What are the uses and benefits of cactus?
Cactus is also known as Xianbazhang, Guanyinzhang, Bawang, Huozhang, and so on. It is a clustering succulent shrub plant of the genus Opuntia in the family Cactaceae. Its native habitat is mostly hot, dry deserts with little rain. It likes high temperatures and arid climates, prefers dry conditions, is drought-tolerant, and has strong vitality, making it deeply loved by everyone. Let us take a look below at the uses and benefits of cactus!
Edible Value of Cactus
Edible cactus is a new type of medicinal vegetable with a unique flavor and truly lives up to its name. It is a pollution-free green food that combines food, medicine, health care, beauty, and ornamental value. Its flesh is fresh and tender, sweet and mild, non-toxic, and free of any side effects. It has certain preventive and therapeutic effects on cancer, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, pulmonary tuberculosis, stomach diseases, diabetes, various heat-related conditions, and gynecological diseases in the human body. It can also effectively remove tobacco toxins, alcohol toxins, gas toxins, metal toxins, and pesticide residues left in vegetables from the human body. Therefore, it has the reputation of “king of vegetables” and “king of medicines.rdquo;
Greening Effect of Cactus
1. Natural oxygen bar: Cactus mostly respires at night when it is relatively cool and humid, inhaling carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen.
2. Purifying the environment: Cactus, especially hydroponic cactus, can purify the environment when placed indoors.
Feng Shui Effect of Cactus
1. Balcony: Cactus has thorns, and in feng shui terms this means it will commit the “sharp-angle curse.” If placed on a balcony, it can dissolve outside negative energy. Of course, if there is none, then do not place it randomly. In addition, placing this thorny plant on the balcony can also play a certain role in guarding against thieves.
2. Office: In the workplace, petty people are unavoidable. Placing cactus in the office has the effect of preventing petty people and gossip and enhancing resistance. Of course, from a scientific perspective, cactus can also reduce the radiation damage from computers to the human body and release oxygen to freshen the air.
3. Indoors: In traditional feng shui, cactus is a truly inauspicious object. It can be used to ward off evil and disasters only in situations such as when there has been a death in the family or continuous misfortunes. At ordinary times, it is best not to place it in living rooms, especially bedrooms. Placing cactus in the bedroom makes it easy for disputes and quarrels to occur.
Medicinal Value of Cactus
1. Treating chronic stomach pain: One to two liang of cactus root, stewed with pig stomach and taken.
2. Treating stomach pain: Grind cactus into powder, take one qian each time, swallowed with boiled water.
3. Treating abdominal masses and abdominal pain: Three liang of fresh cactus, remove the outer thorns, cut finely, and stew with meat and take.
4. Treating white ringworm of the scalp in children: Bake cactus dry and grind into powder, mix with sesame oil and apply.
5. Treating snake and insect bites: Whole plant, pound to extract juice and apply to the affected area.
6. Treating palpitations and insomnia: Two liang of cactus, pound into a paste and extract the juice, mix with white sugar and boiled water and take.
7. Treating palm-penetrating boils: An appropriate amount of fresh whole cactus and an appropriate amount of wheat flour, pound together and apply to the affected area.
8. Treating mumps, mastitis, sores, boils, and swollen abscesses: Remove the thorns from fresh cactus, pound into a paste and apply externally.
9. Treating eczema and impetigo: An appropriate amount of cactus stem. Dry by baking and grind into powder, apply externally to the affected area.