They Look Like Raisins

Hey there, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Did anyone have canned cranberry's? I tried them out for the first time, and to my surprise, I really liked it. So with the holidays past, it's time to start up again. I know I left off with the ORAC chart, but I will get to that in a later date. So on with the next fruit.

The next beneficial fruit actually comes from another fruit when it is dried...and pretty much look like over sized raisins... Have you guessed it yet?



The Pruneis another one of nature's benefits. Prunes are the core of Plums, and when dried they can contain powerful antioxidants. Really a plum contains very impressive amounts of antioxidants, but when dried into prunes their antioxidants increase up to 600 percent of what it was before.

Did you also know that France is one of the leading countries to produce prunes? California is leading in the U.S for producing dried plums, which is what we call them in the U.S. Just some fun information.

OK, OK. So the Prune contains many vitamins, many of which aren't listed on the nutrition facts panel. When eaten frequently, prunes can contribute to the overall intake of the dietary fiber and many important vitamins, and minerals, which function as antioxidants. A serving of about four or five prunes are packed with 3 full grams of fiber. Half of that is insoluble, which then helps speed food through the digestive tract. The other half is slow moving soluble fiber. This is good for enhancing the feeling of being full, lowering cholesterol and regulating blood-sugar levels. Prunes also help with heart disease and with aging-related conditions.



PRUNES AND OSTEOPOROSIS
"Researchers from Oklahoma State University recently found that prunes may prevent and/or revers bone loss due to menopause. The findings, published in the journal Menopause, suggest that dried plums can actually reverse a particular process of osteoporosis previously thought to be irreversible"

Now I'll be honest I haven't tried a prune yet, but I sure will give it a try now. So go out and get some dried plums, and give them a chance. They provide vitamins and minerals that are valuable to your body and your overall nutrition. Until next time.