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Delicious and nutritious, dried plums or prunes were introduced to the North American diet from France thanks to the gold rush of the 1800's. After failing in his gold quest at Californian gold mines, a Frenchman struck the nutritional jackpot by planting thousands of acres of the anti-oxidant and vitamin rich fruit in the United States, making the state of California one of the world's greatest prune suppliers.

BACKGROUND

Prunes were historically a French delicacy, exported to North European countries long before they arrived on the shores of the Americas. Not only did visions of sugarplums dance in children's heads' at night, as in the famous poem, The Night Before Christmas, but the fruit graced Europen tables during the day, taking the form of yummy desserts, custards, jams and spreads.

NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION

The prune's nutritional composition combined with its sweetness makes it an excellent and tasty dried fruit option. Prunes are loaded with:

*phytochemicals
*natural laxative dihydrophenylisatin
*iron
*dietary fiber
*potassium
*vitamins A, B3, and B6.

When eaten regularly, studies show that prunes are an excellent dietary food.

HEALING PROPERTIES

*Prunes promote good digestive health.

Prunes are renowned as a mild, folkloric laxative, and ancient Egyptian and Greek physicians once prescribed prunes to patients with gastrointestinal problems. Because prunes are loaded with fiber and natural laxatives, they help in correcting and encouraging regular bowel movements. But a 2007 edition of Nutrition Research published that prune juice, although lacking in fiber, contains stool-softening sorbitol, and is thus as effective a laxative as the fruit itself. Sorbitol also remains in the intestines, and acts as a mild antibacterial and cleansing agent, to promote good digestion.

*Prunes are a satiating fruit with a moderate glycemic index.

The Nutritional Advisory Panel sponsored research to determine the glycemic index (GI) of prunes. The soluble fiber in prunes helps normalize blood sugars and increases insulin sensitivity, which plays a major role in treating type 2 diabetes. The studies also determined that prune bars and juices provided a great, prolonged source of energy, comparable to sport or power bars. Prunes make great filling snacks, and can help curb weight gain.

*Prunes prevent heart disease.

A study conducted by the Archives of Internal Medicine in over 1000 Americans found that fiber-rich foods, like prunes, help prevent heart disease. Participants of the study who ate more than 21 grams of fiber a day were 12% less likely to develop coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease. Prunes help lower cholesterol levels, as soluble fiber helps reduce the amount of cholesterol manufactured by the liver during bile excretion. The potassium in prunes is also essential in reducing high blood pressure and preventing atherosclerosis.

*The antioxidants in prunes fight free radicals and aging.

Antioxidant rich food, like prunes, are known to combat free radicals and prevent certain cancers and diseases, but the antioxidants in prunes also slow the aging process and prevent vision loss as well.

*Prunes may attack colon cancer

Further studies are being conducted by The Nutritional Advisory Panel and the University of Illinois to examine the association between prune consumption and reduced incidences of colon cancer, and the postive effect of prune sorbitol on dental health.

RESOURCES

For further reading, try 'The Role of Dried Plums in Digestive Health' by Phyllis Bowen PhD, at www.thedigestivehealthorg.com. Californiadriedplums.org offers useful nutritional facts and prune recipes as well.

Learn more about this author, Paola Fanutti.
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