Cure for diabetes?

Prickly pear cactus is considered by the Mexicans to have positive effects for managing sugar levels in the blood.

Apparently there is a lot of different ways to cook it, but the most efficient, is to juice the cactus fruit and mix it with water -> Consumed on an empty stomach twice per day.

It was the first time that I paid attention to the catus fruit, since there was so much of them growing on the hills outside Calvisson. Feels very exotic, and I wonder if the seemingly local occurence is a result of a cactus that was planted in a garden, or if it actually has a natural place in the local fauna.

Another thing to google. :)