The prickly pear cactus is destined to be the next big herbal superstar, following in the footsteps of St. Johns wort and Echinacea, according to author Ran Knishinsky. Traditionally used as a panacea for over 100 ailments, it has also been the subject of blood cholesterol research sponsored by the American Heart Association.

Preface

1 Cactus Medicine

2 What Is a Cactus?

3 The Healing Parts of the Prickly Pear Cactus

4 The Cactus-Diabetes Connection

5 The Cactus-Cholesterol Connection

6 Other Benefits of and Treatments Using Prickly Pear Cactus

7 Application and Dosage of Prickly Pear Cactus

8 Picking and Preparing the Prickly Pear

9 Cactus Cooking

Appendix A Prickly Pear Suppliers

Appendix B Herbal Education and Natural Product Services

Appendix C General Resources for Diabetes and Heart Disease

Notes

Bibliography

Ran Knishinsky is a professional health researcher and writer and the founder of NutraConsulting, a consulting firm to the natural products industry. He is the author of The Clay Cure and The Prozac Alternative.