So how does the humble prune work its constipation-fighting magic? You can trace its bowel-benefiting superpowers back to two key nutrients. Even for non-constipated participants, prunes brought a softer consistency to their stool that made “the go” a little easier. After you’ve slurped down your morning smoothie, the gastrocolic reflex kicks the colon muscles into gear to help move food through the intestines.Ī 2014 study in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics found that participants who ate 100 grams of prunes a day for three weeks saw improvement in both the frequency and consistency of their #2. The gastrocolic reflex refers to the triggering of the colon muscle after eating. (Visit Mirchandani's website here.) In other words, prunes can help keep food chugging through the stomach, to the intestines, and finally to-well-the exit. “Similar to other fiber-rich foods, have the ability to stimulate the gastrocolic reflex and promote downward movement of food,” says Anita Mirchandani, MS, RD, CDN, a spokesperson for the New York State Dietetic Association. Scientific studies consistently find that patients find some relief from constipation with prunes or prune juice.
Prunes may not be the sexiest of foods, but their sweet chew might be more appealing than a chalky fiber drink. Now think about how many people suffer through that back-up, bloated, uncomfortable feeling at home, and you’ll quickly see how common this hush-hush problem is.įor anyone trying to treat constipation at home, you’ve probably heard the rumor that prunes might give your gastrointestinal (or “GI”) tract the push it needs. Nobody likes to talk about constipation, yet it results in around 2 million doctor visits a year in the United States.
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