Plain as they give the impression of being on the surface, prunes could have a secret superpower: They’re typically touted as a pure constipation treatment because of their supposed laxative properties. Entire, sliced, or became juice, these dried plums are purported that will help you poop—and that’s no small factor, as anybody who’s struggled to go on the common can attest to, Amy Burkhart, MD, RD, a doctor and registered dietitian who focuses on intestine well being, tells SELF. Relying on the severity of the case, constipation may cause bloating, discomfort, and even all-out ache—not precisely a recipe for a enjoyable time.
However not all conventional residence treatments really work. So on the subject of prunes, is there any legit science to the persistent perception that they can assist you drop a giant one when all different strategies fail? And if that’s the case, what number of prunes a day must you eat for greatest outcomes? Must you shovel down handfuls or is that this a case the place extra doesn’t at all times equal higher? We pruned (sorry) the out there scientific literature and consulted GI consultants to search out out.
How do prunes have an effect on your intestine, anyway?
Seems, every little thing you’ve been informed is true: Prunes actually do assist flush out your GI system, Lisa Ganjhu, DO, a gastroenterologist at NYU Langone Well being, tells SELF. Due to their very make-up, prunes “stimulate your bowels,” she says. (Learn: get issues transferring). The truth is, analysis means that they’re much more efficient than the well-known fiber complement psyllium at, ahem, spurring an evacuation. How? All of it comes down to 3 particular traits that not all fruits have, Dr. Burkhart explains. Let’s dig into every in slightly extra element.
Fiber
Usually, folks develop constipation as a result of they’re not consuming sufficient fiber, so it’s no actual shock that elevating your consumption of that particular sort of carb can assist deal with the problem. And prunes actually ship in that regard. “[They’re] filled with fiber,” Dr. Ganjhu says. As an illustration, only one quarter cup of prunes comprises round three grams, in keeping with the USDA. That is vital for lavatory time, since fiber can assist soften and bulk up your stool, rushing up its progress by means of your digestive tract.
Sorbitol
Fiber-packed as prunes are, that isn’t “the one cause that they’re good for treating constipation,” Dr. Burkhart says. Sorbitol—a sugar alcohol that’s generally added to sweet and chewing gum to boost their taste and can also be naturally present in some vegetables and fruit—is one other. Apart from imbuing prunes with their attribute sweetness, sorbitol attracts water into the digestive tract to present a pure laxative impact, which additionally “helps with making the stool softer and simpler to move,” Dr. Burkhart explains.
Phenols
In comparison with most different kinds of fruit, prunes are particularly wealthy in phenolic compounds—antioxidants that will improve the laxative results of fiber and sorbitol.
What’s extra, all three of those parts—fiber, sorbitol, and phenols—may assist combat constipation by boosting your intestine well being (for instance, enhancing the bacterial range in your intestine). When they’re damaged down in your physique, that course of generates helpful compounds often known as short-chain fatty acids. This may “assist steadiness the microbiome, which additionally then lowers your threat of constipation,” Dr. Burkhart explains.
Are prunes the one fruit that may show you how to poop, or do others have this impact too?
Whereas prunes have a particular triple-whammy of things that make them efficient at treating constipation, that doesn’t imply they’re your solely possibility. The truth is, “any dried fruit which is high-sugar and high-fiber goes to assist as effectively,” Dr. Ganjhu says—figs, dates, apricots, and raisins, for instance. “Any fruit generally, actually,” Dr. Ganjhu provides. Some kinds of recent fruit even comprise a major quantity of sorbitol, together with apples, pears, peaches, plums, and cherries. Lastly, there’s at all times fruit juices like prune juice and apple juice. Whereas these lack fiber because the juicing course of removes most of it, they nonetheless retain the opposite important constipation-fighting parts (like sorbitol), so that they’re additionally efficient at serving to clear backlogs.
