Nopal, or Opuntia cacti, are native to arid areas of Central, South and North America. There are more than one hundred and fourteen species endemic to Mexico and the Yucatan, where the plant is a common ingredient in numerous dishes. It is used as a food and medicinally as an anti-inflammatory, laxative, for alcohol hangover, to manage abdominal pain, and for high blood sugar conditions.
Marie uses Nopal in an extraordinary way, as a base for a delicious, vegetable forward sauce that is unlike any other "green" sauce you or your loved ones have tried. Get Marie's Green Habanero pepper sauce NOW and experience the clean, natural flavor of nopal, for yourself!
Excerpts about NOPAL in the Literature
José Á. Guerrero-Beltrán, Carlos E. Ochoa-Velasco, in Exotic Fruits, 2018
Prickly pear, cactus pear or “tuna” is the fruit of the cactus pads tree (Opuntia spp.) or “nopal” member of the Cactaceae family. There are many prickly pears with a wide range of flavors and colors. Prickly pears are known with different scientific names (Opuntia spp.) and common names, depending on the interior and exterior colors, size, and region of production. Pale-green, yellow, orange, magenta, red, and red–purple are the color of prickly pear pulp.
Today, the fruit is eaten fresh or as juice, chilled or at room temperature; and in a number of creative products!
Type 2 diabetes is a rapidly spreading disease and primarily affects people of Hispanic descent. Prickly pear cactus or Nopal has been used for centuries both as food as well as medicine by people in Mexico and the United States. Certain species of prickly pear cactus may indeed have value in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, as shown by the results of clinical trials in both humans and animals. For this reason, more research is necessary in order to explore these plants' potential benefit as a botanical hypoglycemic agent for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
The exact mechanism of the blood-sugar-lowering property of Nopal is unknown although it has a high soluble fiber and pectin content which may affect glucose uptake. Prior studies, however, dispute the role of fiber in reducing blood glucose in animal studies but do not offer an alternative mechanism.
Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/nopal
Ingredients in Marie Sharp's Nopal Sauce
Hand chopped fresh Belizean Nopal, green habanero pepper, natural vinegar, freshly squeezed key lime juice, sea salt, hand chopped white onions and fresh roasted garlic - Mindfully made at the Melinda Estate in Belize, Central America.
