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Prickly Pear is often used to relieve the symptoms of overindulgence in alcohol, including dry mouth and nausea. The herb is also thought to lower fats and cholesterol in the blood, and is becoming increasingly popular as a means to decrease blood sugar levels and control diabetes. Prickly Pear is a large cactus with a woody trunk and large top, many oblong joints, small, yellow barbed spines, bright yellow flowers, and red fruit with a juicy, white, sweet flesh and numerous black seeds. It is said to be a native of Mexico, where it is considered the symbol of identity of the Mexican people and even included on the Mexican flag. About twenty thousand years ago, Opuntia (or Prickly Pear) began to develop as a food, and the plant's development was said to enable human settlement and cultural development in many parts of the arid lands, where it was considered the lifeblood of those ancient cultures, particularly in times of drought.
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