"Previous research also found that eating 10–12 prunes per day for one year was associated with increased bone mineral density and improved indicators of bone turnover in postmenopausal women," she says.
How Many Prunes a Day Should You Eat? To get the best results, Dr. Hooshmand (and other researchers) recommend that you consume 100 grams (between 9 and 10 prunes) a day. If you are concerned about weight gain or you are on a low carbohydrate diet, then you can reduce your daily dose to 50 grams.
“If we eat too many prunes, they will most likely give us the runs,” says Feren, stressing that quantity is key, as prunes are not meant to be eaten in bulk. Feren says prune lovers are advised to eat around 30 grams, or three to four prunes, a day.
A serving size of 5 to 6 prunes per day is a good amount. Yet, like any dried fruit, they are high in natural sugars, so eating too much can be detrimental.” says Eva.
Osteoporosis, or loss of bone mass and density, afflicts many people, especially people over 50, leading to an increased risk of breaks and fractures. A new randomized controlled study finds that eating 5-6 prunes a day can preserve bone mass and density, arresting the development of osteoporosis.
"Previous research also found that eating 10–12 prunes per day for one year was associated with increased bone mineral density and improved indicators of bone turnover in postmenopausal women," she says.
Prunes are also rich in potassium, a mineral that helps your muscles, nerves, and heart function properly. Eating four to five prunes gives you about 280 mg of potassium or around 12% of your daily recommended intake.
Prunes are a good source of fiber, which helps to lower cholesterol and your risk of heart disease. Eating prunes before going to bed is connected with lower blood pressure, as they decrease plaque buildup and bad cholesterol and limit inflammation in your body.
For example, the clinical trials found that eating 100 grams of prunes -- about 10 prunes -- each day for one year improved bone mineral density of bones in the forearm and lower spine and decreased signs of bone turnover.
Ten prunes daily can strengthen bones
Eating prunes led to two positive benefits: less oxidative stress/inflammation and stronger bones. Specifically, clinical trials found that eating about ten prunes (100 grams) daily for an entire year improved bone mineral density within the forearms and lower spine.
Dependency on Laxatives
Eating too many prunes for a laxative effect, possibly because of the inaccurate belief that laxatives are effective for weight control, could be harmful to your body. Those who do not have regular bowel movements should not rely on dried plums to relieve constipation too frequently.
Research suggests that eating five or six prunes each day is as good for chronic constipation as some laxatives, Rao says.
How Fast Does Prune Juice Work for Constipation? After drinking prune juice, you can get the urge to go in 1-3 hours. If you're severely constipated, it could take up to a day or longer to relax your digestive tract and start a bowel movement.
A portion of dried fruit is around 30g. This is about 1 heaped tablespoon of raisins, currants or sultanas, 1 tablespoon of mixed fruit, 2 figs, 3 prunes or 1 handful of dried banana chips.
Prunes are loaded with soluble fibre called pectin, which is known to keep your gut health intact. It helps to clear out the intestinal tract, which helps in better bowel movements. It is also considered as a natural laxative.
Whole prunes are also richer in potassium, vitamins A and K, calcium, magnesium and antioxidant compounds than prune juice. The juice, however, is a better source of iron and vitamin C.
Fiber is important for keeping our digestive system healthy and regular. prunes also contain sorbitol, a natural laxative that can help with constipation. What is this? While you can enjoy prunes dried, stewing them gives them a lot more flavor and allows you to use them in different ways.
Liver Health
In traditional medicine, prune juice has been used to treat hepatitis — a liver disease. When there are problems with your liver, it produces harmful chemicals. Prune juice vitamins and antioxidants reduce these chemicals, helping to maintain liver health and fight disease.
Increasing evidence from 10 studies suggests that, in addition to antiresorptive effects, prunes exert anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
“Prunes do help with constipation due to their 12 grams of insoluble fiber (in just one cup) and the natural laxative sorbitol,” says Maegan White, RDN, a diabetes educator and traveling wellness blogger.
If you are not used to high levels of fibre in your diet but you wish to try prunes to ease constipation, it would be advisable to start with 1-2 prunes each day, with adequate amounts of water, and build up slowly to find your tolerance.
Their findings suggest that prunes are an effective food for preventing and reversing bone loss in postmenopausal osteoporosis.
Information. Fruits such as dried apricots, prunes, and raisins will keep at top quality in the pantry for six months. After opening, you may wish to store them tightly sealed in the refrigerator to preserve the quality for up to six additional months or freeze them for one month.