[Efficacy of prunes] Natural laxative, 3 hidden benefits of prunes

[Efficacy of prunes] Natural laxative, 3 hidden benefits of prunes

prunes

Solving constipation problems, what are the other benefits of prunes?
Prune efficacy
1. Improves spontaneous bowel movement frequency and stool consistency
2. Reduces total and LDL cholesterol
3. Prevents bone loss after menopause

This is Jinny, the pharmacist.

While working at a pharmacy, I often heard reviews saying that people suffering from constipation drank prune juice and found it to be more effective than laxatives. Of course  , prunes are a kind of dried fruit made from dried plums, not medicine, but  many people are satisfied after consuming them because they are rich in soluble and insoluble dietary fiber and sorbitol.  In particular, sorbitol has a sweet taste, but unlike glucose, it does not raise blood sugar and absorbs water to help smooth excretion of stool. 

However, studies have shown that prunes have various effects other than bowel movements. Today, in this regard, we will look at the various benefits that can be obtained when consuming prunes through the thesis.
1. Improving the number of spontaneous bowel movements and stool consistency

Many of you probably know that dietary fiber intake helps with constipation. Dietary fiber softens the stool and makes it bulky, which increases the number of bowel movements and the amount of stool . Prune is rich in various dietary fibers .

In this regard, in Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics in 2011, a paper was published reporting the results of improving the number of spontaneous bowel movements and stool consistency when prune was consumed for subjects with constipation .
" The number of complete spontaneous bowel movements per week and the stool consistency score were significantly improved with dried plums."
Reference paper: Attaluri, A., Donahoe, R., Valestin, J., Brown, K., & Rao, SS (2011). Randomised clinical trial: dried plums (prunes) vs. psyllium for constipation. Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics , 33 (7), 822–828.
2. Reduces Total Cholesterol and LDL Cholesterol

LDL cholesterol digs into the inside of the blood vessel wall, causes various inflammatory reactions, and then clumps together and attaches to the blood vessel wall or thickens the blood vessel wall as a whole. When the blood vessel walls become thick and the blood vessels narrow, the risk of exposure to various vascular diseases increases. In this regard , the polyphenol component contained in prunes prevents cholesterol from being absorbed into the digestive tract and lowers the level of cholesterol in the blood . 

In fact, a paper published in Pharmaceutical Biology in 2017 found that consuming prunes reduced total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels .
"The subjects who consumed the prune essence concentrate (PEC) showed a significant decrease in total cholesterol (TC) and LDL-c levels, and slightly improved HDL-c levels compared to the baseline (week 0)."
Reference Paper: Chiu, HF, Huang, YC, Lu, YY, Han, YC, Shen, YC, Golovinskaia, O., Venkatakrishnan, K., & Wang, CK (2017). Regulatory/modulatory effect of prune essence concentrate on intestinal function and blood lipids. Pharmaceutical biology , 55 (1), 974–979.
3. Prevents Bone Loss After Menopause

After menopause, bone loss increases due to the decrease in estrogen, which increases the risk of developing osteoporosis. At this time, if the mineral intake that becomes the composition of bones is lacking overall, the threat to bone health is getting bigger. Prune is rich in vitamin K, potassium, magnesium, and boron, which are necessary for building strong bones .

In this regard, a paper published in the Journal of Medicinal Food in 2019 reported that bone resorption was reduced when postmenopausal women consumed prunes, preventing bone loss .
“A decrease in C-telopeptide (CTX) value indicates a decrease in bone resorption, which is considered desirable. (omitted) In the second phase, it suggests a favorable trend in CTX reduction among those consuming six prunes (DP). did. "
Reference Paper: Al-Dashti, YA, Holt, RR, Carson, JG, Keen, CL, & Hackman, RM (2019). Effects of Short-Term Dried Plum (Prune) Intake on Markers of Bone Resorption and Vascular Function in Healthy Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Crossover Trial. Journal of medicinal food , 22 (10), 982–992.

Today, we looked at the various benefits of consuming prunes. However, you need to be careful not to eat too much at one time. This is because the dietary fiber and sorbitol in prunes can cause diarrhea or bloating. Therefore, it is recommended to start with a small amount and gradually increase the amount.

I hope you have a healthy day in body and mind. It was Jinny.
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