Importance of Crops in Arid Zones of Mexico with Food Development Potential: An Alternative in Low-Water Requirement Crops and Food Production

(1) Background: Climate change has several consequences; one of them is increasing the severity of droughts. This leads to an opportunity to study arid zone plants as food sources that have potential biological activities and improve consumer´s health; (2) Methods: In this work we review recent research focused on the traditional use and importance of arid zone plants, their nutritional contribution, and the beneficial effects on health when consumed; these effects are primarily because of the antioxidant activity that inhibits free radicals and contributes to improved nutrition that benefits consumer’s health; (3) Results: Several plant-based functional foods studies have shown that the consumption of bioactive compounds is a complement to drugs for preventing some chronic-degenerative diseases such as gastrointestinal diseases, diabetes, and obesity; (4) Conclusions: With all the previously mentioned, plants from arid and semi-arid zone are potential sources for developing foodstuffs in the current climate change situation.