Prunes: calorie content, benefits and harm to the human body, contraindications

Prunes are dried plum fruit. It is considered one of the most delicious and healthy dried fruits, since drying allows you to preserve all the beneficial properties of the fruit. Prunes are most valued for their laxative effect. But the benefits of this dried fruit are not limited to this. It is rich in vitamins and minerals and has a positive effect on the body of men, women (including during pregnancy), as well as children.

Prunes for weight loss

Possible harm and contraindications

Energy value and composition of prunes

The energy value of the product is 231 kcal per 100 grams. On average, 1 fresh prune weighs about 10-15 grams, which corresponds to 23 kcal. 1 dried pitted product weighs about 7 grams and its calorie content is 16 kcal.

BJU ratio:

proteins -2.3 g (16%);
fats - 0.7 g (17%);
carbohydrates - 57.5 g (67%).

In terms of calories, dried fruit is several times higher than plums. To prepare 1 kg of prunes you need 4-5 kg of fresh fruits. During drying, moisture evaporates and the concentration of nutrients increases.

Prunes are a storehouse of vitamins and minerals that have a positive effect on the entire body. It contains:

glucose and fructose;
malic, citric, oxalic acids - enhance the secretory function of the pancreas and improve intestinal motility;
fiber (on average 2%) - helps the gastrointestinal tract function properly;
potassium - improves heart function;
magnesium - strengthens the nervous system;
iron - fights anemia;
calcium - strengthens teeth and bones;
provitamin A - improves the condition of hair and skin, slows down aging;
vitamin C - increases immunity, reduces the likelihood of the formation of malignant tumors;
B vitamins - necessary for the normal functioning of the nervous system;
vitamin PP (nicotinic acid) - necessary for the health of the heart and blood vessels;
pectins - remove toxins.

About prunes

Dried plums contain a lot of natural sugars and fiber. It contains vitamins K, group B, C, potassium, phosphorus, manganese. Thanks to its beneficial composition, it activates metabolism and intestinal function, removes swelling, and removes harmful substances.

How to make

Prunes are made from ripe fruits weighing 30-40 g. The varieties used are Vengerka, Blue Bird, Renklod, Adygei Prune or Izyum-Erik.
Fruits with a slightly wrinkled shell are considered suitable, since they contain little liquid. The peel should be intact with a glossy shine, and the pit should be small.

A tasty product is obtained if the sugar concentration in plums is more than 12%, and the moisture and acid content does not exceed 1%. To get dried fruits, it is important to prepare the fruits correctly.

This process includes the following steps:

Storing fruits in baskets placed in covered areas. Up to 16 kg of fruit is placed in each container. They are left for a maximum of 3 days.
Washing plums before drying and sorting. It is necessary to separate small and large fruits. Be sure to remove rotten, damaged and wormy fruits.
Repeated rinsing. The plums are doused with hot water to soften the tissues and remove air from them.
Removing wax deposits. The fruits are immersed in a caustic soda solution for 20 seconds.
Cooling. Cracks appear on the surface through which moisture escapes. But the shell remains intact, which prevents the release of juice.

Plums are dried in the sun or using a dryer. In the first case, the process takes 5 days, then the dried fruits are dried in the shade. The fruits are kept in the dryer for 3 to 5 hours at +40...+50 °C. When they become dried, the temperature is increased to +60 °C. After 4 hours, they are cooled and re-dried for 8 to 10 hours at +75 °C.

Benefits for the body

Prunes have a beneficial effect on the entire body:

normalizes metabolism, which helps normalize weight;
improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, eliminates constipation;
strengthens the immune system and protects the body from viruses and bacteria;
helps strengthen the nervous system, relieves stress and eliminates irritability;
improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system: reduces blood pressure, cleanses blood vessels of cholesterol, strengthens their walls;
improves vision;
has a diuretic and choleretic effect;
Antioxidants preserve youth and reduce the chances of developing cancer.

