Cactus
The cactus is known as the prickly pear, which is a juicy plant of the prickly pear, whose length ranges between 1.5-3 meters, its legs mutated into leafy legs that carry the falling young leaves, and they have gray or green plates or paddles covered with thorns, and the pulpy fruits covered with thorns, also, Odorless sweet grows in the spring.
Aloe vera grows in arid regions, and its origins go back to Mexico, as it can be found in the United States of America, in the countries of the Mediterranean basin, in South Africa, and in Australia, Kenya and Angola, and due to its high tolerance to drought, it is grown as a living fence and as a repellent to the wind.
The name of the cactus or cactus is also called the thorny plants, like the real aloe belonging to the lily family, which are desert plants with a logwood and fleshy foliage leaves containing aloe fluid. These plants grow in the tropical forests and the Arabian Peninsula region. The summer season is usually the season of gathering its leaves, and aloes have a pleasant smell and bitter taste, and it has many health benefits, such as treating skin diseases, sores, and hemorrhoids, and it has aesthetic and health benefits for hair, as it promotes the secretion of yellow matter, softens the intestine, expels gases, and its anti-drug For tuberculosis.
The nutritional value of aloe vera
Aloe vera fruits and stems contain glucose, fructose, ascorbic acid, fatty oil, tragacanth, calcium oxides, tannins, colourants, yeast fermenting fruits, and the following table shows the nutritional value per 100 grams ):
| The nutritional component | Nutritional value |
|---|---|
| Water | 87.55 g |
| energy | 41 calories |
| protein | 0.73 g |
| Total fat | 0.51 g |
| carbohydrate | 9.57 g |
| Fibers | 3.6 g |
| Calcium | 56 milligrams |
| iron | 0.3 milligrams |
| Magnesium | 85 milligrams |
| Phosphorus | 24 milligrams |
| potassium | 220 milligrams |
| sodium | 5 milligrams |
| zinc | 0.12 mg |
| vitamin C | 14 milligrams |
| Vitamin B1 (thiamine) | 0.014 milligrams |
| Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) | 0.06 milligrams |
| Vitamin B3 (niacin) | 0.46 milligrams |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.060 milligrams |
| Folic acid | 6 Micrograms |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 Micrograms |
| Vitamin A | 43 international units |
Cactus benefits
Aloe vera plant has many benefits that led to its name in the desert pharmacy, due to its high content of chemical compounds and nutrients that are used in many medical and medicinal treatments and uses. The benefits of aloe vera include:
- It enhances the work of the immune system because it contains anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds, and it stimulates the immune system to produce white blood cells that play an important role in the production of prostaglandins in the blood, a substance with a high anti-inflammatory effect. One of the benefits of aloe vera to the immune system is that it protects the body from the imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants, known as oxidative stress, because it contains rare compounds called petalins, and is a rich source of them.
- It improves the work of the nervous system because it contains minerals and vitamins that enhance hormonal balance, which enhances and balances the functions of the nervous system.
- Blood pressure is regulated because of its low content of salts, especially sodium and potassium.
- It protects the blood vessels from inflammation, and it also treats the inflamed blood vessels, as the places of inflammation are suitable places for the accumulation and hardening of fats, and Aloe Vera, in turn, contains compounds of strollers, polyphenols, and diabetic proteins that work as antioxidants that reduce the inflammation of the walls of blood vessels.
- It reduces the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood because of its content of fibers and sterols that in turn interact with the bile in the small intestine, which reduces the percentage of triglycerides in the blood, as well as reduces the proportion of low-density cholesterol (harmful cholesterol) in the blood.
- It maintains the liver and enhances its functions, because it contains anti-oxidant flavonoids, which fight free radicals and prevent them from affecting the liver and its functions, as it supports it in the process of absorbing fats and reduces the burden.
- It treats rheumatism, arthritis, and associated pain.
- It reduces blood sugar levels because of its low carbohydrate content, and it contains nutritional fibers and pectin which in turn reduces the absorption of sugar in the stomach and intestines, and thus reduces blood sugar levels, as the fibers give a feeling of fullness, and this leads to a reduction in the percentage of food consumed.
- Regulating and promoting colon function because it contains insoluble food fibers which in turn facilitate the movement and passage of food into the intestine, and prevent any special gastrointestinal disturbance in the colon.
- It treats stomach ulcers because it contains gum in high quantities, which in turn helps to balance the acidity of the stomach, and research has proven the ability of aloe vera to treat stomach ulcers and reduce inflammation.
- It helps to lose weight indirectly, because it contains insoluble food fibers, which gives a feeling of satiety, and reduces the amount of food consumed.
- It strengthens hair and supports its growth because it contains amino acids, proteins, iron, and many nutrients and vitamins that benefit hair.
- It enhances male sexual ability because it contains many amino acids, nutrients, vitamins and minerals that improve blood circulation and relax the muscles surrounding the blood vessels connecting to the penis, which leads to the expansion of blood vessels inside the penis, and increases blood flow, which maintains blood Penis and enhance his sexual ability.
- It treats the symptoms of alcoholism addiction, such as headache, nausea, dry mouth, and loss of appetite, because it contains chemical compounds made by a specific protein produced by the liver after the alcohol metabolism that occurs in the liver. These compounds work to alleviate the above symptoms.
References
- Prof. Abdel-Baset Mohamed El-Sayed and Prof. Abdel-Tawab Abdullah Hussein (2010), Mother Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants and Herbal Remedies (Edition -), Cairo: Alpha Publishing and Distribution, page 440. Acting.
- "Cactus (prickly pear)", Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, accessed on 28 Dec 2016. Behaving.
- Prof. Abdel-Baset Mohamed El-Sayed and Prof. Abdel-Tawab Abdullah Hussein (2010), The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants and Herbal Remedies (Fourth Edition), Cairo: Alpha Publishing and Distribution, page 145. Acting.
- "Basic Report: 09287, Prickly pears, raw", United States Department of Agriculture , Retrieved 28-12-2016. Edited.
- Abdul Razzaq Al-Jubouri (2012), “What are the health benefits of aloe vera?”, Your health is your true wealth so keep it - kenanaonline, accessed on 15 Jan 2017. Behaving.