Periodically we will feature the benefits of an ingredient that is found in one or more of MonaVie’s products. The MonaVie products are developed specifically to be healthy and tasty so you can provide the best benefit for your body. Each ingredient is selected for the health qualities and benefits that it provides. Because of the great benefits that real fruits provide they are found in high quantities in MonaVie products.
Prunes are one of the most oft mentioned fruits in relation to maintaining health, especially as the body ages. So what is a prune and why is it the go to fruit for health concerns? A prune is a dried plum, simple as that. So how does a dried plum equal magnified health benefits for the average person? Prunes offer a wide variety of benefits such as providing extreme antioxidant protection, relieving constipation, promoting boosted cardiovascular health, reducing the risks of certain cancers, preventing symptoms of premature aging, and reducing the risk for the development of osteoporosis. Still, it is one thing to be told that a fruit will help make the body stronger and it is another to understand how it accomplishes this.
Prunes have been ranked as the # 1 food for having the best and unparalleled antioxidant capacity. This study was done by Tufts University of Boston, MA. The researchers involved in this study found dried plums to have upwards of double the antioxidant capacity found in other highly ranking “super foods” including raisins and blueberries. Interestingly, prunes scored higher than fresh plums for antioxidant power, leading to the conclusion that prunes and fresh plums are not equal in health and antioxidant value. Still, fresh plums scored highly as well so there is no need to eradicate fresh plums from snack or meal plans. Just throw some prunes in there as well!
Much is made of antioxidants and their presence in fruits and, specifically, super foods. But what are antioxidants and why are they so important? Antioxidants are basically compounds that when introduced to the body aid in protecting cells from being damaged by harmful elements that are found in every day life such as free radicals. Free radicals are the unstable molecules that are the result of pollution, UV radiation, normal cell metabolism, and smoking. There has been substantial evidence that an excessive amount of free radical exposure can be a major contributing factor to premature aging (such as wrinkling of the skin, the development of sun spots, and excessive drying of the skin), cardiovascular disease, and various forms of cancer.
Obviously, anything that can be used to combat these free radicals is a definite bonus for those looking to maintain health, youth, and stamina for as long as possible. The prune is specifically lauded for the fact that hydroxycinnamic acid is found in it at high levels. Prunes have hydroxycinnamic acids that include chlorogenic and neochlorogenic acids, which makes it a highly desirable super food as these two acids are extremely effective and powerful when scavenging the body to erase free radicals. Additionally, plums and prunes are both loaded with anthocyanins, which are flavonoid pigments that have increased antioxidant properties.
Of course, prunes are most well known for their ability to aid in the relief of constipation. This is true because prunes have high dietary fiber content. This is important because dietary fiber is utilized by the colon, absorbing water and softening stool, so that bowel movements are regular and comfortable. This is why they are a preferred food item for those that suffer from constipation issues. On top of this prunes (and prune juices) contain sorbitol, which is a colonic stimulant of mild affect that assists in reducing the time it takes for stool to travel through the colon and by doing so helps to greatly reduce the risks of constipation and the much greater concerns of hemorrhoids and colorectal cancer.
The health benefits that link prunes to the reduction of risk for osteoporosis are associated with the higher concentrations of boron in the fruit. Eating a single serving of dried plums can fulfill the entire daily requirement for boron, which is a major contributing factor to maintaining bone strength throughout the aging process. Prunes also have potassium which is another bone health supporter. Other benefits include the fact that prunes are not responsible of rapid rises in blood sugar levels, despite the fact that they are full of simple sugars. This is potentially attributed to the high levels of sorbitol, dietary fiber, and fructose. Prunes also offer vitamin A and vitamin K along with the minerals copper and magnesium. On top of all of the rich health benefits prunes contain they are low in calories and rich in healthy carbohydrates.Overall, because of the health value that prunes contain, MonaVie has included them in their products.