For men

Regular consumption of prunes has a positive effect on the male body:

increases sexual desire;
prolongs sexual intercourse;
prevents the development of impotence;
increases vitality;
helps increase the sensitivity of the pelvic organs, which enhances orgasm;
in old age prevents degenerative changes;
enhances the production of testosterone and androgens.

For women

Prunes also have a positive effect on the body of women:

helps reduce pain during menstruation, relieves cramps, normalizes the amount of discharge, replenishes iron losses;
during menopause, reduces the frequency of hot flashes, replenishes vitamin D and calcium deficiency, which is a good prevention of osteoporosis;
promotes weight loss because it accelerates the process of fat breakdown;
maintains the beauty of nails, hair and skin.

American scientists have concluded that daily consumption of 100 grams of prunes prevents the development of osteoporosis.

For children

The child's body is constantly growing, so the child needs vitamins and minerals. Prunes:

gives energy;
is a good replacement for fruit in winter and autumn;
sweet in taste, but does not cause tooth decay.

You can make healthy berry candies for children:

Grind prunes and walnuts using a blender.
Make a cut on the dried apricots and fill it with the resulting mixture.
Melt the chocolate and dip each dried apricot into it.
Place on parchment paper and refrigerate after half an hour.

During pregnancy and lactation

During pregnancy, prunes are recommended to be consumed regularly, as they are an additional source of vitamins and minerals that are necessary for the developing fetus:

B vitamins have a positive effect on the nervous system - anxiety is reduced and sleep is restored.
Vitamin K promotes proper bone formation in a child, and folic acid helps the nervous system.
Ascorbic acid helps boost immunity and protect against viruses.

In addition, dried fruit:

Prevents constipation. Many medications are prohibited during pregnancy because they stimulate the muscles of not only the intestines, but also the uterus.
Restores water-salt balance. This helps reduce swelling in the last stages of pregnancy.
Normalizes blood pressure, which often rises during pregnancy.

Despite all the benefits of dried fruit, pregnant women should consume it in moderation (6-10 pieces per day). Otherwise, your blood sugar levels may increase.

During lactation, eating prunes is not recommended, as they can disrupt the baby’s stool.

Calorie content, BJU

On average, fresh pitted prunes weigh about 10 g and have a calorie content of about 14 kcal. When purchasing prunes, you should consider the weight of the product. If there is a seed, part of the weight is subtracted from the total mass of the pulp. For the preparation of diets, the glycemic index of the product is important - 29.

Prunes (fresh): calorie content, nutritional value (BJU) per 100 g of product:

Name	Quantity
calorie content	242 kcal
squirrels	2.2 g
fats	0.4 g
carbohydrates	38.1 g
presence of sugar	up to 45 g
vitamin A	39 mcg
vitamin C	0.6 mcg
total mass of B vitamins	6.74 mcg
vitamin E	0.43 mg
potassium	74 mg
iron	0.94 mg
calcium	43 mg
zinc	0.44 mg

The main components of prunes, contained in them in large quantities, are carbohydrates and microelements, but, on the contrary, there is practically no fat. However, the high carbohydrate content prohibits this product in low-carb diets.

A rich set of microelements makes prunes indispensable in diets aimed at preventing cardiovascular diseases (it strengthens the walls of blood vessels and maintains stable functioning of the heart muscle).

But do not forget about large quantities of fruit sugars (a high concentration of which is present in all dried fruits), which provide the product with caloric content. This indicator forces you to strictly calculate the amount of prunes in your diet.

Despite the abundance of carbohydrates and sugar, nutritionists consider prunes a good replacement for flour and confectionery products when losing weight.

Prunes for weight loss

The calorie content of prunes is quite high, but the product can be used for weight loss. After all, calories are energy. Dried plum fruits promote weight loss because they:

Reduces bad cholesterol levels.
They have a low glycemic index (29). Dried fruit provides a feeling of fullness for a long time.
Satisfies the need for sweets, but does not harm the weight loss process.
They normalize stool due to the content of dietary fiber and speed up metabolism.
They are considered natural antidepressants. During a diet, the body experiences stress, and a person often falls into a depressive state. Prunes reduce these manifestations.
During the diet, they provide the body with vitamins and minerals.

