Cactus/Cactus Fruit

Cactus is amazingly strong plant that can survive in the harsh desert. The Mexican people view it as a beautiful symbol of life and hope, and they use it widely for food and medicine. Cactus is also highly regarded in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Written during the Qing Dynasty, Beng Cao Gang Mu Shi Yi (A Supplement to the Compendium of materia Medica) recorded that cactus has a mild taste and is cold in nature, can promote the flow of qi (vital energy) and blood circulation, is cooling and detoxifying, can reduce swelling  and relieve pain, strengthens the spleen and stops diarrhea, is soothing and a diuretic, and can be used both externally and internally to treat many diseases. Moreover, it is low in calories and sodium. The excellent nutritional value of cactus is recognized across different cultures around the world.

Excellent Nutritional Value

Cactus extract is rich in nutrients such as beta-carotene, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and iron. It is also abundant in phytochemicals, antioxidants, and polysaccharides.

Cactus has high levels of amino acids, including proline and taurine. Prior to 2000, when taurine was found to be in cactus, it had not been discovered in any other plants! Cactus also contains essential amino acids not manufactured by the human body such as histidine, isoleucine, etc.

Potent Antioxidant and Toxicity Reducer

Research indicates that the high levels of nutrients and antioxidants in cactus and cactus fruit can help prevent DNA damage, and effectively inhibit and fight against free radical formation. For example, cactus is abundant in flavonoids, a group of phytochemicals that can help protect neurons against oxidative injury. Beta-carotene contributes to the high antioxidant activity in cactus. The antioxidant activity of cactus fruit is said to be seven times more powerful than that of vitamin C!

Cactus extract reduces oxidative damage and liver and kidney toxicity that occur as a result of zearalenone, a toxin that occurs in high levels in many foodstuffs such as crops and vegetable oils. In one study, supplementing with 500g of cactus fruit daily for two weeks improved the oxidative stress status of healthy humans.

Cancer Fighter

Phytochemicals in cactus protect the plant from UV damage and ensure its survival. These same phytochemicals are also highly beneficial to the human body because they help inhibit different tumor formation processes and nourish the immune system to prevent disease. Antioxidants in cactus can inhibit the formation of free radicals and enhance phagocytic activity. Polysaccharides can boost immunity, increase NK cell activity, and inhibit tumor formation.

Cardiovascular Health Benefits

Found in cactus, proline and taurine, are of particular interest. Proline aids in collagen formation, atherosclerosis prevention, and tissue repair. Taurine helps to combat heart disease, protect against diabetes, lowering high blood pressure, and decrease anxiety.

Furthermore, cactus extract helps to decrease cholesterol and triglyceride levels, reduce low-density lipoprotein (“bad” cholesterol), prevent high blood sugar levels, stabilize diabetic’ blood sugar levels, and promote cardiovascular health.

Inflammation Inhibitor

Cactus contains beta-sitosterol, an anti-inflammatory phytochemical that aids in wound healing. Scientists tested a topical application that consisted of 15% cactus extract and found that phytochemicals in cactus accelerated tissue regeneration by inhibiting inflammation, stimulating the creation of new blood vessels, and stimulating fibroblasts (cells that aid in would healing) to move to the wound area and speed up collagen formation.

Skin Improvement

Research shows that when applied to skin, cactus extract acts as a moisturizer and helps prevent water evaporation from the stratum corneum layer, thereby improving the skin’s barrier function. In addition, phytochemicals in cactus help to speed up collagen formation.

Cactus fruit is high in vitamins A, B1, B12, D3, and riboflavin. The fruit can help to promote skin repair and regeneration, soften the skin, and significantly improve the skin’s condition and appearance.

Understand Your Immune System

What is Immune System?
The immune system is an amazing, proactive defense mechanism. Its complex network of white blood cells, antibodies and other immune chemicals and organs offers us around-the-clock protection against invaders. When there is a cut on the skin, the immune system works actively to heal it and stop the entry of microbes like viruses and bacteria. As our cells continuously reproduce, a strong immune system also helps to detect and defeat cell mutations that could lead to cancer.

Most diseases are the result of a malfunctioning immune system. The immune system may malfunction in one or both of the following ways:

A Weak Immune System
You may have come across someone who constantly gets sick – be it with flu, a cough, cold or even stomach discomfort. Have you ever wondered why some people recover quickly while others take longer or just never fully recover? The answer lies in our immune system.

The air we breathe, the food we eat and the surfaces we touch are always teeming with disease-causing dust, pollutants, fungi, parasites and germs like viruses and bacteria. Once our body is weak, these toxic agents will easily overwhelm the immune system and cause illnesses.

