Prunes
Hello, dear readers! Prunes are a delicacy that almost all adults and children love. It can safely be classified as one of those products that are not only tasty, but also very healthy.
Not many people know that prunes can be made from ordinary plums. Most often this variety is Hungarian, Kroman, Stanley.
For drying, only ripe, beautiful, undamaged fruits are selected, and drying with or without pits is allowed.
Good quality dried fruit generally has an almost black or dark blue hue.
Compound
Prunes have a pleasant taste and contain substances valuable for the body. Among them are Vitamins B, PP, A, D and C and beta-carotene. There is enough pectin, plant fiber, oxalic, malic and citric acid in prunes.
In addition, prunes contain potassium, phosphorus, iodine, iron, sucrose, fructose and glucose. The fruit contains polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids.
Plums are also a good source of carbohydrates and sugars, which provide energy. A serving of 5 plums supplies about 25 grams of carbohydrates and 15 grams of glucose and fructose sugars.
How to cook at home
If you don't entirely trust the producers of black drupes, try drying them yourself or smoking them in your home smoker using apple or cherry chips. I can briefly share how I do it.
We dry all the fruits from our site in an electric dryer. Find out how to choose the right electric dryer from our article.
Usually I take a ripe Hungarian or Renklod variety, remove the seeds, place them on trays with the flesh facing up and put them in the dryer. Periodically I turn off the unit and let the fruit cool completely. In 3-4 times everything is usually ready. I recommend storing in dry, clean jars. If the dryer is a little damp, I put 3 bay leaves there - they will absorb moisture - and I enjoy the environmentally friendly product all autumn and winter.
Benefit
1. Prunes act as a diuretic and choleretic agent. The healthy fruit eliminates bacteria and prevents the development of staphylococcus, E. coli and salmonella.
2. The sweet fruit stabilizes the functioning of the stomach and intestines and enhances metabolism.
3. Prunes have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart and blood vessels, lowering blood pressure in hypertension. Charges with energy and eliminates vitamin deficiency.
4. Eating the fruit helps in the treatment of oncology.
5. Due to the presence of a large amount of antioxidants, eating prunes cleanses blood vessels of cholesterol accumulations. Antioxidants prevent free radicals from damaging body cells and activate blood circulation.
6. Prunes are good to eat for anemia. In addition, prunes rejuvenate the body.
7. The fruits contain special phytonutrients that have powerful antioxidant properties. These phytonutrients can boost the body's immunity. They help bind free radicals and protect body cells from damage by carcinogens.
8. A quarter cup of the fruit provides about 17 percent of the daily value of vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. This is a powerful antioxidant that helps get rid of free radicals.
9. A quarter cup of dried plums provides about 10 percent of the recommended daily value of potassium. Potassium helps maintain stable blood pressure and relieves blockages in blood vessels. This improves heart health and reduces the risk of stroke and coronary artery disease.
10. Potassium has also been found to be an essential mineral for bone health. And helps prevent calcium loss, bone density and prevent the development of osteoporosis.
11. A quarter cup of dried plums will provide about 15 percent of your daily fiber intake. Soluble fiber from prunes helps regulate insulin levels in the blood.
12. Research has shown that soluble fiber can help reverse the development of diabetes. These fibers help prevent weight gain, they promote a feeling of fullness after meals and help curb the urge to eat more.
13. These fibers accelerate bowel cleansing, i.e. they have laxative properties. Additionally, insoluble fiber has been found to produce acid, which lowers cholesterol levels. Propionic acid helps inhibit the activity of an enzyme that plays a role in the production of cholesterol produced in the liver.
Find out: prunes weaken or strengthen
The dried fruit is most famous in folk medicine; it is considered a laxative.
As a laxative, this product can be used in its natural form or made into an infusion. Its preparation is described above. It should be used when necessary. The soaked plums themselves are also used for food.
Alternatively, you can make healing candies.
- Why they take it: 4 pcs. prunes and figs, they will need another 1 tsp. coriander seeds. Dried fruits are crushed, mixed with coriander seeds, the mass is divided into equal parts (1 tsp each), wrapped in cling film, and put in the freezer. Use 1 candy at a time, just 1 piece can relieve the most difficult constipation. The action begins within a couple of hours.
The laxative effect of prunes has been officially confirmed by scientific research. Dried fruit is capable of turning stool into a soft mass, so doctors recommend that patients use prunes to solve a delicate problem.
Traditional medicine gives another recommendation for the use of dried plums in the diet. It has long been noted that cooked prune compote will no longer have a laxative effect, but an astringent one.
Do prunes weaken or strengthen? When thinking about this product, many people add that it acts as a laxative on the stool, but strengthens the body.
Benefits of prunes for men
Eating prunes restores potency in a man.