Prunes: calories, proteins, fats, carbohydrates

Few people are not yet familiar with dried or sun-dried plums, which are actively used in the cuisines of different peoples of the world. If you have tried delicious stew with prunes or drank compote with this fruit added, then you know its taste and aroma.

Prunes are one of those dried fruits that nutritionists include in the list of recommended foods for those who want to lose extra pounds. You've probably come across snacks on the diet menu more than once that contain this dried fruit. It is added to fermented milk drinks (kefir or yogurt), which are taken in the morning or at night.

Possible harm and contraindications

Possible harm to the body can only be caused by a low-quality product or one treated with chemicals. In other cases, we should talk about restrictions on use. If you eat more than 12 pieces daily, you may experience unpleasant consequences from the gastrointestinal tract: abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea.

Relative contraindications are:

Gastritis during an exacerbation period, since the product is difficult to digest and has high acidity.
Diabetes. Prunes can be consumed in small quantities (no more than 5 pieces per day) for type 2 diabetes.
Lactation. Dietary fiber contributes to increased gas formation and the appearance of colic in infants. It is recommended to introduce prunes into the diet gradually, monitoring the child’s reaction.

Harm

Most contraindications to the use of prunes are individual and are of a warning nature.

However, there are categories of people in whom prunes can cause complications of severe chronic problems:

patients with diabetes : a large amount of fruit concentrated sugars makes prunes dangerous to the health of these people;
obese people : high levels of carbohydrates with little physical activity of the patient can accelerate the development of the problem.

It is not recommended for mothers who are breastfeeding to eat prunes. O will not harm the mother's digestive system, but may cause diarrhea and colic in the baby. Through breast milk, the baby will receive microelements that his unformed digestive system cannot cope with.

Recently, studies have appeared on the presence of acrylamide in dried plums and peaches. This is a toxin that occurs when foods are cooked at high temperatures.

Despite the absence of such indicators when drying fruits, traces of its presence were identified in finished dried fruits . Acrylamide is classified as a neurotoxin, which negatively affects the conduction of nerve impulses and disrupts the functioning of the peripheral nervous system.

The benefits of prunes

The value of this dried fruit is not only in its active effect on constipation - even in relation to the figure, it is two-faced: you can hear about the use of prunes for weight loss, and about introducing it into the menu for people who want to gain weight. The reason for this is the property of this product to increase appetite and stimulate the production of gastric juice. The latter property is actively used by cooks, serving fatty meat with it: this improves the absorption of a heavy product.

The benefits of prunes also lie in:

a large amount of potassium, which has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the heart;
improving the condition of an anemic patient due to iron content;
reducing the level of “bad” cholesterol and, as a result, preventing thrombosis;
antibacterial properties (an additional reason to eat a little of this dried fruit for infectious diseases);
choleretic effect on the body;
stabilizing mood swings (therefore, prunes on a diet are also necessary to reduce the likelihood of a breakdown);
help of bone tissue.

For the intestines

Doctors call the main property of this product its ability to weaken the intestines, so it is introduced into the diet of people who struggle with constipation. This point is determined by the presence of phenol complexes and sorbitol, and fiber stimulates the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. This effect of prunes on the intestines has led to its appearance in mono-diets and fasting days for weight loss, when you need to lose a couple of kilograms very quickly. Weight loss is achieved by cleansing the intestines, but such a prune diet for weight loss has no effect on fat deposits.

Can prunes help with constipation?

