids) it contains a sulfonyl hydroxide making it a sulfonic acid. That being said, let’s refer to Taurine as an orgainc compound that is broadly distributed in our tissues. What makes this compound so noteworthy?

It has been shown to aid in the prevention of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease (by reducing the secretion of serum lipids and apolipoprotein B100)

Dietary Taurine promotes weight loss and as well reduces oxidative stress caused by exercise. Hence, it aids in muscle recovery.

It shields against toxicity of lead and cadmium, and acts as a strong antioxidant

It is essential for the proper functioning of our skeletal muscle, cardiovascular system, our central nervous system and our retina.