In this article, we look at the benefits and nutrition of prune juice. We also cover the recent research on this dried fruit and explain how people can incorporate more prunes into their diet.

Drinking prune juice is an easy way to make the most of these sweet, nutritious fruits.

All three are all freestone plums, meaning that it is easy to remove the pit. This makes drying and storage simple and ensures that the prune stays whole throughout the process.

Other common types of plum are Prunus salicina and Prunus americana. Together, these three types of plum are responsible for most of the prune production in the world.

There are many different types of plums, which range in color, texture, and taste. Any dried plum is technically a prune, but the term usually applies to the dried version of the widely available European plum called Prunus domestica.

Now, researchers are exploring the impact of prunes on other areas of health.

Prunes are dried plums, and they are known for their laxative qualities. Many people try eating prunes or drinking prune juice to alleviate constipation.

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Share on Pinterest Prune juice is a healthful addition to the diet, and not only for constipation.

People have used prunes in traditional medicine for centuries, adding them as an ingredient to treatments for:

Prunes and prune juice have a range of proven and possible benefits, including those below:

Bowel function

The most well-known benefit of prunes is their laxative effect.

Eating prunes can mobilize the digestive system and decrease the time between bowel movements. This effect may be due to the fruit being rich in fiber and containing high levels of sorbitol, which is a known laxative.

People with constipation may find that drinking between half a cup and 1 cup of prune juice in the morning helps stimulate digestion. A second cup 30 minutes to 1 hour after a heavy meal may also be beneficial.

In a 2014 review in the journal Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, researchers noted that prune consumption was more effective than psyllium husk at treating constipation. Psyllium is a popular over-the-counter (OTC) remedy for constipation, and it consists mainly of soluble fiber.

The authors concluded that prunes may help increase the frequency of bowel movements in people with constipation and improve the consistency of the stools.

They also noted that more research is necessary to determine the digestive benefits of prune juice in individuals who do not have constipation.

Controlling appetite

Prunes can help prolong satiety, meaning that people will feel full for longer after eating them. Prune juice can also offer this benefit.

This feeling of fullness occurs because the soluble fiber content in prunes slows digestion. Prunes also have a low glycemic index (GI), which means that they increase blood sugar levels at a slow rate.

A low-GI diet offers a range of health benefits and may also allow people to go longer without feeling hungry.

Preventing high blood pressure

The potassium content in prune juice helps balance the levels of sodium in the bloodstream.

Elevated sodium levels may contribute to high blood pressure and a range of circulation and heart problems.

People who take in at least 4,700 mg of potassium per day reduce their risk of hypertension.

According to estimates, hypertension may be responsible for almost half of the cases of ischemic heart disease worldwide. Fewer than 2 percent of adults in the United States consume this amount of potassium.

Protecting bone strength

Dried plums contain a range of plant compounds that may promote bone strength.

A 2017 review found that including prunes and prune extracts in the diet helped preserve bone mineral density and prevent bone loss in women who had been through menopause.

This area of bone health is still under investigation. Although research is yet to provide significant evidence of this benefit, including prune juice in the diet is unlikely to cause adverse effects.

Preserving liver health

As part of traditional medicine, people used prunes as a remedy for hepatitis, a liver infection.

A study in 2010 showed that prune juice can help reduce some of the more harmful chemicals that occur as a result of problems with the liver.

However, more research is necessary to explore the full potential of prune juice as a treatment in liver health.

Prune juice for children and infants

Because the digestive system has not fully developed in younger children, their needs are different than those of adults.

The authors of an article in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition recommend fruit juices, such as prune, apple, and pear juices, as a treatment for constipation in children.

However, caregivers should be sure to monitor the amount that they give a child and be ready to scale it back if the child has any signs or symptoms of diarrhea.