Prunes, micronutrient components, soluble fibre content, phytonutrient components, biological activities and therapeutic advantages
Description : Dehydrated plums are generally known as prunes, which have been used for centuries for various
Article Details :
Dehydrated plums are generally known as prunes, which have been used for centuries for various medicinal purposes.
Characteristics
- It is reddish brown in colour
- It has a savory-sweet flavor
- It has a chewy texture
Nutritional profile
- It contains healthy carbohydrates and contains natural sugar
- It contains fibre as well
- It contains lesser amount of proteins too
- It is packed with various imperative micronutrients like Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, sodium, potassium, calcium, iron, copper and manganese
- It is also loaded with numerous phytonutrients that exhibit several nutraceutical activities
Biological activity
Antioxidant activity
- It contains various important plant components like neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeoylquinic acids that exert potent antioxidant activities. Whereas its micronutrient contents are also exhibiting antioxidant activities
- It helps to protect the body from the detrimental effects of free radicals and reactive oxygen species, which ultimately help to reduce oxidative stress and lower the risk of developing chronic diseases
- It helps to prevent cellular damages as well thus helps in promoting overall wellbeing
Anti-inflammatory activity
- It exerts anti-inflammatory activity, which is related with decreasing the concentration of inflammatory mediators in body that delay the onset of inflammatory events and decreases the risk of developing chronic inflammatory disorders
- It helps to prevent joint swelling as well thus its consumption is thought be very effective for improving the symptoms of arthritis
- It has seen that consumption of prunes is extremely helpful for decreasing the prevalence of osteoporosis especially among postmenopausal women
Anti-carcinogenic activity
- It plays significant role in decreasing the risk of developing carcinoma as it has anti-carcinogenic activity
- It is very effective for decreasing the prevalence of colon cancers
Health benefits
Role on digestive health
- Consumption of prune is very beneficial for improving digestive health
- It not only improves digestion but also decreases the risk of developing various other digestive disorders by protecting the digestive tract from oxidative and inflammatory damages
- It is rich in fibre thus its consumption is thought to be very effective for improving the symptoms of constipation as fibre helps in easy defecation by making the stool soft and bulky
- It contains sorbitol as well that also exert laxative effects and helps to prevent constipation as well as hemorrhoids
- Its fibre content is also associated with improving colonic health by enhancing peristalsis, which ultimately lowers the risk of developing colonic disorders like diverticular diseases, inflammation of colon etc
- It is loaded with pectin a soluble fibre that plays vital role in improving overall gut health
Role on weight management
- Consumption of prune plays imperative role in maintaining ideal body weight
- Basically it helps in decreasing the risk of gaining weight. Fibre present in prune is responsible for delaying stomach emptying as a result it helps to provide a feeling of fullness hence decreases appetite and over food consumption, which helps to maintain proper energy balance
- It can easily fulfill hunger with very few calories that facilitates weight reduction too
- It helps in decreasing total body fat percentage as well that helps to prevent visceral obesity
- Individual who are on weight reducing program should include prune in their diet
Role on skeletal health
- Consumption of prune is very effective for improving overall skeletal health as it contains significant amount of calcium, an important trace element, which is essentially required for healthy bone formation
- It helps in bone mineralization thus increases bone mineral density, which ultimately prevents thinning of bones as a result lowers this risk of bone fractures
- It helps to improve bone mass as well as strength, which help to make the bone relatively stronger
Role on muscle
- Prune contain an important trace element named boron that plays imperative role in promoting muscle health
- It helps to stimulate the synthesis of muscle and enhancers muscle mass as well as strength
- It is also very effective for protecting muscle from damages and also helps to heal muscle injuries
- It helps in improving muscle coordination that ultimately helps in movements
