Generality
The fig tree of India (Opuntia ficus-indica L.) is a vegetable belonging to the family of Cactaceae, the same as cacti and other succulent plants. The prickly pear is therefore a succulent plant, which can exceed 3m d "in height and which produces highly appreciated edible fruits.
Nutritional values (per 100 g of edible portion)
The segments of the stem / stems are called cladodes (ellipsoidal and flattened) and are able to carry out all the vital processes normally entrusted to the leaves (chlorophyll photosynthesis); the flowers and fruits of the fig tree of India differ from them; not only that, in addition to having a variable number of thorns, according to specific needs, the cladodes can give rise to real roots capable of taking root quickly. at random, the simplest method to cultivate a fig tree of India is not that of sowing, but of planting directly a cladode in the humid earth, which will take root in a very short time.
The fruits of the fig tree of India are berries containing many seeds; they have a variable shape (round or elongated) and a weight that with difficulty can approach 400g. They too appear covered with more or less evident thorns, including the glochids, tiny thorns that are particularly insidious and difficult to remove once embedded in the skin; the difficulty in peeling the prickly pear without the use of gloves is well known.
The fig tree of India is native to Mexico but, given its resistance and relative ease of cultivation, following the discovery of the Americas and subsequent trade exchanges (between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries), it was successfully imported into many countries of the Mediterranean basin (as well as in Asia and Oceania), so much so that today the fig of India is considered the main summer food of North African populations.
Many attribute to the fig of India nourishing and beneficial properties, including: pulp laxative, seed astringent and antioxidant (vitamins and tannins). the presence of viscous fibers such as pectin and mucilage in the pulp, and other predominantly astringent active ingredients contained in the seeds (which, however, are not chewed thoroughly and often do not significantly affect).
NB. The prickly pear cactus, when consumed in large quantities, can dye the urine a reddish color.
Nutritional characteristics
The prickly pear is a medium energy fruit, which provides a fair amount of fructose (simple carbohydrate) and good portions of fiber, mineral salts and vitamins.
In particular, the prickly pear contains excellent quantities of viscous fiber, useful for regulating intestinal absorption and fecal transit itself. The contribution of potassium is appreciable, as well as that of antioxidants.
The consumption of fig from India is therefore comparable to that of the other fruits common in Italy.
NB. The fig of India, being rich in small seeds, is a food strongly contraindicated in the pathology of diverticulosis.
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