Recipe for restoring potency
You will have to mix 200 grams. crushed walnuts and chopped prunes. Mix nuts and fruits in 1 glass of liquid honey. You will have to take a tablespoon 2 times throughout the day. The product is useful to take when the immune system is weakened.
1. The drug should not be taken if you are hypersensitive.
2. Patients with diabetes do not need to use the product.
3. People with increased body weight should avoid eating prunes.
Prunes for women
Using prunes in cooking
The beneficial properties of prunes and their harmonious taste are most fully revealed when used in various dishes and drinks. It is part of healing decoctions and infusions, and is an indispensable component of meat dishes from beef, duck, goose, and pork. In salads with mushrooms, the use of prunes gives the appetizer a sweetish tint.
Butter pastries will be decorated with prune filling, either as a single ingredient or in combination with various fruits and berries. The food industry uses prunes as an ingredient in cakes, buns and pastries. Cut into small pieces, it perfectly complements, and in some cases replaces, raisins.
Culinary connoisseurs and ordinary people are sure that in addition to taste and nutrition, dishes should also be healthy for the body. Such a healthy dish that replenishes the lack of vitamins in winter and also improves immunity is a vitamin salad made from grated walnuts, chopped prunes and honey as a dressing.
What are the benefits of prunes for women?
1. According to the Americans, it is useful for women to eat prunes during menopause.
2. It prevents osteoporosis. This disease occurs in women when the production of the hormone estrogen decreases. Then, increased leaching of calcium occurs from the body. A woman will have to eat 100 grams daily. healthy fruit to prevent osteoporosis.
3. It is especially useful for any person, but especially for women, to cleanse the intestines. This procedure not only heals the body, but also improves complexion.
To prepare the product, you will have to soak 10 prunes in warm water after dinner and leave them in the room until the morning. Then before breakfast, take 5 pieces and drink liquid. In the evening, eat the rest of the fruits. The intestines will work perfectly, without problems. The product also serves to prevent constipation.
How much should you eat per day
The daily intake of this product: five to six pieces per day. In large quantities may cause stomach upset. It is better to take prunes without signs of smoking. It is advisable to use it in its natural form.
How to wash and process prunes before eating: pour water into the dried fruit and leave for 15-20 minutes. You can simply pour boiling water, this will remove all the chemicals that have been applied to the fruit.
Prunes can be eaten before or after meals and are good as a snack or dessert. It all depends on the person's taste.
Can pregnant women eat prunes?
During pregnancy, a woman will have to follow a diet; some foods are contraindicated for her.
1. She needs to take prunes, but not much. Prunes saturate a woman’s body with valuable vitamins and essential microelements. She especially needs them.
2. B vitamins will help cope with the nervous tension that is present during pregnancy. The woman will be less afraid of the approaching birth.
3. The antibacterial abilities of the fetus will reduce the risk of colds. They can harm not only the health of the woman, but also her developing fetus.
4. Thanks to its rich chemical composition, eating prunes strengthens the immune system, improves digestion, improves blood quality, and eliminates anemia.
5. Prunes prevent stool retention, which often occurs in women, especially in the last months of pregnancy. The growing fetus puts pressure on the rectum, preventing the passage of feces.
6. The healthy fruit helps remove excess fluid from the body, thereby improving skin color. Instead of laxative medications, it is healthier to eat prunes, which will not cause additional stress on the liver.
7. Prunes remove excess fluid, thereby eliminating swelling, which often occurs in a pregnant woman.
8. It is useful for pregnant women to consume vitamin mixtures consisting of equal amounts of crushed prunes, walnuts and liquid honey. You should eat a tablespoon before breakfast and dinner every day.
9. To relieve fatigue, you will have to put a piece of prunes in a mug of black tea.
10. Instead of breakfast, it is good to eat yogurt with a piece of prunes. Then there will be no problems with the intestines. However, it is necessary to take high quality prunes. This fruit is kilo-sweet, completely without heat, and black in color.
Fruits with brown spots are best left in the store. You can buy shiny prunes, but you will have to wash the fruit in warm water before eating. Then the lubricant used to treat prunes will be washed off. Next, the fruits need to be immersed in hot water for half an hour. If the fruits turn a little white after hot water, it means they are of high quality.
Prunes should not be taken if a woman has high blood or urine sugar levels. If you are overweight or have skin rashes, you will have to refuse the delicious fruit.
Prunes for weight loss
Rules for choosing prunes and storing them
Conscientious producers prepare prunes from ripe fruits that are well ripened and have accumulated maximum beneficial properties.
It is curious that after 30 days on the plum plantations, watering is stopped, so that the skin wrinkles a little. This plum condition is simply ideal for making prunes!
Ready-made, healthy and high-quality dried fruit is stored well for several months in a row and can be transported without problems. Another thing is that, for the sake of benefits, many treat them with substances that improve the appearance of fruits, or use plums with foulbrood and worms for drying. Learning to choose prunes correctly:
- We are looking for black fruits without splashes of red.
