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10 Benefits of Eating Plums For Your Body

Did you know that plums are not only delicious but that there are some amazing health benefits of eating plums?

Plums are actually from the same family as apricots, peaches, and nectarines, but that’s where the similarities end. In fact, plums offer much more variety than any of the other stone-fruits in their family tree. When it comes to size and color, plums can be purple, yellow, orange, and red and can be large or small.

Thousands of years ago, plums were first grown in China. From there, they were eventually brought to Japan, the US and certain areas of Europe. Flash forward to today and there are over 2,000 plum varieties grown throughout the globe.

Now that you know a bit of history behind plums, let’s dive into the health benefits of eating plums (spoiler alert: there’s a lot!).

Health Benefits of Eating Plums

A fruit and nut salad is a delicious way to enjoy the health benefits of eating plums.

Vitamin C found in plums helps your body build muscle, form blood vessels, recover, and is beneficial for your eyes as well.  Here are other health benefits associated with plums:

1.  Lower Blood Pressure

According to a study in 2010, participants who drank prune juice and ate prunes had lower blood pressure than the prune-less control group.

2.  Protection Against Cell Damage/Cancer 

Anthocyanins – the reddish-blue pigment in plums – can help remove harmful free radicals. This, in turn, helps to protect your body from cancer and cell damage.

3.  Ideal For Weight Loss

Looking to drop some weight and slim down your waistline? Researchers at the University of Liverpool divided 100 overweight subjects into two groups; one group ate prunes every day over a 12 week period, and the control group did not. On average, those in the prune group lost 4.4 lbs and an inch off their waistline.

4.  Low Calories

At 30 calories, a small plum isn’t just a great snack, it also helps satisfy cravings for sweets. With this in mind, plums can be ideal for those who are on a diet or want to cut back on their calorie intake.

 5. Great For Bone Health

According to a study conducted by Oklahoma State and Florida State Universities Research, subjects who ate prunes and took vitamin D and calcium supplements had significantly improved bone density in their spine and forearms than the group who consumed dried apples and took the same supplements.

6.  Effective for Constipation Relief

Plums are filled with dietary fiber and when dried, the resulting prunes are well known to aid in constipation relief. In fact, a recent study found that a group of 51 people (all adults) who were all dealing with constipation saw relief from their symptoms after eating plums.

7.  Improves Memory & Brain Health

University of Harvard Health Research has shown antioxidants can slow the development of Alzheimer’s. Chock full of antioxidants, plums also contain anthocyanin and quercetin, both beneficial in supporting a healthy brain.

8. Boosts Heart Health

With 113 mg of potassium packed into a medium-sized fresh plum, adding them into your diet is a great way to reduce the risk of stroke and manage high blood pressure.

9.  Help Prevent Diabetes

According to health experts, the low glycaemic index found in plums can help control blood sugar, leading to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

10.  Destroy Breast Cancer Cells

Early studies indicate that treating cancer cells with plum extract may succeed in killing the aggressive cancer cells while leaving the surrounding healthy cells unharmed by the treatment.

Reference: Minnitonkaorchards.com