by Brenda Ostheimer
The physician who sees a patient with constipation may suggest a first-line treatment that has no medicines. This treatment is known as high fiber therapy, involving increased consumption of fiber rich supplements and foods. Psyllium and bran are two examples of excellent seed-sources of fiber.
A lot of people have heard of supplements such as metamucil that are fortified with loads of fiber. Metamucil is a product made by Procter and Gamble, marketed to people who suffer from constipation. But a little research will show that there are high fiber foods from entirely natural sources. Prunes, or dried plums, are one such example. The most interesting fact is that prunes contain another agent that is beneficial for treating constipation.
Plums have been a part of mankind's food source for many millennia. Archaeologist evidence shows large number of pits in waste sites that go back to ancient times. Then as now, the process for manufacturing prunes has probably changed relatively little. The plum fruit is harvested from the plant and then arranged in a cool oven structure. The plums are dehydrated at 180 degrees Fahrenheit for a little under 20 hours. The resulting prunes are collected for further processing.
The chemical makeup of prunes is complex, which is one reason for its multipronged effectiveness as a constipation agent. And although we have sufficiently advanced technology to discern these chemicals, we have yet to fully understand the mechanism whereby each chemical aids in laxative activity.
What we do know is that prunes contain high dietary fiber, around 6% by weight. The processed juices tend to have little or no fiber because of filtering, but juices still have a natural laxative effect. This is possible due to its high sorbitol content. Sorbitol is a long polymeric sugar. The weight content of sorbitol is almost 15% on average.
Moreover, people who eat prunes find that it's a source of high energy because it has both simple and complex sugars such as glucose, fructose, sorbitol and fibers. These sugars don't act directly as natural laxatives, but ensure that the natural laxative action is accompanied by nutrition.
There are many other compounds in prunes that we don't fully understand but believe to be of benefit to health. For example, phenolic compounds might synergize with the natural laxative action. Potassium in prunes and prune juice are hypothesized to be good for heart health. Prunes seem certainly like a wonder food.
There is no special preparation needed for eating prunes; they may be eaten plain. However, some studies have shown that prunes can mixed with other ingredients to form highly effective home recipes for natural laxatives. An example of this is the famed Beverley-Travis recipe.
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