Scientific background
A comprehensive set of studies was conducted on Cacti-Nea™ in order to confirm its diuretic and antioxidant properties.
Diuretic & weight management properties
A recent clinical study (December 2010) showed the diuretic effect of Cacti-Nea™. Within the framework of this study:
- Cacti-Nea™ significatively increases diuresis by 27% in women with IMC<25.
- Cacti-Nea™ helps to decrease the sensations of swollen feet, ankles and calves.
- Cacti-Nea™ helps to decrease the sensation of heavy legs
- A satisfaction questionnaire hilghlighed that 87% of women were convinced by Cacti-Nea™'s efficiency.
A first clinical study (august 2009) highlights the diuretic effects of our prickly pear water extract :
- Cacti-Nea™ induces a positive effect on body composition by limiting fat mass gain.
- Cacti-Nea™ shows a significant reduction of the water mass, as soon as the first week of treatment, with positive effect on the silhouette.
- We observe a significant weight loss in the Cacti-Nea™ group (up to 3.3 kg reduction), while no effect was observed in the placebo group.
- Contrary to standard diuretic substances, Cacti-Nea™ has no negative effect on blood pressure nor on mineral balance.
An in vivo study on rats comparing the diuretic effect of Cacti-Nea™ to the one of hydrochlorothiazide (pharmaceutical diuretic substance) showed that :
- For the same amount of water ingested, Cacti-Nea™ showed a significant diuretic effect while preserving minerals
- This 7 days in vivo study showed that the consumption of Cacti-Nea™ induced a reduction of weigh gain by almost 20% compared to control
Antioxidant properties
A clinical study showed the positive effect of the supplementation with prickly pear fruit compared to Vitamin C :
- The consumption of cactus pear induced an increase of cell's antioxidant capacity of more than 50% and reduces the LDL sensitivity to oxidation.
- This specific fruit from which Cacti-Nea™ is made also allowed an increase in plasma concentration of vitamins C & E.
An in vivo study on rats evaluated the impact of the consumption of Cacti-Nea™ on the antioxidant capacity of the body by measuring the globular rate of glutathione peroxidase (free radicals oxidation reaction catalyzer) :
- After 7 days, the consumption of Cacti-Nea™ induces a significant increase in the globular rate of glutathione peroxidase.
- Cacti-Nea™ helps to preserve body cells from oxidative damage and to increase antioxidant plasma concentration.
The richest source of bioavailable betalains
Cactus pear fruit is a natural source of betalain pigments : purple red betanin and yellow indicaxanthin. Studies have shown that indicaxanthin is 20 times more available than betanin.
- Thanks to a thorough selection of fruit and a specific process, Cacti-Nea™ is the richest source of bioavailable betalains, with an indicaxanthin content ranking from 65 to 85% of total betalains.
- Thanks to its exceptional bio-availability, indicaxanthin is specifically involved in the antioxidant protection of LDL, as suggested by a clinical test.
