Takes for Diabetes

By Mike Touzeau
Green Valley News, reprinted with permission

Mustapha's husband Kema, who has diabetes, now takes the nectar daily to keep his blood sugar under control. Zou cites published evidence that the components of the cactus have already been found to possess properties that "decrease oxidative stress in healthy humans," and further states that the seed, which contains concentrations of unsaturated fatty acid, is already found to be effective in attacking cholesterol problems that result from saturated fat buildup in the arteries.

The fruit of the cactus has been used in China for hundreds of years in treating inflammatory conditions, heart and stomach pain, and even snake bit, but according to Zou, western medicine has not taken a particularly aggressive approach toward exploration of natural agents in comparison to the amount of research money poured into artificially created chemicals.

"Only five or six out of a possible 40 natural agents have been tested in large scale clinical trials in the past 20 years or so," she said, referring to concerns expressed in a paper published by Dr. Gary Kelloff, M.D., author of several books including Cellular and Molecular Targets for Chemoprevention and Chief of the Chemoprevention Branch of the National Cancer Institute. Many at NCI are starting to look at natural agents, she pointed out, well aware now that the American Cancer Society has consistently issue lower cancer figures for Native Americans, especially those who have kept traditions connected to dietary uses of cacti.

In an article about the cancer prevention properties of green tea, Sr. Stephen Holt, M.D., president and chief executive officer of Bio Therapies, Inc., mentioned that "NCI is currently involved in the screening of 28 antioxidants in several animal models of carcinogenesis, and to date, 14 antioxidants have been shown to be of value in suppressing cancer incidence, latency, or multiplicity in one or more of these models." He went on to say, "Dr. Charles Boone, M.D., and Dr. Gary Kelloff, M.D., have cited several antioxidant agents that are capable of acting as chemopreventive agents. These include flavonoids, such as naringenin and quercetin" (found in cactus).

Could the simple prickly pear plant that grows abundantly all around us here in the Santa Cruz Valley hold answers in cancer prevention that scientists have been searching for all these years?

Zou will continue her work, perhaps bringing a gift to mankind through the dreams of a local lady who knew all along there was something special in the cactus juice.
 

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