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is one example of a disease linked with a weak immune system. Once AIDS sets in, the immune system is critically compromised and unable to effectively combat dangerous germs. Cancer is also a sign that our immune system is weak. Chemotherapy, a type of radiation treatment for cancer, further weakens the immune system – this is why cancer patients are easily afflicted with flu, coughs and colds.

A Hyperactive Immune System 
The immune system can be also malfunction by over-reacting of turning against the body’s own cells. This often leads to allergies or autoimmune diseases.

An allergic reaction, such as a respiratory allergy, skin allergy or food allergy, occurs when the immune system reacts against non-threatening agents, such as plant pollen, animal fur, dust and some types of food.

An autoimmune disease occurs when our immune system mistakenly attacks our body’s own healthy cells. Rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, diabetes mellitus and systemic lupus erythematosus are all examples of common autoimmune diseases.

Doctor treats allergies and autoimmune diseases by prescribing drugs to suppress the immune response. Such treatment usually results in a weakened immune system, thus, leaving us more susceptible to diseases. And usually, such drugs only stop the symptoms, such as swelling or pain. They do not completely cure the disease. In addition, medications result in a wide array of harmful side effects.

Immune Organs

The first line of defence – skin: When invaders are sighted, Langerhans cells sound the warning bell. Antibacterial substances within our sweat and sebum trap bacteria while tears and mucus membranes secrete enzymes to break down the invader’s cell wall.

Soldier Factory – Bone Marrow: Bone marrow creates red blood cells and white blood cells, the soldiers of the immune system. Every second, about 8 million blood cells die and the same number are regenerated here.

Training Ground – The Thymus: Just as soldiers train for war through the navy, infantry and air force, the thymus assigns T cells their duties in fighting illnesses. The thymus also secretes immune-regulating hormones.

Battlegrounds – The Lymph Nodes: Lymph nodes are little pockets of battlegrounds with billions of white blood cells. When fighting infections, lymph nodes swell with foreign invaders and immune cells to the point where you can actually feel them. Swollen lymph nodes are a good indication that you have an infection and your immune system is hard at work. As the army’s drainage system, lymph nodes filter the lymph fluid, which carries away waste products like viruses and bacteria. The body contains about four times more lymph than blood.

Blood Filter – The Spleen: The spleen is a blood reservoir. It filters the blood by removing dead blood cells as well as engulfed viruses and bacteria. It also activates B cells to produce large amounts of antibodies.

Throat Guard – The Tonsils: The tonsils maintain constant vigilance against invaders that gain access to the body through the nose and mouth. People who have had their tonsils removed show a marked increase in getting Strep throat and Hodgkin’s disease – indicating the importance og the tonsils in upper respiratory tract protection.

Immune Assistant – The Appendix: The appendix assists with B cell maturation and antibody (IgA) production. It also acts like a traffic coordinator, producing molecules that direct the movement of white blood cells to other parts of the body. The appendix also exposes white blood cells to the invaders present in the digestive tract and helps suppress potentially harmful antibody response while promoting local immunity.

Intestinal Guards – Peyer’s Patches: Like the appendix, Peyer’s patches react to invaders in the intestines. They are vital to the control of microbial invaders in our food.

Immune Cells

Specific Fighters – B Cells & Antibodies: B cells provide humeral immunity – protection via antibodies circulating in our bodily fluids like serum and the lymph. B cells are soldiers who fight invaders by producing antibodies specific to them. Antibodies, also known as immunoglobulins, are our enemy-seeking missiles. They track and lock onto assigned invaders before triggering immune responses to destroy the invaders. Some B cells become “memory” cells. So, if the same invader attacks again, they are quickly identified and antibodies are immediately produced to fight against them.

Non-Specific Fighters – T Cells: T cells give the body cellular immunity. They provide non-specific immunity by seeking and destroying enemies regardless of type. Helper T cells are the commanders of the immune system. They rouse and issue orders to other soldiers through chemical messengers. Cytotoxic T cells and NK cells are lethal snipers who shoot holes into invaders. Once the infection is controlled, suppressor T cells regulate antibody production and call an end to the war.

Enemy Eaters – Phagocytes & Granulocytes: Phagocytes, such as monocytes and macrophage, are large cell eaters that engulf and digest the enemy. Macrophages are multitasking immune cells. Apart from cleansing the body of debris and aged blood cells, they also secrete chemicals to bring other immune cells to where the invasion is taking place. Granulocytes, like neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils, destroy invaders through potent chemical granules. For example, pus from a serious infection contains dead neutrophils and other war debris.