Prickly pear (nopal) for type 2 diabetes
Recently, I bought some prickly pear cactus tea. I want to try it as a way to lower A1C and blood sugar readings.
However, I can't find any guidance as to how often to drink it and when it's best to drink it.
Does anyone have any experience with this? Thank you.
thanks so much for reaching out with your question; we do hope you receive additional responses from community members. I did some research, and it looks like Mayo Clinic has some info on prickly pear and diabetes: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/expert-answers/prickly-pear-cactus/faq-20057771 . This article states, "Some preliminary evidence shows that prickly pear cactus can decrease blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes." Have you had the opportunity to discuss this with your doctor yet? -Ashlen, Type2diabetes.com community moderator Thank you for your response. I have read up on the positive effects of prickly pear cactus. I got some prickly pear cactus tea which has shown to lower blood sugar readings. However, I've had no luck as to finding out how much per day I should drink for maximum effect.
, that's tricky... I hope others may chime in to share their personal experiences, but it may differ as everyone's bodies are different. I echo Ashlen's point about speaking with your doctor or a registered dietician if you have access to one. They may be able to provide more personalized insights. Warmly, Minel (Team Member)
The doctors in my health plan don't approve of any alternate remedies. I've learned to research everything that I want to try to make sure it doesn't have any negative interactions with my meds. By doing so, I was able to manage my type 2 without traditional meds for quite a while. However, 5 years ago, I had to deal with some very stressful issues in my life which ended up negatively affecting my physical health. Since then, there have been more stressful incidents. As a result, I've had to take type 2 meds for 5 years now.
Thank you all for you responses. I appreciate you all taking the time to respond.