- The skin should be shiny, maybe with a light white coating.
- When pressed, the pulp should soften slightly without leaving any pits.
Store healthy dried fruits, prunes, in glass or cardboard jars with an airtight lid. Plastic containers are a little less suitable, however, for lack of anything better, you can use these containers. A good place to store prunes is the top shelf of the refrigerator or any cool, dry place.
Is it possible to eat prunes while losing weight?
Prunes will help a woman get rid of extra pounds, although they contain a large amount of calories.
1. The carbohydrates contained in prunes are digested slowly, so a person, after eating prunes, feels full for a long time.
2. The fruits contain a lot of fiber, which fills the stomach, and the person also does not feel hungry.
3. A snack with prunes can replace a sandwich with butter or sausage. It will bring more benefits to the body and fewer calories.
5. Prunes do not contain saturated fats, which cause heart disease and are deposited in folds on the stomach.
6. A piece of sweet prune will help you endure a strict diet, when eating sweets is strictly prohibited. It is enough to add 3 fruits to tasteless food, and its taste improves significantly.
7. In addition, the antioxidants contained in the fruit improve mood, which often deteriorates in women when following a strict diet.
8. Eating prunes saturates the body with useful substances, which are not enough when following a strict diet.
9. Vitamin E and beta-carotene will prevent sagging and aging of the skin that occurs during weight loss. Potassium will strengthen muscles.
10. Prunes speed up metabolic processes, prevent stool retention, which promotes weight loss.
11. To lose weight, you should replace lunch with unsweetened yogurt with 4-5 pcs. prunes Yogurt can be replaced with low-calorie kefir. Fruits can be crushed in a blender, or eaten whole.
Prunes: calorie content per 100 g
- If we talk about what prunes are rich in, then it will probably be easier to say what they don’t contain, they are so rich in vitamins and nutrients.
- Ascorbic, nicotinic and folic acids, retinol and thiamine, cyanocobalamin and pyridoxine, tocopherol, vitamins A and E - this is not a complete list of vitamins that contribute to the smooth functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. And also bioflavonoids, pectins, phytoncides, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, a lot of fiber and natural sugars ...
- As you can see, the chemical composition of prunes is extremely wide. Basically, prunes consist of carbohydrates , fats and proteins; they contain several times less.
By train
The calorie content of dried prunes is 240 calories per 100 g. This is quite a lot, so you should not consume this product in unlimited quantities.
Prunes: contraindications
1. Prunes contain oxalates, which can cause health problems. If you have kidney or gall bladder problems, you should avoid eating dried prunes. This reduces the risk of oxalate-related kidney stones.
2. If you have an individual intolerance, you should avoid prunes.
3. Those suffering from diabetes will have to forget about eating prunes. Because prunes contain a lot of sugar.
4. Chronic diseases of the stomach or liver are a reason to eat prunes no more than 2-3 fruits. Otherwise he will have diarrhea.
This is interesting:
How to dry plums at home for the winter - in the oven, electric dryer, in the sun
The use of prunes in dietetics
When dried, prunes retain all the beneficial properties of the original product - black plum. This is one of the most beneficial dried fruits for the human body known today.
Prunes are used on the recommendation of nutritionists for weight correction, treatment and health maintenance. Removing toxins from the body and optimizing metabolism are only part of the beneficial properties of prunes. In addition to being used in dietary nutrition, prunes are an excellent alternative to sweets, so they can be replaced in the diet.
In order for prunes to become a full-fledged component of various dishes, they need to be soaked for 1.5-2.5 hours. If you try 1-2 pieces of prunes, you will most likely work up an appetite and a craving for tasty dishes. If you eat 5-7 pieces, the feeling of hunger will not be so intense, and it is quite possible that you will not want to have lunch or dinner at all.
If you use prunes in a diet for weight correction, the best combination would be to eat them with raw grated carrots and boiled beets. You can add lemon juice or kefir to a salad made from these ingredients, which enhance the beneficial properties of prunes for our body.
Those who have a history of diabetes or an allergy to plums should avoid eating this dried fruit, as it contains a lot of glucose.
How to choose
If you didn’t have time to purchase an electric dryer, it doesn’t matter. Let's find out how to distinguish a natural product from a processed one.
- If prunes are soaked for 30 minutes, they should turn white. If not, it means the product has been treated with sulfur dioxide.
- Real prunes are black and matte in color. If it shines, I don’t recommend taking it. It was treated with glycerin. If the color is brown, it means it was treated with boiling water.
- It is better to take it with a stone, this product retains more nutrients.
- There should be no black marks left on your fingers.
- The aroma should be pleasant with a slight hint of smoke.
