We all know that fruits, berries, and vegetables are immensely useful for our bodies and health. That is why today we would like to talk about plum benefits. It may seem that plum is only a tasty fruit, but there is so much more to it that you can hardly imagine. There is an impressive list of advantages that plum consumption can bring into your life. So that, in order not to waste any time, get ready to learn the best of them! Good luck!
Main Facts You Should Know About Plums
Types Of Plums
As you may already know plums are related to cherries and apricots, they grow and ripen similarly. However, when it comes to the taste, all of them differ significantly. Plums are very fleshy and have a hard seed inside. But, when it comes to color and taste plums differ depending on the sort. They can be yellow, white, red, sweet or tart, of small, medium, and big size. Yet, you need to differentiate between plums and prunes.
Varieties Of Plums
You may think that all plums are the same, but they are not. What is more, there are various plum types to differentiate between. We are going to point the main varieties out:
- Blackamber – these are the most popular plums that have a particularly dark purple skin and yellow insides.
- Damson – these are the best plums for jams as well as baking, they are same-colored as Blackamber.
- Greenage – these plums are very sweet and yellow on the outside too.
- Mirabelle – a little smaller than Greenage but as sweet and tasty.
- Satsuma – red plums both on the inside as well as on the outside.
- Prunes – dried plums of all varieties.
How To Store Plums
It is a lot easier when it comes to storing dried plums, taking into consideration all the dried plum health benefits. However, not everyone is sure what to do with fresh fruit. In fact, it depends upon how ripe the plums are. If you are about to store some plums that are not well-ripen yet, then it is advised to put them into a paper bag and leave them at room temperature for a few days. When the plums are ripe, all you need to do is to put them in the fridge and eat within 3 to 5 days.
Plum Nutrition Information
So far, we have discussed many health benefits that eating plums can introduce into your life. Now, let’s talk about some precise plum nutritional benefits. If we take one plum, you can expect it to have around 30 calories, on average. At the very same time, a single plum contains as much as 1 gram of fiber, and that is a lot, taking into consideration the fact that it is almost 4% of your Daily Value. Also, plums contain approximately 8 grams of carbs and no fat or protein. Aside from that, plums are rich in vitamin C, which is responsible for antioxidation and collagen synthesis. Vitamin A that plums are rich in effects of cell growth and immunity.
Health Benefits Of Plums
Skin Health Aid
Every lady wants to stay and look young for as long as possible. However, time takes its price and wrinkles appear and the skin ages. It may seem like there is nothing you can do about it – but you can. What is more, the recipe is very easy to remember not to mention to afford. The truth is that plums are packed with vitamin C, and that is exactly what your skin needs to remain healthy and young. So, all that you need is to consume plums every now and then to keep your skin fresh-looking and healthy.
Are Plums Good For Hair Growth?
When it comes to plum health benefits, it is essential to mention that both fresh and dried fruits have particular advantages aside from heavenly taste. Everyone knows that prunes are good for digestion. However, not everyone knows that they are great for your hair too. The fact is that prunes can improve the thickness of your hair as well as deal with discoloration. If you are currently dealing with hair loss or thinning hair, we advise you to introduce some plums into your diet.
Heart Protection Benefit
It is a known fact that these days many people suffer from heart disease. That is why most of you may already think about the protection to help you save your heart. The thing is that heart failure usually happens due to the high blood pressure and that is what prunes and plums are effective for. To tell you the truth plum health benefits in terms of the cure against heart disease are still under the research. But even now, the study proves it possible that daily consumption of plums and prunes can lower high blood and cholesterol levels. As you may know these two can result in heart disease. That is why, if you start your morning with a glass of prune juice and a couple of prunes or plums you can significantly lower your chances of having the heart disease.
Help Regulate The Digestive System
Most of us lead busy ways of living these days and that leads to the appearance of poor eating habits. This does not concern every single person, but in case you are to suffer from constipation, plums can help here. Due to two types of fiber that can be found in plums, they are highly effective when it comes to dealing with indigestion. The thing is that soluble fiber which is the pulp primarily when enters your body takes all the toxins, sugar and fats out of your body. While insoluble fiber – that is the skin – scrubs out your stomach of all the other toxins, which may lead to poor digestion or constipation. It should be mentioned that dried plums deal with the task better. However, in case you are not fond of the taste of prunes – fresh plums will deal with the mission as effectively.
Can Improve Brain Memory
It may seem that all the plum fruit benefits have nothing to do with the brain but the research proves otherwise. The truth is that unfortunately these days Alzheimer’s disease is pretty common and many people fear it. They have all the right to be afraid of it since it leads to brain cell damage which results in memory loss and other terrible consequences. However, recent studies prove that consumption of prunes, as well as plums, can help you prevent that brain cell damage, and thus it can help you avoid Alzheimer’s. That means that together with enjoying what you eat you can improve your brain memory. Which seems to be a win-win situation, that is for sure.
