Cactus Water Review

Cactus Water is an exciting new trend in the nutritional beverage community. Discover why Cactus Water is so popular today in our review.

What is Cactus Water?

Some people might think that cactus water is an oxymoron: cacti live in deserts, so they can’t hold that much water, right?

Wrong! Cacti are excellent at storing high levels of water to keep themselves hydrated. A lot of this water is stored in the fruit of the cactus.

Today, most cactus water comes from this fruit, particularly the fruit of the prickly pear cactus. The fruit is red and spiny. You crack it open and find a soft, watery interior.

Cactus juice manufacturers will juice that fruit, turn it into a puree, and then add filtered water and organic lemon juice to create a healthy, nutritious, and tasty water-like beverage.

Many people report that cactus water has an understated taste: because the plant’s puree is mostly water, there’s not a whole lot of flavor to it. Some people describe it as like a watermelon mixed with a kiwi.

People in the dry deserts of Mexico have been consuming cactus water for centuries. Cactus water is extracted from the part of the cactus known as the “nopales”, which are the thick, oval, flat, and modified stems of the cactus plant. The younger, softer pads of the cactus plant are known as nopalitos and can be found in many Mexican dishes or just eaten as a snack.

Cactus Water Ingredients

Cactus water is packed with helpful ingredients. One of the most surprising ingredients in cactus water, however, is taurine.

Yes, that’s the same taurine found in energy drinks to wake you up. Taurine is an amino acid that is naturally produced in the body. It’s been shown to increase both mental and physical energy. One study showed that taurine boosted the body’s ability to transport oxygen during athletic performance, leading to higher VO2 max times.

Other key ingredients of cactus water include flavonoids and betalains. These powerful antioxidant ingredients have been shown to improve the health of the skin – especially by reducing puffiness under the eyes. They also fight disease and promote better immune system health throughout the body.

Each serving (one cup) of pure cactus water directly from the plant includes:

— 14 calories
— 0.1 grams of fat
— 2.9 grams of total carbohydrates
— 1.9 grams of fiber
— 1 gram of sugar
— 1.1 gram of protein
— 4.3 gram omega-3 fatty acids
— 37.8mg omega 6 fatty acids

There are also all of the following vitamins and minerals, along with their daily value: niacin (2.5), pantothenic acid (3%), pyridoxine (6%), riboflavin (3%), thiamin (1%), vitamin C (15.5%), vitamin A (15%), vitamin K (4.4%), potassium (5.4%), calcium (16%), copper (6%), iron (7%), magnesium (13%), manganese (20%), phosphorus (3%), selenium (1%), zinc (5%).

The numbers listed above are based on a 100 gram serving of raw cactus “nopales”, which is where the cactus water comes from.

Depending on where you buy your cactus water, you’ll find different ingredients added to the solution. Some manufacturers add a multivitamin complex, for example, to boost the nutritional profile. Most manufacturers add flavors of some form or another.

Health Benefits of Cactus Water

— Low in Calories: If you’re looking for a natural and easy way to lose weight, then cactus water might be able to help. It’s a low calorie craving quencher that has just 16 calories in each 100 gram serving (specific calorie totals vary between manufacturers).

— High Fiber: The raw nopales edible cacti from which cactus water is extracted contain 2.2 grams of dietary fiber per 100 gram serving.

— Boost Immune System: Cactus water is purported to boost your immune system health by acting as an anti-inflammatory throughout the body. This can reduce your risk of disease by targeting harmful free radicals.

— Control Blood Sugar and Blood Pressure: Special ingredients in cactus water include non-carbohydrate polysaccharides like pectin, mucilage, and hemicellulose. These ingredients have been linked to better blood sugar and blood pressure management.

— Daily Vitamins and Minerals: You don’t need a lot of cactus water to get your daily recommended value of certain vitamins and minerals. Vitamins A and C are well-represented, as are magnesium, manganese, calcium, and potassium.

— Low in Sugar: Cactus water is often compared to coconut water. An average serving of cactus water has about half the sugar as a serving of coconut water.

How to Buy Cactus Water

Cactus water is the latest health craze making waves across the United States, so it makes sense that there are plenty of cactus water manufacturers available.

Two of the biggest players in the cactus water industry include True Nopal and Cali Water. Here’s what each manufacturer offers.

True Nopal

True Nopal is a 100% all-natural beverage that promises to reduce inflammation and provide organic hydration. There are no artificial flavors, fat, cholesterol, and added sugars, and True Nopal is also gluten-free and vegan-friendly.

The key ingredient here is cactus water, also known as prickly pear extract. You can currently buy True Nopal online from Amazon, where a pack of 12 one liter (33.8 fluid ounce) containers is priced at $71.41.

The company is currently working on getting True Nopal in retail stores across the country. For now, the only way to order is online.

Cali Water

Cali Water is another 100% all-natural beverage that contains just 35 calories and 9 grams of sugar in each serving (330mL). Every 330mL bottle of Cali Water also contains 200mg of prickly pear extract not from concentrate.

Cali Water’s 200mg of prickly pear extract is actually a blend of three different things: prickly pear cactus extract, prickly pear cactus juice, and water. The end result is a vegan-friendly, gluten-free beverage that promises to cleanse your body, rehydrate your muscles, and purify toxins from your skin.

You can buy a pack of 12 Cali Water beverages from Amazon for $34.99. Each bottle contains 330mL, or 11.2 fluid ounces.

Side Effects of Cactus Water

Cactus water appears to be very safe to take, and manufacturers typically don’t warn of any side effects.

However, some people may be allergic to cactus, although the allergy is rare. If you’re allergic to cactus, then you should avoid consuming cactus water or eating nopales.

Is Cactus Water Right For You?

Cactus water, which comes from the prickly pear cactus fruit, has been linked to powerful health benefits. At this stage, research has been fairly limited. Early studies, however, have shown that prickly pear cactus can decrease blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes while also acting as an anti-viral and anti-inflammatory.

Cactus water provides all of these benefits without being high in calories or sugar. It’s a strong replacement beverage for watermelon water, coconut water, maple water, artichoke water, and all of the other superfood-based waters on the market today.