Prunes have been found to be laxative even when mixed with other foods—when their cellulose content would not matter much. Also, prune juice, which lacks cellulose, has the same laxative properties. So rather than cellulose content, it appears that there is a soluble substance in prunes that stimulates the peristaltic action of the intestines, giving prunes their laxative effect.
Constipation is a common malady of modern civilization, especially among sedentary workers. Thus prunes can be of real medicinal value. Some persons have found it is better to eat prunes to keep regular than to wait until they are seriously plagued with constipation and then take harsh laxatives. To get the full benefit of their laxative effect, some limit their breakfast to just a small dish of prunes.
But the lowly prune is also good for you in other ways. It has an abundance of sugar, and the kind of sugar that the body most readily assimilates. Also, the prune has more of certain essential vitamins and more of such indispensable minerals as iron and copper than any other fruit. Prunes are also said to help restore the haemoglobin count of the blood.
Constipation is a common malady of modern civilization, especially among sedentary workers. Thus prunes can be of real medicinal value. Some persons have found it is better to eat prunes to keep regular than to wait until they are seriously plagued with constipation and then take harsh laxatives. To get the full benefit of their laxative effect, some limit their breakfast to just a small dish of prunes.
But the lowly prune is also good for you in other ways. It has an abundance of sugar, and the kind of sugar that the body most readily assimilates. Also, the prune has more of certain essential vitamins and more of such indispensable minerals as iron and copper than any other fruit. Prunes are also said to help restore the haemoglobin count of the blood.
