Health Benefits of Cactus Grapefruit Drink

When the juices of cactus fruit and grapefruit are combined, they make a nutritious drink that--like many juice combinations--is very beneficial to your overall health. Many people are unaware of these health benefits, perhaps because they consider cactus juice to be an alcoholic beverage or cocktail, since cactus is widely associated with agave-based tequila.

Facts

• Cactus grapefruit drink can be made by mixing equal parts of cactus juice and grapefruit juice, but you can also change the proportions to suit your personal taste. It is rare to find a premixed cactus grapefruit drink, so your best bet it to go a local grocery store or farmer's market and buy cactus and grapefruit in their traditional forms or as separate prepared juices and then mix them yourself.

Health Benefits

• Cactus is a great source of vitamins and minerals such as calcium, and contains a large amount of fiber, which is beneficial in regulating sugar intake and internal digestion. Grapefruit juice is valuable to your health as well because it contains a potent amount of vitamin C, which is helpful in ridding your body of harmful toxins such as free radicals. Pink grapefruit juice contains lycopene, which when combined with green tea may be helpful in reducing the risk of prostate cancer in men, according to the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Features

• Cactus comes in many forms; one of the best known is agave, a single stalk plant with many blades of green flesh. It is typically used to make tequila. The most common type of cacti used for food consumption today, however, is prickly pear, also know as nopalitos.

  The fruit and pulp of cactus is typically sweet. In order to prepare prickly pear cactus for consumption as a juice, place the inner pulp and juice of the cactus into a cooking pan and boil it until it becomes a syrup. Add the syrup to a cold glass of juice, such as grapefruit juice, and enjoy it as a tasty and nutritious fruit drink.

  Since it's hard to determine how much juice you can get from each individual piece of cactus, consider purchasing a prepared cactus syrup, such as Cheri's Prickly Pear Cactus Syrup. This is particularly handy if you need a certain amount, such as 4 ounces of juice, for a drink recipe.

Expert Insight & Research

• According to WHFoods.com, a study was performed at the University of Glasgow by a group of professors, including professor of plant biochemistry and human nutrition Alan Crozier. As a result of the research, Mr. Crozier determined that drinking juice combinations, such as a grapefruit juice mixture, is one of the best ways to ensure that you don't miss out on beneficial nutrients such as polyphenols, which help to rid you body of harmful toxins due to their high level of antioxidative properties.

Tips & Warnings

• According to Dr. Ray Sahelian of Raysahelian.com, grapefruit juice may have a negative reaction with certain drugs such as benzodiazephines and cyclosporin. As a result, you should consult your doctor before using grapefruit juice, especially if you are taking any medication.