The laxative properties of prunes are widely known. But the most correct approach to solving the problem of constipation will be comprehensive . You need to start by reviewing your own diet. It should include porridge and a large amount of vegetables and fruits .
It is also useful to drink about 2 liters of water throughout the day. And an organic addition to such a diet would be prunes in the form of compote or plum juice, preferably freshly squeezed.
Try soaking dried fruits (you can add dried apricots or raisins to prunes) in the evening, and eat them for breakfast in the morning. Or mix prunes with yogurt (you can supplement your breakfast with cereal). Typically, such a breakfast helps cleanse the intestines within a few hours. Prunes can also be consumed in the form of infusions , steamed in a thermos, or decoctions, boiled for half an hour over low heat.

Weakens

The nature of constipation must be . Prunes are usually recommended if the cause is poor diet or a sedentary lifestyle or sedentary work.
But if constipation is caused by other reasons, then you should turn to medication. Such reasons include, among others, problems with the endocrine system, physical inactivity, prolonged use of medications, intestinal obstruction or neoplasms in it, and poisoning.

Is it possible to eat at night when losing weight?

The result and effectiveness of the diet largely depends on the correct use of prunes. In order for the use of dry plum to be beneficial for weight loss, you should follow the recommendations:

You should eat no more than 5 - 6 pieces of dried plums per day.
Due to the laxative effect, prunes should be eaten 3-4 hours before bedtime, so that nothing disturbs sleep.
It is not advisable to mix dried fruits with other laxatives and products.

Watch this video about the benefits of prunes:

Use for weight loss

Fruits have the ability to remove salt and excess water from the body, which makes it possible to break down fats. Plum controls the metabolism of carbohydrates in the body, so that glucose does not accumulate in the waist and hips. Carbohydrates are converted not into folds of fat, but into energy.

Due to the powerful laxative effect of plums, it is possible to carry out a comprehensive cleansing of the body from toxins and waste. At the same time, metabolic processes become more intense.

There are several types of plum-based diets. The fastest way is to consume 1 kg of fresh plums per day for 2 days. The fruits must be washed down with plenty of water.

Another option involves eliminating salty, fatty, fried, sweet and other undesirable foods from the diet. Before consuming permitted products, you must drink 200 ml of plum juice.

Daily norm of plums

Typically, the daily level of consumption of plum fruits is calculated with the participation of the attending physician. This is due to the fact that this indicator in most cases is strictly individual and depends on the patient’s age, lifestyle, gender, etc. Plum has a powerful laxative and diuretic effect, which may be undesirable for working people.

Most often, the daily intake of plums for an adult healthy person is 250 grams. During pregnancy, it is not recommended to consume more than 4 fruits per day. Patients with chronic diseases should consult a qualified healthcare professional to determine this indicator.

How many calories are in prunes?

Type of prune	Calorie content per 100 g, kcal
Regular dried	231
In Apple pie order	396
Canned plum	104, 5
Stewed	108
Puree	256
Baking with prunes	210
With cottage cheese, depending on the fat content of the cottage cheese	0% - 90 kcal; 4% - 156.8 kcal; 8% - 183.6 kcal; 23% - 340 kcal.

The average fruit weighs about 35 g, therefore, the calorie content of 1 prune is approximately 14.7 kcal. After the fruit dries, its weight decreases to 7 g, and its calories become 16.7.

Plum for women

Fruits can prevent premature aging of the body. The product is often included in various masks, peelings, and lotions used to restore the skin.

The plant is useful for women who pay attention to their figure. Eating several plums every day helps cleanse the body and prevent excess weight.

Fruits contain a significant amount of antioxidants that can suppress the negative effects of various toxic substances (for example, radionuclides). This helps prevent the risk of developing cancer of the mammary glands and uterus.

Plum is used to accelerate skin regeneration. The pulp of the fruit is used to lubricate cuts, wounds on the skin, marks from acne and pimples.

The product contains coarse dietary fiber, which accelerates the metabolic process. As a result, food is absorbed much faster and is not deposited in unwanted areas.

