0 Health Benefits of Prunes

Welcome to Jeenas Kitchen.. this page will show you the "health benefits of eating prunes" also I will show you a very tasty prune pudding recipe.

Prunes are dried plums and are packed with health benefits, not only are they good for your health but they are so versatile in cooking too as you can see from my recipe.

Prunes are deep rich brown/purple in colour and taste so fantastic.

Here are 8 reasons to include prunes in your diet...

1. They contain 'Phenols' which are an antioxidant proven to be damage preventing particularly against a dangerous oxygen radical called superoxide anion radical.

Also they have proved to help prevent oxygen and free radical damage to our body fats.

2. Prunes can deter oxygen related damage to our cells due to its high content of Beta Carotene, this is vital as beta carotene in cancer fighting and can help prevent conditions like heart disease, atherosclerosis, colon cancer and diabetes.

Also this vitamin is known to reduce severe inflammatory conditions like osteoarthritis, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.

3. Prunes help lower cholesterol through binding bile acids and carrying them out of the body through the feces.

Bile acids come from the liver to digest fats, when prunes carry out this bile the liver has to produce more, this time using up more cholesterol which means less cholesterol in your circulation.

4. Prunes are well talked about when it comes to "preventing constipation" and with good reason.

Prunes provide bulk and decrease the transit time of fecal matter, this decreases the risk of colon cancer.

When prunes are in the large intestine they provide 'food' for the friendly bacteria, when the prunes are fermented by this friendly bacteria they produce a short chain fatty acid called butyric acid which helps keep your colon healthy. Also 2 other short chain fatty acids are created, propionic acid and acetic acid which the liver and muscles use as a fuel.

5. The soluble fiber in prunes can help normalize blood sugar levels. It delays the absorption of glucose into the blood by slowing down the rate at which food leaves your stomach, this soluble fiber increases insulin sensitivity and can be a helpful role in preventing and treating type 2 diabetes.

Also prunes give you a sense of 'fullness' after eating a meal which can prevent over eating in obese people.

6. Prunes are high in potassium which is essential for heart function and normal blood pressure. Just one quarter of a cup of prunes contains a massive 316.6 mg of potassium!

Yet the same only has 1.7 mg of sodium. This may help prevent atherosclerosis and high blood pressure, the high amount of potassium in prunes may also help in bone conditions. High salt diets can lead to urinary calcium loss which causes thinning of the bones.

The high potassium levels in prunes may counteract this.

7. Prunes help your body absorb iron, they contain amino acids and vitamins.


8. Prunes can be used as a natural sweetener they are very sweet in taste and are a great alternative to sugar.

So now you know the "health benefits of prunes".. how do we use them in Cooking ?

Well, there are many ways to use prunes in cooking !!..... So let's now get cooking with prunes !

Click here to see Chefs prune pudding recipe