Prunes may still be less well known by tropical countries even though the benefits of prunes are very good for maintaining a healthy body, even for overcoming several health problems.
They are one type of fruit that is widely cultivated in western countries, such as America and Europe, and they are also rich in antioxidants that are useful for warding off free radicals, like benefits of dates.
Apart from antioxidants, prunes also contain a variety of vitamins and minerals that are good for the body, such as vitamins A, C, B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, B12, K, fiber, potassium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, iron, and zinc, this content makes prunes have many health benefits.
Unlike benefits of mackerel, lums have a sweet taste, you can eat them directly and you can just enjoy it bite by bite. There is no need to peel the fruit as prune skins contain a large amount of antioxidants and if you have had digestive problems lately, maybe you need to eat prunes in order to help food move effectively in the large intestine.
You can try making juice out of prunes, it will be very refreshing and it’s very easy and simple as well, all you just need is to add a little sugar or milk and ice cubes. It must be very refreshing and healthy drink during a hot sunny day.
This one fruit is also perfect for a salad mix! You can combine it with strawberry, grape, orange, honey and mint for an appetizing salad or you can also add prunes to a mixed vegetable salad mixed with spinach and lettuce. This salad is suitable for you to enjoy as a dessert or healthy snack.
Prunes can also be eaten as ice cream, you can make them by adding milk, yogurt, and sliced prunes and then freeze them in the refrigerator, and the antioxidant-rich ice cream is ready to be enjoyed.
Apart from making juice, you can also make other drinks such as smoothies with the method is being not too difficult with just simply by blending the prune slices that have been soaked in warm water, mix with blueberries, yogurt, and a little milk cream.
However, prunes can also be turned into a healthy snack by processing into dried prunes. Just like any dried fruits like benefits of dried pineapple, it can be a tasteful healthy snack as your companion through your days. It may offer some healthful benefits as well, such as :
1. Maintain a healthy digestive system
The best known benefit of dried prunes is their ability to prevent constipation, and just like the benefits of kefir, the prunes fiber compacts the faecal mass and promotes its elimination process, thereby reducing the risk of colon cancer and hemorrhoids.
Meanwhile, the insoluble fiber of prunes serves to provide food for the good bacteria that live in the large intestine, thereby helping to preserve its population with the good bacteria in the intestines produce short chain fatty acids called butyric acid. Butyric acid serves as the main fuel for colon cells and helps maintain the health of the organs.
2. Lower cholesterol
The propionic acid produced by prunes fiber is a type of insoluble fiber with a proof of a Medical evidence so far reports that propionic acid has cholesterol-lowering properties.
By lowering the activity of this enzyme, propionic acid helps lower blood cholesterol by binding to bile acids and removing them from the body through feces, and for those of you who don’t know, bile acids are compounds used to digest fat produced by the liver from cholesterol.
When they are excreted together with prune fiber, the liver must produce new bile acids and break down more cholesterol, thereby lowering the amount of cholesterol in circulation, and furthermore, soluble fiber can also reduce the amount of cholesterol produced by the liver.
3. Contain high antioxidants
Prunes contain unique substances that are really useful for the body called chlorogenic and neochlorogenic acids, and classified as phenols.
Phenol is a type of antioxidant that has been shown to be effective at neutralizing harmful free radicals called superoxide anion radicals and have also been shown to help prevent the breakdown of oxygen in fat.
Most cells in your body including body and brain cells are composed mostly out of fat and that’s why it’s important to keep it low in order to prevent various harmful internal diseases.
4. Maintain heart health
Prunes are a good source of potassium, an electrolyte, that also can be found in the benefits of goji berries, that helps in various vital body functions.
This will help our body in various ways including maintaining a normal heart rhythm, contraction on heart muscles, and reducing the level of blood pressure which can further reduce the risk of stroke.
Because the body does not produce potassium naturally, regularly consuming dried prunes or the juice version can help you meet your daily potassium needs and what’s interesting is the prune’s natural coloring agent, anthocyanin, can protect against cancer by neutralizing harmful free radicals.
5. Help to treat osteoporosis
Dried prunes are an important source of the mineral boron, which can help build strong bones and muscles, pluts it can also help improve mental acuity and muscle coordination.
Prunes are also believed to have the potential to treat osteoporosis. A joint study from Florida State University and Oklahoma State University shows evidence that prunes can prevent bone loss in postmenopausal women who are prone to osteoporosis due to the benefits of dried prunes for bone health also include fighting the loss of bone density due to radiation to the bone marrow