Composition and properties

The benefits of fruits for the health of the body are due to the chemical composition of plums; the most significant components are vitamins such as:

Plum is considered a crop with one of the highest levels of various nutrients, which include:

The product contains a significant amount of various macro- and microelements, which include:

The most beneficial properties of plums for the human body include:

Plum is especially recommended to combat the following diseases and problems with the body:

Recipes with prunes

Banana and prune smoothie

Smoothies have long been popular among people losing weight, because they can combine milk, fruits and vegetables. For the milk base, it's good to use soy milk and vanilla essence, but if you don't have those, classic vanilla yogurt will do.

Ingredients:

1 banana
3 prunes
200 ml yogurt
1 tsp sesame seed

Preparation:

Mix banana, cut into 3 parts, steamed prunes and yogurt in a blender.
Whisk for at least 30 seconds.
Then the finished mixture is poured into glasses and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Rules for choosing prunes and storing them

When choosing fruits you need to be careful. When buying prunes on the market, be sure to pay attention to how they look externally. High quality product in matte black color. If it is shiny or dark gray, then most likely, in order to give it a marketable appearance, it was treated with glycerin at the point of sale. Also, prunes can sometimes be treated with boiling water or fat, which helps reduce minerals and vitamins in them. A significant violation of fruit processing technology is evidenced by their brown-coffee hue. They often have an unpleasantly bitter taste. A well-processed and properly processed product should be sweet with slight sourness and rich in taste. Externally, it is fleshy, not overdried, elastic and slightly soft, black in color with a slight whitish coating and a slight shine.

During production, harmful substances may enter prunes. To protect yourself from them, first soak the dried fruits for 15-20 minutes in cold water. This time is enough for the fetus to leave substances that can harm health.

How to properly store prunes? There are two ways to do this:

storage in a container (glass, plastic or wood) in a cool, dry place;
in zip bags - for this, prunes are sorted in small portions; To prevent ventilation from being disrupted, the bags do not need to be zipped all the way; The bags can be placed in the refrigerator door [2].

What is the black delicacy rich in?

The composition of prunes can truly be called valuable, unique and multifaceted. Vitamins, mineral components, micro- and macroelements are contained in its pulp. This treat is enriched with antioxidants, dietary fiber, phenolic compounds and flavonoids.

Chemical composition:

beta-carotene;
vitamin B5;
retinol;
calcium;
riboflavin;
magnesium;
sodium;
vitamin B3;
zinc;
vitamin B6;
phosphorus;
ascorbic acid;
disaccharides;
thiamine;
tocopherol;
vitamin K;
folates;
fluorine.

Prunes contain a huge amount of rare vitamin K. This component provides oxygen access to all cells of our body, improves blood clotting, and also helps strengthen bone tissue.

Indeed, prunes contain a lot of sugar, so many people mistakenly think that not everyone can consume such a treat. But this is a big misconception. Prunes contain soluble fiber, which slows down the absorption of glucose into the blood and also helps stabilize the concentration of sugar in the blood.

Can pregnant women or breastfeeding eat prunes?

The answer to this question depends on how the woman herself feels. Swelling is often observed during pregnancy, and in this case, prunes definitely won’t hurt, the main thing is to agree on its daily amount with your doctor.
This dried fruit will also help if a pregnant woman experiences constipation . But frequent diarrhea, on the contrary, is a contraindication to eating prunes. A small amount of the product daily will help eliminate not only constipation and swelling, but also hypertension, dysbacteriosis and anemia , which pregnant women often suffer from. In addition, by relieving swelling, prunes help avoid gaining excess weight.

Useful for expectant and young mothers

Now let’s answer the question, can a nursing mother eat prunes? Nursing mothers should be careful when using this healthy dried fruit. During feeding, the substances contained in it can damage the digestive processes in the baby's body. It is better to avoid prunes altogether in the first months of lactation .
You should be attentive to the amount of prunes and those women who suffer from diabetes. In this case, both during pregnancy and lactation, it is better not to eat it, or eat it in limited quantities, as agreed with your doctor.

