Benefits, Nutrition & Difference Between Plum And Prune

Plum is a fleshy fruit with different colors like purple and reddish brown. Plums and prunes belong to genus prunus and family Rosacea. Plum is generally native to Europe. Plums are dried and made into prunes which turns its colour and reduce moisture content. It is very beneficial to health and has many nutritional values.

Plums doesn’t contain fibre but when it is dried and made into prunes then prunes contain fibre.

Difference Between Plum And Prune:

Most varieties of plums have red skins when ripe, but prunes have blue or purple skins when ripe. Prunes are oval-shaped while other types of plums are either heart-shaped or round-shaped. Prunes are usually dried and other types of plum are mostly eaten fresh.

Generally dried plum are known as prunes but not all the plums are prunes. Prunes come from another plant not the same plant of plums. When dries prunes become black in colour.

Benefits

  • Contains antioxidant properties
  • Boosts immunity
  • Helps in digestion
  • Reduces osteoporosis
  • Provides health to nervous system
  • Reduces Heart diseases
  • Regulates cholesterol levels
  • Anti-cancer properties

Plums are a very nutritious fruit. Both plum and prunes contain almost same nutrients and contain many vitamins, fibre, antioxidants and minerals.

So, that they can reduce constipation, osteoporosis, diabetes, heart diseases and cancer. Constipation can be reduced by plum juice. Due to  presence of high vitamin C content in plums, it promotes the body’s resistance to infections and inflammations.

Regular intake of dried plums helps in promoting fluidity of blood in the arteries. Tryptophan, an amino acid present in them, helps in the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which plays an important role in improving sleep, appetite and concentration.

They are a good source of dietary fiber, along with the some components like sorbitol which helps to aid in digestion. These fruits contain vitamin C and phytonutrients such as lutein, cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin, neochlorogenic acid, and chlorogenic acid. These helps to reduce free radicals through its antioxidant properties.

Nutritional Values:

Plums are rich in many vitamins like vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K , folate, B-vitamins, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, iron and zinc. It contains 86% of moisture.

They also contain good source of dietary fibre which helps to weight loss by offering low calories.

NutrientsAmount per 100 g
Energy52 k.cal
Carbohydrates11.1 g
Fiber0.4 g
Calcium10 mg
Phosphorous12 mg
Iron0.6 mg
Beta-Carotene166 mcg
Vitamin C5 mg
Magnesium147 mcg
Potassium247 mcg
Zinc0.1 mg

How to add plum in your food?

Plums are very beneficial fruit, which should be eaten at least once in a year. It taste sour when eaten raw, roasted, grilled, or sautéed. You can choose any of these methods because each tastes good. Here you can find few ideas to eat plum.

  • Add plums into salads.
  • Add a small plum slice water.
  • Combine plum with other stone fruits for a fresh fruit salsa.
  • Add plums to fruit smoothies.
  • Whenever you eat oatmeal or granola top them with plum slices.

Is plum good for hair?

As we know, plums are rich in antioxidants like vitamin C and E. Vitamin E helps to maintain healthy scalp as it reduce oxidative stress which is responsible for the loss lo hair follicles, it also decrease free radicles as it is an antioxidant naturally. Vitamin C is said to be important in strengthening the hair follicles, as it produce collagen our body use amino acids to build hair protein. It can also delay greying of hair and hair fall.

Is plum good for skin?

As plums are rich in antioxidants especially in vitamin C, it helps to remove dead cells or damaged cells on the skin. So, eating plums can heal and repair the skin damage. Generally, vitamin C, vitamin B, vitamin E, collagen, lycopene and carotenoids helps to improves the skin elasticity and texture. It also reduces the appearance of dark spots, and treats other skin conditions.