Prickly pear (Opuntia ficus indica (L.)) has long been a popular food in Mexico, but a new animal study suggests calcium from the prickly-pear plant may offer benefits to bone health. Writing in Nutrients, researchers in Mexico report that rats that were fed mature cladodes (stems) from the O. ficus indica plant showed improvements to bone mineral density (BMD), femur cortical width and trabecular thickness, and more.
Calcium from Prickly-Pear Plant May Improve Bone Health, Animal Study Suggests Nutritional Outlook