Top tips on health benefits of plums and prunes

Packed with nutrients and great at keeping your body on good form, plums and prunes are a valuable addition to your diet. These tips will help you make them a tasty and healthy part of your daily meals.

Juicy, vividly coloured plums and prunes are packed with disease-fighting antioxidants and natural sugars. Prunes and prune juice are a delicious, natural choice for relieving constipation.

Anthocyanins: Reddish blue pigments that lend intense colour to plums, anthocyanins may protect against cancer and heart disease by mopping up harmful free radicals.

Chlorogenic acid: A phenolic phytochemical, this potent anti­oxidant quenches damaging free radicals and is thought to help detoxify carcinogenic environmental agents, such as nitrosamines in cigarette smoke.

Insoluble fibre: The insoluble fibre in plums and prunes helps to bulk up the stool and ease elimination so a great for dealing with constipation.

Potassium: A potassium-rich diet is associated with lower blood pressure and a reduced risk for kidney stones and stroke. Fifty grams of prunes has 317 milligrams of potassium.

Quercetin: A potent free-radical fighter, quercetin may help to prevent estrogen-dependent cancer, including breast cancer, and may help to block oxidation of harmful LDL cholesterol (otherwise known as bad cholesterol), a process that could lead to heart disease.

Soluble fibre: Plums and prunes are rich in soluble fibre, which helps to relieve constipation and lower cholesterol levels – so a winner all round.
Sorbitol: A naturally occurring sugar, sorbitol may help to relieve constipation by absorbing water and bulking up the stool. It’s important to note that sorbitol can irritate the colon, especially in those with irritable bowel syndrome.

If you stew prunes, be sure to eat the liquid or include it in the recipe to retain the sorbitol, which leaches into cooking water. This tastes delicious hot or cool so you can keep it for later if you prefer.

Prune juice is an antioxidant-rich constipation remedy. Drinking prune juice at bedtime may promote a morning bowel movement. If you prefer, change your times around and drink prune juice at breakfast for a bowel movement in the evening.

Adding plums and prunes to your diet will boost your overall health considerably. Versatile for breakfast, lunch and dinner, these tips will help you take advantage of their many benefits.

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