Know2eat

Prickly pear

Opuntia ficus-indica

What prickly pear has been studied for

2 associations assessed — 2 with at least some human evidence behind them. Strongest first.

  • 2 Limited
3 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About prickly pear

The fruit of the Opuntia cactus, with a spiny skin and sweet, seed-filled flesh in shades from green to deep magenta. The magenta colour comes from betalain pigments rather than the anthocyanins found in most red fruit.

Also known as Cactus pear, Tuna, Nopal fruit, Barbary fig

Blood Sugar & Metabolic HealthAntioxidant & Oxidative Stress

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Limited

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Blood glucose response

Blood Sugar & Metabolic Health
Limited evidence

Evidence is limited. A number of small trials, mostly of the cactus pads rather than the fruit and mostly conducted in Mexico, report lower postprandial glucose with Opuntia. Reviews of that literature describe the studies as small and methodologically weak.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

1 source

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Oxidative stress markers

Antioxidant & Oxidative Stress
Limited evidence

Some small trials report changes in oxidative-stress markers after several weeks of prickly pear fruit, plausibly related to its betalain content. The number of studies is small and the markers used vary between them.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

2 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Prickly pear

Ask about Prickly pear

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories41 kcal2%
Protein0.73 g1%
Total fat0.51 g1%
Carbohydrate9.57 g3%
Fibre3.6 g13%
Water87.5 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.067 g0%
Monounsaturated fat0.075 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.213 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.186 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A2 µg0%
Vitamin C14 mg16%
Thiamin (B1)0.014 mg1%
Riboflavin (B2)0.06 mg5%
Niacin (B3)0.46 mg3%
Vitamin B60.06 mg4%
Folate6 µg2%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Minerals
Calcium56 mg4%
Iron0.3 mg2%
Magnesium85 mg20%
Phosphorus24 mg2%
Potassium220 mg5%
Sodium5 mg0%
Zinc0.12 mg1%
Copper0.08 mg9%
Selenium0.6 µg1%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene25 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Ash1.64 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Prickly pears, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 167750).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

Nothing dependable is recorded about how preparation changes this food’s nutritional properties. Rather than guess, this section stays empty.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Worth knowing

    Glochids embed in skin and mouth

    The fruit is covered in glochids, hair-fine barbed spines that detach on contact and are difficult to remove. Injuries to hands, lips and the oral mucosa are common enough to have a name in the dermatology literature, and fruit should be handled with tongs and peeled before eating.

  • Worth knowing

    Seeds can form intestinal masses

    The hard seeds pass undigested, and eating large quantities of unstrained fruit has caused faecal impaction and bowel obstruction, reported particularly in older people during harvest season in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries.

  • Interaction

    Possible additive glucose lowering

    Opuntia preparations have been studied for glucose-lowering effects. Anyone taking insulin or a sulphonylurea who begins eating large amounts regularly has reason to monitor, though the evidence for the effect is itself weak.