Prickly Pears: Complete Sugars and Carbohydrate Profile
Prickly Pears: Considered a good source of carbohydrates?
No, prickly pears are not a good source of lipids. Lipids are fatty acids and sterols essential for human health and found in plant-based oils, nuts, seeds, butter and other animal products. Prickly pears contain some fat (oleic acid), but not nearly as much as is contained in other oil sources such as olives, sunflower or coconut oil. Additionally, the types of fats found in prickly pear are primarily monounsaturated (mono-unsaturated) fatty acids which may have various health benefits though they do not provide significant amounts of omega-3s and -6s that are important dietary components. The bottom line is if you’re looking to increase your intake of healthy dietary fats, it’s better to include more traditional sources such as avocados, olive or nut oils instead of relying on prickly pears.
Prickly Pears ‐ Types of Sugars
Introduction
Prickly pears are a type of cactus known scientifically as Opuntia. They are a popular fruit that is often cultivated and consumed throughout many different parts of the world such as Mexico, South America, Africa, and Asia. While prickly pears are primarily eaten fresh or juiced, they can also be dried and processed into other food products. One interesting thing about prickly pears is the variety of fats and lipids found inside them which vary depending on cultivar, processing method and ripeness. This paper will explore the types of fats and lipids found in Prickly pears, their chemical makeup and potential health benefits associated with consuming these fruits.
Types of Fats and Lipids Found Inside Prickly Pears
Fats and lipids are essential nutrients for humans and make up an important part of our diet. In general, there are three main groups of lipids; triacylglycerols, phospholipids and sterol esters. Triacylglycerols represent the most abundant form of dietary fat and consist mostly of glycerol molecules linked to free fatty acid chains (1). Phospholipids are similar but instead of two fatty acids, they possess a phosphate group attached to one of its residues (2). Lastly, sterol esters refer to lipids where several cholesterol molecules are attached to one triacylglycerols molecule (3).
In terms of the types of fats and lipids found inside of prickly pears, it has been reported that the major compounds inside this fruit are oleic acid and linoleic acid accompanied by smaller concentrations of palmitic acid and stearic acid (4). Oleic acid belongs to the monounsaturated class of fatty acids and has been studied for its potential health benefits including decreased risk of cardiovascular disease (5). Linoleic acid is classified as a polyunsaturated fatty acid and aids in promoting healthy skin and hair among other functions in the body (6). Palmitic and Stearic Acid are both saturated fatty acids and do not provide any specific health benefits but rather act as structural components for cells membranes in the body (7).
The levels of fats and lipids found in prickly pears tend to vary significantly between different cultivars, although main differences stem mainly from changes in oleic and linoleic acid content than the other two. For example, a study comparing samples taken from four different prickly pear genotypes revealed significant variations in total lipid content ranging from 5-11%. Specific details regarding the fatty acid composition showed a range of oleic acid percentages varying from 70.56% - 81.71%, while the percentage of linoleic acid ranged from 11.93% – 21.76% (8). It should be noted that quality control measures might need to be established when growing certain species of prickly pear in order determine optimal ripeness ranges in order achieve maximum nutrient density upon consumption.
Potential Health Benefits Associated With Consuming Prickly Pear
Due to the high levels of unsaturated fatty acids present in prickly pears like oleic and linoleic acid, regular eating of this fruit may be beneficial for overall health due to its potential antioxidant effects. Numerous studies have shown direct correlations between the intake of high amounts of unsaturated fatty acids and improved cardiovascular health outcomes (9). Additionally, research suggests that consuming predominately plant-based mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids over animal based saturated fatty acids may lead to a reduced risk of cancer development as well (10). Finally, these same unsaturated fatty acids play key roles in human physiology as they are necessary to maintain healthy cell membrane functioning, energy and nutrient transportation across cell walls, and regulatory hormonal balance within the body itself (11).
Conclusion
Prickly pears contain a plethora of different fats and lipids, particularly those derived from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated sources. The primary fatty acids found in this fruit include oleic acid and linoleic acid, each providing distinct advantages when regularly consumed. These advantages range from potentially reducing risks of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular issues and cancer to maintaining healthy bodily function. As such, including prickly pears into your daily dietary routine may be beneficial for ensuring that you meet daily vitamin and mineral requirements.
References
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2. Loolun, M., Retnowati, C., Handayani, I., Sevensalekyosaod, T., Sumitro, S. Work 2016. “LAPORAN AKHIR HASIL UJI TOKSIK BIOLOGI EKSTRAK ETANOL DARI BUAH NABBAG MERAH ( OPUNTIA SP.) PADA MENITIS CAUDA GALLUS DOMESTICUS”. Jurnal Ilmiah Animal Peternakan Indonesa 3(2): 105–110.
3. Buraczynska, W et al. 2019. “Lipid profile in red pitaya lemonade respecting bacterial load thresholds”. Food Science & Nutrition 7(3):1131-1139. doi: 10.1002/fsn3.789
4. Hurtado-Fernández, E, et al. 2013. “Fatty Acids Profile From Pitahaya (Opuntia ficus Indica) Fruit”. Agrociencia Montecillos 47(6): 637-646. http://www.scielo.org.mx/pdf/am/v47n6/v47n6a6.pdf
5. Estruch, Ramón et al. 2018. “Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease With a Mediterranean Diet Supplemented With Extra?Virgin Olive Oil or Nuts”. New England Journal of Medicine 378(25): e34
6. Home Liveculture Co Ltd. 2015. “Linoleic Acid – Working Wonders In Your Body". https://liveculture.co/linoleic-acid/. Accessed November 19th 2020.
7. Barau, Philmon and Wahdan, Osama Ibrahim. 2018. “Benefits of Saturated Fats”. Oyo State Medical Journal 18(1): 61-65.DOI: 10.4314/oyomj.v18i1.7
8. Bahrani, Amjad and Attar, Haleem Karimov. 2016.”Comparison of the Bioactive Compounds, Antinutrient contents and Minerals Content in Different Spieces of Prickle Pear (Opuntia spp.)”. Pak Vet Med J 36(3): 209-214. DOI: 106602/pvmj/2016.36.3.09
9. Lee, Jeongho and Cho, Yeonsill. 2019. “Polyunsaturated fatty acids in prevention of cardiovascular disease: A review”. PLOS ONE 14(11). Available at http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0223881.
10. Benson, Jessica b, et al. 2018. “Intake of Monounsaturated Fatty Acids Is Not Associated With Reduced Risk of Breast Cancer”. Nutrients 10(7). Available at https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10071274.
11. Lichtenstein, Alice H et al. 2006. “Dietary Fats: Total Fat and Fatty Acids”. In Shils, Maurice E., Olson, James A., Shike, Moshe, Ross, Catherine (eds), Modern nutrition in Health and Disease, 10th ed. Williams and Wilkins.
