{"id":630090,"date":"2026-09-28T14:16:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T14:16:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/630090\/"},"modified":"2026-09-28T14:16:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T14:16:11","slug":"nutrition-experts-share-surprising-health-benefits-of-prunes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/630090\/","title":{"rendered":"Nutrition Experts Share Surprising Health Benefits of Prunes"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re looking to eat a diet high in fibre<\/a> and other essential nutrients, there\u2019s one pantry powerhouse dietitians say you shouldn\u2019t overlook: prunes. The health benefits of prunes are surprisingly wide-ranging. \u2018Prunes have many different health benefits<\/a>, from gastrointestinal health to bone preservation, modulating immune response, diabetes, atherosclerosis and satiety,\u2019 says Dr Shirin Hooshmand<\/a>, professor in exercise and nutritional sciences at San Diego State University.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re also fairly versatile. You can eat them as a snack or find ways to add them to meals for a nutrition boost. Adding a handful of chopped prunes to your morning oats or yogurt bowl adds a little sweetness. You can also use them in place of raisins in a trail mix or salad, or even add them to braised meats for a rich flavour.<\/p>\n

But before you start eating these dehydrated plums by the handful, experts say it\u2019s best to start slow \u2013 especially if your diet tends to be low-fibre. Ahead, learn more about why dietitians say prunes and prune juice can be part of a healthy diet. If you\u2019re looking for more healthy eating advice, read up on the shelf-stable foods pros say you should stock up on<\/a> and the nutritious fruits dietitians swear by<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How many prunes should you eat a day?<\/p>\n

Dr Hooshmand says how many prunes you should eat in a day depends on the size of the prunes themselves, but current research recommends 50g of prunes a day, which is equal to about five to six prunes. If you\u2019re not used to eating prunes or other fibre-rich foods, start slow with one to two prunes a day and gradually work your way up. \u2018For people who have a low intake of fibre in their diet, in general, we recommend introducing prunes gradually, avoid consumption of prunes on an empty stomach and spread the intake throughout the day,\u2019 says Dr Hooshmand.<\/p>\n

California-based registered dietitian Leslie Bonci<\/a> agrees and recommends going slowly since prunes do contain sorbitol and that can increase the urge to go. Her suggestion is to divide them over the day. \u2018Even for those with IBD and other gut diseases, eating a small amount of prunes is not too much, but again go slowly,\u2019 Bonci says. If you’re wondering whether you can eat prunes on an empty stomach, Bonci says you absolutely can and that they\u2019re great on their own or can be incorporated into a variety of dishes.<\/p>\n

Prune health benefits1. Provides a slew of beneficial vitamins and minerals<\/p>\n

Prunes are a rich source of complex carbohydrates, fibre and are relatively low in calories. But they also provide a variety of beneficial vitamins and minerals. A serving of just four prunes (38g)<\/a> provides:<\/p>\n

90 calories0g total fat0g saturated fat0mg cholesterol0mg sodium24g total carbohydrate3g dietary fibre14g total sugars0g added sugars1g protein20mg calcium0.4mg iron 280mg potassium 23mcg Vitamin K0.1mg riboflavin 0.9mg niacin0.1mg Vitamin B6 0.2mg pantothenic acid 15mg magnesium0.1mg copper0.1mg manganese 2. Supports healthy bones<\/p>\n

Dr Hooshmand has been conducting research in the area of bone health and prunes for the past 15 years. In a recent clinical trial<\/a>, Dr Hooshmand and her team found that for postmenopausal women who are osteopenic (a stage of bone loss before osteoporosis where bones are weaker than average), eating five to six prunes per day for six months was effective in preventing bone loss. \u2018Previous research<\/a> also found that eating 10 to 12 prunes per day for one year was associated with increased bone mineral density and improved indicators of bone turnover in postmenopausal women,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

3. Lowers cholesterol levels<\/p>\n

A serving of prunes meets 11% of the daily value for fibre, which plays a role in lowering blood cholesterol. Initial research<\/a> from the University of California, Davis, found that men with moderately elevated cholesterol were able to reduce both total and \u2018bad\u2019 LDL cholesterol after eating about 12 prunes daily.<\/p>\n

4. Supports healthy digestion<\/p>\n

The fibre content of prunes may be to thank for their laxative effect, but scientists<\/a> point to the combination of fibre, phenolic compounds and sorbitol within prunes that are likely what does the trick. Research<\/a> supports that prunes can significantly increase stool weight and frequency, making them a great natural alternative to promote healthy bowel function. Bonci adds that research<\/a> suggests that prunes are as effective as over-the-counter products to help with constipation.<\/p>\n

5. Stabilises blood sugar levels<\/p>\n

The popular dried fruit is rich in fibre and contains a combination of both insoluble and soluble fibre, Bonci says. The soluble fibre<\/a> specifically is slow-moving and can assist in regulating blood sugar levels. Prunes are also naturally sweet without any added sugar, making them a healthier sweetener alternative in baked goods and more.<\/p>\n

6. Provides a feeling of fullness<\/p>\n

Bonci says that research<\/a> shows prunes may play a role in enhancing satiety or the feeling of fullness. Researchers from the University of Liverpool found that the group who consumed prunes in conjunction with a structured weight management programme experienced greater levels of satisfaction compared to the weight management group without prunes. This may be due to the fibre-rich nature of the dried fruit.<\/p>\n

7. Combats inflammation<\/p>\n

Since prunes are rich in polyphenols, these antioxidants can help decrease inflammation and protect against DNA damage. Compared to fresh plums, prunes dried at 60 and 85\u00b0C<\/a> may actually have a higher antioxidant activity. <\/p>\n

Is prune juice healthy?<\/p>\n

Unlike other fruit juices, most popular brands of prune juice do actually contain a good source of fibre per serving. Warm prune juice itself has been long used as a natural constipation remedy as well. \u2018In my opinion, consuming prune juice could probably be effective in terms of bone health to some degree, but we only have data from clinical trials testing effects of whole prunes on bone health,\u2019 says Dr Hooshmand.<\/p>\n

How to add prunes to your diet<\/p>\n

\u2018There are plenty of different ways to enjoy the prune as part of your diet: from smoothies to salads and soups to savoury dinner dishes. Prunes can even be used as a sugar and fat substitute in baked goods,\u2019 Dr. Hooshmand shares. \u2018[Prunes] can be part of powerful flavour combinations and nutrient amplifications when paired with nuts, grains, veggies, dairy or meats,\u2019 Bonci adds.<\/p>\n

Enjoy this yummy dried fruit by itself or try it in a variety of different ways:<\/p>\n

Use prunes alongside your favourite variety of nuts in a healthy home-made trail mixAdd chopped prunes as a topping to porridge<\/a> or yogurtIncorporate prunes in stews or tagine for a sweet and savoury twistAdd a prune or two to your morning smoothie<\/a>\u200bToss chopped prunes into salad alongside your favourite veggies and vinaigretteUse prunes for natural sweetness and fibre in energy bitesBonci suggests adding prune pur\u00e9e to hummus for a naturally sweet \u2018plummus\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you\u2019re looking to eat a diet high in fibre and other essential nutrients, there\u2019s one pantry powerhouse…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":630091,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[163,85,46,284879,284880,284878,284877],"class_list":["post-630090","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-health","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-prune-benefits","tag-prune-health-benefits","tag-prune-juice","tag-prunes"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630090","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=630090"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630090\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/630091"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=630090"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=630090"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=630090"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}