Plums belong to the genus Prunus, which also includes peaches and almonds. Prunes are obtained by dehydrating one of the European varieties of plums, the so-called DÁngen, to be exact, which, because it is rich in sugars, is dehydrated and marketed without adding sucrose (refined sugar).
BRIEF HISTORY
The European plum apparently originated in the Caspian Sea area about 2,000 years ago and dried plums have been produced ever since. By the time of classical antiquity there were about 300 varieties of this fruit in Europe. In the 17th century they were introduced to the United States. The other, more common variety, is the Japanese plum, which originated in China. Today there are more than 2000 varieties of this fruit. Today, California is the world’s largest producer of prunes, contributing 50% of world production.
NUTRITIONAL CONTENT
Prunes are a good source of fiber (6.1 gr/100 g.), (they provide soluble and insoluble fiber) and although they are a fruit rich in carbohydrates, due to their richness in fiber and antioxidants they do not cause obesity or affect negatively glucose levels, in fact, they have a low glycemic index. They are a good source of vitamin C, they provide vitamin K and boron (it is the fifth richest food in boron), important nutrients for the health of our bones, they are also a good source of potassium (745 mg/100g.) and they are low in sodium , which makes them beneficial for heart health and they are one of the fruits with the highest content of antioxidants, especially phenolic compounds (184mg/100g.).
HEALTH BENEFITS
This combination of nutrients helps explain, in part, its extensive health benefits. Research carried out in recent decades has shown that prunes are a treasure for our health:
* They provide good quality carbohydrates,
* Its laxative effects and various benefits for intestinal health have been proven,
* Help reduce the risk of colon cancer,
* Help reduce the risk of cavities,
* Help maintain proper levels of cholesterol and triglycerides,
* Contribute to prevent and combat hypertension,
* Improve liver health,
* Help level glucose levels,
* Help generate a feeling of satiety (combat compulsive appetite),
* Help reduce cognitive decline related to aging,
* Recently it has been shown that they help improve the health of our bones.
Impressive resume for this humble fruit! If it were a drug that, without causing harmful side effects, could have all these benefits for our health, I’m sure it would already be on the front page of all the newspapers and newscasts worldwide, but since it’s about prunes, well it doesn’t happen that way. But fortunately we can all benefit from these impressive properties of prunes in our homes.
THE LAXATIVE EFFECT OF PRUNES.
Constipation is a very common condition, affecting more than 20% of the world population. It is more frequent in adults over 65 years of age and generates multiple discomforts. But not only, constipation can be the starting point of multiple diseases, as demonstrated by the research of Dr. Burkitt, considered by some to be one of the greatest doctors of the last century (his name rose to fame for his research on a common type of cancer in Africa) (1) . Irish-born Dr Burkitt worked in Uganda as a surgeon for 20 years and claimed that in Africa, where most of the people he treated were people who ate what they grew themselves, he almost never saw cases of many of the most common diseases in the United States and England, including coronary heart disease, adult-onset diabetes, varicose veins, obesity, diverticulitis, appendicitis, gallstones, dental caries, hemorrhoids, hiatal hernias, and constipation. In 20 years of practicing as a surgeon in Africa, he had to remove exactly one gallbladder.
According to his research, he attributed this great difference to the modern Western diet, and especially to the lack of fiber in our diet. The modern Western diet is so dense in calories and so low in fiber that our intestines do not make or expel enough feces to keep us healthy. Dr Burkitt viewed modern civilization as a constipated civilization and insisted throughout his professional life on recognizing the association between constipation and the modern chronic degenerative disease pandemic. In 1979 he published his book, Don’t Forget Fiber in Your Diet to Help You Avoid Many of Our Common Diseases, which became a worldwide bestseller. From his work, fiber ceased to be the ugly duckling of food and its enormous importance for our health was rediscovered.
Prunes have been used for centuries for their laxative properties. This effect occurs not only when consuming the whole dried fruit, but also when drinking prune juice (which contains soluble fiber) and even taking tea prepared with prunes, a highly recommended laxative remedy to treat constipation in babies.
For those who like the scientific confirmation of ancestral knowledge, it is worth reporting the publication of a study in 2011, carried out at the University of Iowa, by a team led by Dr. Satish Rao. The study compared the laxative effect of prunes and metamusil (psyllium fiber-based laxative) in 40 subjects suffering from constipation (2). Metamusil was chosen because it is a laxative that has been shown to be effective in various human studies. The authors of the study explained their interest in investigating the laxative effects of prunes, noting that around 50% of patients suffering from constipation do not feel comfortable or satisfied with the results when consuming the most commonly prescribed laxatives. by the doctors. This justifies the search for natural and harmless alternatives, pointed out this group of researchers. On the other hand, the authors of the study commented that the laxative effect of this fruit, although well recognized empirically, has not been systematically investigated.
The study showed that the frequency of bowel movements was higher among those who consumed prunes (50 gr 2 times a day, for 3 weeks, which is approximately equivalent to about 12 prunes a day and a contribution of 6 g of fiber per day ,) and that the consistency of the stool was also better, compared to the patients taking metamusil. In addition, the authors pointed out in their study that prunes have the advantage of being pleasant in taste and texture and very easy to obtain and consume.
Despite the fact that the dose of fiber provided by the metamusil was the same (6 grams per day), the prunes exerted a higher laxative effect, which suggests, the authors of the study point out, that other factors contained in the prunes contribute to its laxative effect, such as sorbitol (a type of sugar, which works by increasing the water content in the intestines) and phenolic compounds, especially two substances known as chlorogenic and neochlorogenic acid. Other studies have also pointed to the magnesium compounds present in prunes as responsible for their laxative effect.
In the conclusion of their study, the authors comment that prunes should become the first-line prescription for the treatment of constipation.
But it is not necessary to suffer from constipation to benefit from the consumption of prunes: other studies have shown that in people who do not suffer from constipation, the consumption of these fruits increases the weight of fecal stools and improves their consistency (3).
COMMENT
It might seem like a useless exercise and a waste of resources to investigate the already well-known laxative effect of prunes, but in truth, if we contextualize this effort, its importance becomes evident. As the same authors of the study point out for the particular case of constipation: the limitations of modern medical treatment justify research into natural and non-harmful alternatives. It is, in fact, a growing trend in international research: the search for natural substances that can replace drugs, in response to their therapeutic limitations (ineffectiveness and/or harmfulness). We must applaud any contribution in this regard, no matter how small. Because? In my opinion, because this conjunction between science and nature lays the foundations for a new form of medicine, which combines ancestral knowledge with scientific methodology and allows us to exercise pleasant and minimally invasive medicine. In addition, this approach, which proposes a return to the use of natural substances to replace drugs -and scientifically demonstrates the feasibility of this proposal- implies, at the same time, a renewal of the modern medical paradigm: scientific recognition of the curative power of food invites us to resume vital hygiene as the foundation of medicine. That is to say: taking care of our living and eating habits to promote health at home, instead of limiting ourselves to treating the disease with drugs and in hospitals. As Dr Burkitt said: when chronic degenerative disease is already present, there is not much that medicine can do, on the contrary, when it comes to optimizing health and preventing disease, there is much that each one can achieve.
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