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Why prunes are good for you

What would you prefer: a prune or a dried plum? They're the same thing, of course, but the latter has more seductive connotations. That's why the sticky brown-black fruit has been renamed in the US. Prunes come in handy when the only fresh plums on sale are the tough-skinned, furry-textured imported sort, although, if we're honest, their natural sweetness, squidgy succulence and chewy darkness give them more of the wanton appeal of chocolate than fruit. Many prunes we eat come from California, but their European base is the south-west of France, renowned for its pruneaux d'Agen with their glorious affinity for armagnac. In autumn, markets there sell these plums fresh or mi-cuit (half-dried)…

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 Are Prunes Really the Natural Constipation Remedy They’re Cracked Up to Be?

So when it comes to prunes, is there any legit science to the persistent belief that they can help you drop a big one when all other methods fail? And if so, how many prunes a day should you eat for best results? Should you shovel down handfuls or is this a case where more does not always equal better? We pruned (sorry) the available scientific literature and consulted GI experts to find out.

 Give Prunes a Chance

I never understood why in our culture -- their laxative properties notwithstanding -- prunes have been associated with geriatrics. Despite a brief flirtation with popularity in the 1980s, thanks to The Silver Palate Cookbook's brilliant recipe for chicken Marbella, a tender marinated chicken dish with green olives and prunes, the dried fruit elicits far more respect across the Atlantic than it does stateside. In France, prunes soaked in Armagnac are a traditional accompaniment to foie gras.

Articles of Interest

Does Drinking Buttered Prune Juice Do Anything for Your Health?

TikTok has crowned its latest questionable health hack: warm prune juice spiked with butter, hyped as a miracle cure for constipation. But while the drink is gaining traction fast, experts say the so-called “instant relief” might be a lot messier than it looks.

Prunes: why the dried plum is making a comeback

Great for your bones, full of vitamins, and that laxative effect was apparently a myth all along. The word prune's connotations are so negative that the world's biggest supplier no longer even uses it. The California Prune Board rebranded its beloved snack as "dried plums" 13 years ago, becoming the California Dried Plum Board in the process. As they put it: "Why the name change? Because 90% of consumers told us that they'd be more likely to enjoy the fruit if it were called a dried plum instead of a prune."

Addicted to prunes? Your microbiota and your health will thank you!

The inclusion of these dried fruits in the diet of postmenopausal women is no exception to the rule. The health benefits of prunes for postmenopausal women, particularly in improving bone health, are well documented, but there are many unknowns surrounding how they work, particularly when it comes to the role of the gut microbiota.

Afternoon Snack: Prunes--Wait, These Are Really Good

It's funny, the word prune has such a bad connotation, don't you think? It conjures up images of retirement homes and constipation, at least to me--sorry! But call them "dried plums" and now we're talking!

Dried Plums, Prunes and Bone Health: A Comprehensive Review

While the data are not completely consistent, this review suggests that postmenopausal women may safely consume dried plums as part of their fruit intake recommendations given their potential to have protective effects on bone loss.

Future Astronauts May Need To Eat A Lot Of Prunes

Now, a small, short-term experiment in mice indicates that prunes may protect our bones from the damaging effects of space radiation. That’s not only good news for astronauts, but also for chemotherapy patients and radiation workers here on Earth.

Got prunes? Prunes may preserve bone density and strength in older women

A yearlong randomized controlled trial found that daily prune consumption slowed bone loss connected to osteoporosis.

I Drank Prune Juice Every Day for Two Weeks—and It Transformed My Digestion

Aside from its laxative effects, prune juice has a variety of health benefits you’ll want to cash in on. “A single glass provides more than half the recommended daily intake of vitamin K, which plays a key role in bone health and blood clotting,” says Dr. Braha. “Prune juice is also rich in B vitamins, which support metabolism and neurological function, as well as important minerals like potassium, magnesium, and iron. Additionally, it contains polyphenols—a group of antioxidants known to reduce inflammation and assist in cellular repair.”

Prunes and Regularity … Caffeine Sensitivity

“If you would like to try prunes or prune juice to ease constipation, try five to 10 prunes or one-half to one cup of prune juice a day. Some people experience increased gas and diarrhea after prune consumption, although participants in randomized controlled trials did not report these effects. Start with a low amount, see how it works, and increase if necessary and tolerated.

Prunes' New Health Benefit for Older Adults Revealed

Eating prunes has been long known to keep your toilet trips regular, but scientists have found another benefit of these dried fruit snacks. Prunes have been linked to improved bone structure and strength in postmenopausal women, according to a new paper in the journal Osteoporosis International.

The Health Benefits of Prunes You Never Saw Coming

You might not think of dried plums as the sexiest fruit out there, but the benefits of prunes can't be ignored.

The Laxative Effect of Prunes

What may be doing the trick is the presence of a sugar alcohol called sorbitol. There are 15 grams of sorbitol in a serving of prunes and 6 grams in a serving of juice. Sorbitol is incompletely digested and fermented by bacteria in the gut. It also draws water into the gastrointestinal tract and, Ms. Cimperman said, “both of these effects can help promote bowel movements.”

The No. 1 Food to Protect Bone Health in Older Women—And It’s not Dairy

As noted in an article published in the journal Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, prunes (or dried plums) are very high in dietary fiber, potassium, and boron, “which is postulated to play a role in the prevention of osteoporosis.”

The Prune study

The Prune Study provides the first RCT data on the impact of two dosages of daily prune consumption on bone density, structure and strength estimates, bone turnover, various biomarkers of immune function, inflammation, and cardiovascular health, as well as phenolic and gut microbiota analyses, to encompass the varied physiological effects prunes may have on health.

What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Prunes Every Day

Prunes (aka dried plums) are more than just a remedy for constipation. These nutrient-rich fruits offer a host of health benefits like improving digestion, supporting bone health and promoting heart health.

Resources

7 Top Health Benefits of Prunes, According to Registered Dietitians

Chewy and sweet, prunes are plums that have been dehydrated for preservation. They can last in your pantry for about six months and provide a ton of versatility in practically any meal. Plus, they are little nutritious powerhouses. "Prunes have many different health benefits, from gastrointestinal health to bone preservation, modulating immune response, diabetes and atherosclerosis and satiety," says Shirin Hooshmand, Ph.D., Professor of Nutrition at San Diego State University.

Top 10 health benefits of prunes and prune juice

As well as being rich in fibre, prunes also supply a type of sugar called sorbitol, this increases the amount of fluid your gut absorbs which helps soften stools making them easier to pass. This means eating prunes can increase stool volume and frequency making them a natural laxative. This was supported by a study using 80g of prunes with 300ml of water a day for four weeks. However, it’s worth remembering we are all different and prunes may not work for everyone.