Prunes are dried plums, scientifically known as Prunus domestica. Plums have more than 1,000 varieties, but in size, it is more or less located between oranges and peaches. Prune has a sweet taste and is very fibrous. As explained in the health benefits of prunes during pregnancy, plums and prunes are good for your overall health.
When consumed regularly, prunes can provide some excellent benefits for your health, including regulating digestion, preventing cancer, improving bone health, protecting eye health, and regulating cholesterol, and others. Let’s look at the benefits of prunes.
Although it tastes sweet, prune fruit is believed not to cause a rise in blood sugar levels because it is classified in foods with a low glycemic index.
Glycemic index is a reference used to find out how quickly food can raise blood sugar levels after consumption.
In a portion (28 grams) of prunes, there are these nutrients:
When compared to plums, prunes have more content of vitamin K, B vitamins, to minerals. In addition, this fruit is also equipped with fiber and carbohydrate content that is more abundant than plums.
However, prune has more calories than plums, so avoid consuming it excessively.
Other than consuming it directly, prunes can also be made into juice. Since then, prune juice has been used as a natural remedy for getting rid of constipation regardless of age. Don’t worry, prune juice is safe to be given to infants aged 6 months and above.
If your baby is under 6 months of age, we recommend using the medicines provided by the clinic and avoid giving prune juice to your baby as the intestines are still immature to process foods.
While can be a treat for constipation, this fruit can also give you a bunch of main health benefits of dried prunes, such as:
As mentioned in the fantastic prunes health benefits for pregnancy, prunes are high in fiber, which helps prevent hemorrhoids due to chronic constipation which is a common problem in older adults or babies and can be caused by pelvic floor dysfunction or drug side effects.
Prune is also beneficial for babies. Prune juice acts as a laxative due to its high sorbitol. Six plums contain 4 grams of fiber and one cup of about 6.2 grams. Females usually need 25 grams of fiber daily, while males about 30 grams.
Infants aged 7-11 months only need 10 grams of fiber per day or the equivalent of half a tablespoon only.
With age, the need for fiber will also increase. In children aged 1-3 years, the fiber requirement is as much as 16 grams or the equivalent of one tablespoon more.
While in children aged 4-6 years, the fiber requirement is 22 grams or about 2 tablespoons. Fiber can only be found from plants or plant food products, like these prunes.
Prune fruit contains a fairly high vitamin A. Eating fruits containing vitamin A regularly can help maintain eye health. Keep in mind, vitamin A deficiency can cause dry eyes, macular degeneration, cataracts, to night blindness.
The potassium content in prunes is classified as high. In half a cup of prune alone, you can already get 637 milligrams of potassium or the equivalent of 14 percent of the daily recommended amount.
Potassium is an electrolyte that has an important task in maintaining digestive processes, heart rate, muscle contractions, to blood pressure.
Anemia or commonly known as lack of blood is a condition where the number of red blood cells in the body is below the normal limit. In this condition, the body has difficulty producing red blood cells..
As a result, the number of red blood cells as well as hb (hemoglobin) levels in the body decreased.
Anemia can also be experienced by infants, not just adults. One of the most common types of anemia experienced by infants is iron differentiation anemia, which is anemia due to lack of iron.
Before approaching medicinal methods, moms can use prunes for this problem. Consuming prunes regularly is believed to prevent anemia. The reason is, prune fruit contains high iron levels that can help the body produce red blood cells.
Anemia can cause shortness of breath to exhaustion. Therefore, the consumption of foods high in iron such as prunes can help prevent it. However, moms can also use the benefits of turkey berry for this problem.
Dried prunes also contain a mineral called boron, which is believed to strengthen muscles and bones. Moreover, boron is also considered to improve muscle coordination.
In a study in test animals, fruit and prune powder were able to reduce the effects of radiation on the spinal cord thus preventing bone density loss and improving bone health.
Other research proves, prune fruit can also prevent osteoporosis in women who are in the postmenopausal phase (life after menopause).
Having a good appetite is nice, but it’s not when it’s pretty excessive. Giving your babies too much food can increase the risk of obesity, which is highly dangerous. But don’t worry, prunes can help you with this.
There are two reasons why prunes can reduce excess appetite. First, prunes contain high fiber so as to make satiety last a long time. Second, prunes do not cause an increase in blood sugar levels so that excessive hunger can be avoided.
A study proves that eating prunes as a snack can prevent the appearance of hunger, as opposed to eating low-fat pastries. While having prunes, moms can also introduce the health benefits of banana in order to optimize the results.