Exploring The Effectiveness Of The Prune As A Natural Laxative

The initial prescription by a physician for treating constipation often contains no medication at all. Instead, a physician will ask a patient to try supplement his or her diet with the addition of extra fiber. The extra fiber may come from natural sources, or from supplements that are derived from natural sources.

Most people have heard of products like metamucil which contain a high content of psyllium-derived fiber. Metamucil is a supplement agent manufactured by the big American firm Procter and Gamble. However, many people don’t know that there are natural high fiber sources too. Prunes are one such source. But more interestingly, prunes have something else besides fiber that can aid constipation.

Plums, from which prunes are derived, belong to an ancient dietary tradition. Archaeologists have found prune pits in prehistoric waste deposits dating back thousands of years. As in ancient times, the process for making prunes remains similar. Plums are harvested and then laid out in a moderately cool oven (around 185 degrees Fahrenheit) for 18 hours. The prunes are then collected, after which further work converts them into other prune-like products.

The chemical composition of a prune is actually quite complicated which is what makes it an ideal food that acts as a natural laxative. Even though we can analyze its chemical composition, our understanding of how each chemical acts in relieving constipation is somewhat unclear.

The things we do understand regarding its anti-constipation properties are two folds. First, we know that the high fiber content of prunes means that eating it helps bulk up foods in the way traditional fiber supplements aid digestion. Two, we also know that prunes contain a lot of sorbitol which is a sugar-like substance that retains water and makes stool softer and therefore faster-moving in the gut.

On top of ingredients with laxative properties, prunes are a high energy source. The high energy is derived from its mix of both simple and complex sugars such as glucose and fructose. People who eat prunes get a quick energy boost as well as a sustained one from digestion of complex sugars.

A stream of suggestive evidence shows that prunes contain a large number of other compounds that aid in health. Phenolic compounds are found in high concentrations and have been linked to enhanced laxative effects, further supporting the use of prunes for constipated patients. Potassium is also in high concentrations. Like bananas, eating prunes may help reduce muscle fatigue and improve efficiency.

Prunes can be eaten plain or be further processed to be part of one’s diet. The famous Beverley-Travis natural laxative home recipe is made up of high fiber and high sorbitol foods, one component of which is our dear friend the prune.

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