If you’re constipated or just having trouble with regular bowel movements, it might be time to look for an approach to reduce your digestion.
Prunes, now formally named “dried plums,” and prune juice are fantastic alternatives for relieving constipation and helping you to remain routine. Even better, they help your body function in a variety of ways and can even avoid the beginning of specific conditions.
Keep reading to learn more about the different benefits of including prunes to your diet.
The Basics of Constipation
Constipation is a condition that impacts your gastrointestinal system, making it hard to have a bowel movement. While everyone’s regular bowel movements differ, if you have not passed stool in two or 3 days, you may be constipated.
Symptoms of Severe Constipation
There are a number of factors you might be constipated. These include:
- inactivity
- low-fiber diet
- travel
- consumption of a large quantity of milk products
- particular medications
- medical conditions such as pregnancy, irritable bowel syndrome, and neurological disorders
Treating Severe Constipation
Severe constipation can be treated with a range of methods. Including exercise to your lifestyle, consuming more water, and permitting yourself a lot of time in the bathroom might help.
Promoting the gastrointestinal system may take some planning on your part. Adding a laxative to your diet may be needed. Over the counter medications and natural remedies can likewise help. Stool softeners, fiber products containing psyllium, and foods high in fiber may likewise be considered when you are feeling constipated.
Prunes and Prune Juice: A Natural Remedy for Constipation
Eating prunes, or dried plums, can ease severe constipation. According to a research study in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, dried plums and their derivatives, such as prune juice, can prevent constipation as well as possibly colon cancer. The nutrients found in prunes might likewise help manage weight problems, diabetes, and other cardiovascular diseases.
Research also shows that using prunes and prune juice can be more effective than other constipation-relieving approaches. One research study in Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics states that prunes work even much better than medications consisting of psyllium. Another study states that prunes should be used as a first-line therapy for constipation.
A Super Fruit
Dried plums are considered to be very good for your total health. Prune juice is filtered, so it does not have the high fiber content of dried prunes. Still, both are laxatives due to the fact that of their high sorbitol content. Dried plums also contain iron to help avoid anemia, potassium that aids in healthy blood pressure, sugars combined with soluble fiber that supply sustained energy, phenolic substances that can help avoid chronic diseases, and boron that can help avoid osteoporosis.
Recommended Dosage of Prune Juice for Severe Constipation
Prune juice is an effective remedy for severe constipation in both children and adults. When providing prune juice to an infant, the Mayo Clinic suggests attempting 2 to 4 ounces at a time and changing the quantity as required. For adults, drink 4 to 8 ounces of prune juice each morning to stimulate a bowel movement.
Simply keep in mind that more isn’t really always much better. Adding more fiber does not constantly help stimulate a bowel movement. It can make you feel even worse if you are dehydrated. It’s crucial to only stick with one serving of dried plums per day.
If you experience chronic constipation, or if eating prunes and drinking prune juice does not fix your problems, call your doctor for professional advice. Likewise, ensure to talk to your doctor if you start to experience:
- rectal or abdominal pain
- blood in stool
- thin stool
- unexplained weight loss