Boost Bone Health
They say that an apple a day keeps a doctor away, yet the same can be said about prunes. The fact is that according to the latest study prunes help you deal with low mineral bone density. It is said that only ten prunes a day will make your bones stronger and will increase the bone density. Which is clearly a nice thing especially when it comes to people who are past their forties. Surely, prunes are an affordable and delicious remedy to deal with many serious health issues.
Rich In Antioxidants
As you already know plums are full of vitamin C and that means one thing – they are also great natural antioxidants. It should be noted that products that possess antioxidant properties are helpful to your health because they can prevent cell damage caused by oxidation. In case you do not know what oxidation is – it the aftermath of oxygen molecules traveling through your body. The damage these molecules cause is a free radicals creation, and that is undoubtedly not good for your body. There are cases when free radicals are that one thing that triggers cancer. That is where antioxidants step in – they remove the harmful oxygen molecules. This leads us to the conclusion that plums are on the list of useful foods that are great at dealing with oxidative damage. Just a couple of plums a day will help your body regenerate, slow down aging and reduce the risk of cancer.
Lowers Cholesterol Levels
You may have already heard that cholesterol is bad for you especially if its level reaches higher points. There are lots of serious illnesses connected with high cholesterol levels. That is why many people are trying to find some easy ways to deal with the matter. Even though you may not expect it – the solution lies just right under your nose. As you may have already guessed, we have prunes or dried plums in mind. How does it work that prunes affect the cholesterol level? The thing is that dried plums can bind with bile acids, which in their turn help fat digestion. The bile acids are produced by your liver, they are the result of processed cholesterol so to speak. That means that while liver uses cholesterol to transform into bile acids, prunes help those get out of your body. So that, your liver is constantly working on cholesterol and it does not build up in your body. This may sound like a complicated but precise process, but all that you need to do is to remember to chew on some prunes occasionally and let them do their work.
Reduces Risk Of Diabetes
Unfortunately, diabetes is one of those serious diseases that many people are faced with these days. When your blood sugar goes up way too high, it leads to diabetes. That is why many people know that to avoid the matter they need to lower the blood sugar level. It happens so that plums come in quite handy and useful here too. The reduction of blood glucose is that one thing that you need to escape or at least keep your diabetes at bay. What is more, plums and prunes are of great help when you need to protect your body from insulin resistance. That is why a few prunes a day can save you from a severe illness like diabetes. However, you should not abuse plum juice benefits, because fruit juice may actually add up to the blood sugar levels increase.
Just like all the other fruits plums have many benefits. Today we will discuss the main plum benefits that will change your life once and for all, for better of course. You will learn that plums are a cheap and effective remedy to deal with a range of serious issues. Read about Radicchio benefits to know also why you should use it in your daily life.
FAQ: Plum Benefits
What are the benefits of eating plums?
Eating plums may aid you with the following:
- Disease of heart. Plums contain nutrients and phytochemicals that may help diminish the risk of heart conditions caused by inflammation.
- Feeling of anxiety. If you often feel anxious, adding plums to your diet may help you relieve this feeling.
- Constipation occurrences. Because plums are rich in sorbitol, they have a laxative effect on your digestive system.
- The risk of stroke and high pressure of blood. Plums deliver potassium to your body, which helps you to keep the pressure of your blood under control, thus lowering stroke risks.
- The prevention of diabetes, cancer, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Antioxidants contained in plums provide protection for your body from the damage of tissues and cells.
- Lowering sugar in your blood. Thanks to fiber in plums, your sugar levels do not skyrocket after carb consumption.
- Loss of bones. When eating plums dried, meaning prunes, you can strengthen your bones.
What happens if you eat plums everyday?
When you eat prunes every day, you are likely to avoid such a digestive issue as constipation. Plums serve as a natural laxative. Besides, antioxidants that plums are full of are good for your vision, as they cut down the odds of AMG (age-related macular degeneration).
How many plums should you eat a day?
On average, a plum of a medium size weighs 80 grams. To feel the ultimate benefit for your body from eating plums, you should have around five a day. You can either consume them raw or add them to your meals.
Can I eat plum at night?
Ideally, you should not eat plums, especially dried ones, before going to bed. Because they are full of fiber and sorbitol while the water content is relatively low, you can experience bloating, gas and cramping at night. So, it is better to eat plums and prunes throughout the day.
- A plum is a fruit of the subgenus Prunus of the genus Prunus. Source
- A prune is a dried plum of any cultivar, mostly the European plum (Prunus domestica). Source
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