Prickly Pear Cactus

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• What other names is Prickly Pear Cactus known by?
• What is Prickly Pear Cactus?
• How does Prickly Pear Cactus work?
• Are there safety concerns?
• Are there any interactions with medications?
• Dosing considerations for Prickly Pear Cactus.

What other names is Prickly Pear Cactus known by?

Barbary-fig Cactus, Cactus Flowers, Cactus Fruit, Cactus Pear Fruit, Figue d'Inde, Figuier de Barbarie, Fruit du Cactus, Fruit de l'Oponce, Gracemere-Pear, Indian-fig Prickly Pear Cactus, Indien-Figue, Nopal, Nopal Cactus, Nopales, Nopol, OPI, Oponce, Opuntia, Opuntia cardona, Opuntia ficus, Opuntia ficus-indica, Opuntia Fruit, Opuntia fuliginosa, Opuntia hyptiacantha, Opuntia lasciacantha, Opuntia macrocentra, Opuntia megacantha, Opuntia puberula, Opuntia streptacantha, Opuntia velutina, Opuntia violacea, Prickly Pear, Tuna Cardona, Westwood-Pear.

What is Prickly Pear Cactus?

Possibly Effective for...

• Diabetes. Some forms of prickly pear cactus seem to lower blood sugar levels in people who have type 2 diabetes.
• Hangover. Taking prickly pear cactus before drinking alcohol might reduce some symptoms of hangover the next day.

Insufficient Evidence to Rate Effectiveness for...

• High blood cholesterol, obesity, colitis, diarrhea, enlarged prostate, and treating infections caused by viruses.

Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate (detailed description of each of the ratings).