Powder from nopal cactus does not reduce osteoporosis says small study

The nopal cactus is high in levels of antioxidants and people take it for a variety of health-related reasons. New research in the Journal of Food Medicine suggests that women looking to improve their bone health should look elsewhere, however.

Calcium is important for preventing osteoporosis and bone disease. The calcium content of the nopal cactus from Mexico increases as it matures, and a research group wondered if it could have a positive impact on bone mineral density.

So they took some mature nopal and looked at the exact nutritional content before asking 56 women aged 40–60 years old to take a 5g dose every day for 24 weeks. They were compared with 13 women of the same age who did not take the supplement. The results? No relevant changes in the volunteers.

The authors conclude that “these results indicate that advanced maturation nopal does not have influence in bone health, body mass index, and body composition in adult women.

Click here to read the original findings.

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