Contraindications

After finding out why prunes are useful for weight loss and why a person loses weight from this product, it is worth assessing the possible negative consequences associated with it. The laxative and choleretic properties of this dried fruit require caution in people who have problems with the liver and bile ducts or suffer from diarrhea. Contraindications for prunes include stomach diseases. You should not supplement your diet with them and:

When breastfeeding, because You can provoke intestinal upset in your baby.
Persons with diabetes (only after talking with a doctor);
Hypotonics.

Plum for children

Plum contains the entire complex of organic acids, mineral compounds and vitamins that babies need for full growth and development. In spring and autumn, during periods of the spread of colds, children are recommended to consume fruits and compotes made from them to protect the body and increase immunity.

Taking plums allows for a gentle cleansing of the child’s gastrointestinal tract, improves appetite, and normalizes body weight if it is in excess. As a result, the product is especially recommended for babies whose stomachs are affected by helminths and other parasites.

When treating a child with medications, it is necessary to give him a decoction of prunes. This will improve the effect of medications and at the same time reduce the content of toxins in the child’s body.

Contraindications, side effects

The consumption of plum fruits and products based on them is prohibited if you have such diseases as:

Plum is also prohibited for children under 3 years of age.

Patients with pancreatitis should separate the peel from the fruit before consumption. This is due to the fact that the skin contains organic acids and coarse fiber, which are undesirable for people with this disease.

Plum contains a significant amount of glucose. This limits the possibility of its use in diabetes mellitus. Patients are advised to obtain approval from a qualified professional.

It is necessary to give preference only to ripe fruits; unripe ones will cause disturbances in the functioning of the body. For the same reason, it is recommended to follow the norm in eating plums and not to overeat.

Source

Beneficial features

The diuretic properties of potassium normalize kidney function and help relieve swelling.
Vitamins B2, E, K, C, PP and minerals (iron, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, potassium) have a beneficial effect on the human body - they improve health and improve metabolism, so it is recommended to include prunes in the daily menu.
The combination of fiber, pectin and potassium has a laxative effect, due to which the functioning of the intestines is normalized.
Dried plums, thanks to the magnesium in their composition, are often included in the menu of people with diseased kidneys, as well as those suffering from hypertension, atherosclerosis and other diseases of the cardiovascular system.
The fruits help fight excess weight thanks to soluble fibers that reduce the absorption of glucose.
Calcium, potassium and magnesium take part in the formation of bone and muscle tissue, and also speed up metabolism.

Prune diet rules

There are several methods of consuming dry plums for weight loss:

As a basic or additional product for organizing fasting days.
For snacks between main meals.
Used as a main component of the diet.
As a natural laxative of average effectiveness.

If you decide to use a prune diet, you need to know the basic requirements, which will be the key to quick success and guarantee visible results without harm to the body.

Salty, smoked, sweet and baked goods in the diet should be kept to a minimum or eliminated.
Water consumption should be at least 2 liters per day.
Do not eat less than 3 hours before bedtime.
Ensuring normal physical activity: lying down around the clock and at the same time losing weight is not realistic on any diet.

How to choose the right prunes

Appearance is an indicator of the quality of this product. It is important to remember a few points for choosing the right fruits so as not to purchase low-quality dried fruits.

Pay attention to the color: blue or brown color is not suitable, this is a sign of treatment with harmful chemicals that prolong shelf life and prevent the appearance of insects, but have a harmful effect on health. In this case, the fruits should be thoroughly washed under running water, although this measure does not completely eradicate the problem. Properly prepared dried fruits should be black and slightly shiny. Excessively shiny fruits are treated with a special reagent before drying - sulfur bisulfate, which does not make them any healthier.
The fruits should be soft, not dry, but quite elastic.
The presence of a pronounced white coating is evidence of the onset of mold. Eating such a product can result in food poisoning, so you need to avoid it.
To taste, prunes should be sweet, with a slight sourness. The presence of a bitter taste is a bad indicator; such dried fruits are rejected.

Californian prunes have the richest nutritional composition, however, it does not differ much between different varieties.