Do Nopales Have Nutrients?

Nopales is the Spanish word for the stem of the prickly pear cactus, a plant native to Mexico. Hispanic cooking commonly uses nopales, which are similar in taste to green beans, as a vegetable in soups or salads, as a tortilla filling or grilled and served as a side dish. Available raw, jarred or canned, nopales are low in calories and fat and are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidant compounds.


One cup, or 86 grams, of raw nopales contains approximately 2.86 grams of carbohydrates. Of this total, 1.9 grams are provided by dietary fiber and 0.99 are provided by sugars. A diet high in sources of dietary fiber, such as nopales, is linked to a decreased risk of heart disease and diabetes. Additionally, research funded by the American Heart Association indicates that the fiber contained in the prickly pear cactus may help prevent high cholesterol by lowering the amount of low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol in the blood.


Nopales provide significant amounts of vitamins including folate, vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K. A 100-gram serving of nopales -- an amount equivalent to about 1 1/2 cups of the vegetable -- contains 3 micrograms of folate, 415 international units of vitamin A, 5.3 micrograms of vitamin K and 13 milligrams of vitamin C. According to Sprouts corporate nutritionist Patti Milligan, centuries of indigenous Mexicans have used prickly pear cactus to treat skin wounds and infections successfully, largely because of the cactus's rich vitamin concentration.


Nopales are an excellent source of a variety of minerals, including magnesium, potassium and calcium. A 1 1/2-cup serving of nopales provides 164 milligrams of calcium, 52 milligrams of magnesium and 257 milligrams of potassium, as well as 16 milligrams of phosphorus and 0.59 milligrams of iron. These minerals support bone health, help regulate protein production and energy metabolism and allow the cardiovascular, muscular and neurological systems to function properly.


Antioxidants are compounds that may inhibit the ability of free radicals to damage DNA, and diets that contain antioxidant-rich foods may help prevent the development of conditions like heart disease or cancer. Nopales contain high concentrations of two types of antioxidants, flavonoids and betalains. In 2004, a study published in the "Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences" found that the betalain compounds in prickly pear cactus could protect the cells lining blood vessel walls from damage by free radicals.