Spice up your life with prune juice

When we talk about the benefits of fruits, many are wont to think that all fruits are the same and that they benefit the body the same way.

Nutritionists say this is not so, and that, depending on your health status, there are fruits that the doctor may warn a patient against. For instance, while pineapples may benefit someone with sound health, it’s a different ball game for the diabetic who may be counselled against eating the fruit or drinking the juice made from it.

Again, there are fruits that give more health benefits than one, what with their rich nutritional contents that tend to nurture the body, in the process of which they also detoxify the entire body system.

One of such fruits is the prune. Though this fruit is not necessarily native to Nigeria, it is available in upscale supermarkets, while its juice alternative is also available on demand.

A nutritionist, Dr. Remi Omotunde, says prune juice aids digestion. He warns that the digestive system is very important when it comes to meeting one’s nutritional needs, but that many factors, including age and unwise dietary choices, affect the way our digestive system works, hence the need to aid its function by eating fruit such as prune or, better still, taking the juice as a regular part of our daily diet.

Omotunde says, “The digestion process slows down as we age, and that is why many old people become malnourished at certain point because their foods are not broken down the way they used to be when they were young.

“To save the day, they need digestive support in the form of digestive enzymes, which the prune juice can readily provide.”

Experts say prune juice is made from pulverised prunes steeped in hot water. Omotunde notes that the prune, as a fruit, provides easy-to-digest carbohydrates, soluble fibre, potassium, iron and antioxidant compounds – all of which benefit the body significantly. “And even as juice, prune retains significantly higher amounts of the dried fruit’s nutrients, benefitting the body immensely in return, especially as a remedy for constipation,” he enthuses.

According to Mr. Hyman Ilonze, the Business Development Director of Vitalife and a prune juice user, the potassium content of prune juice helps in normalising blood pressure, while it also helps in reducing the risk of hypertension when taken regularly.

Ilonze says a little cup of the juice per day is enough to guarantee nonheme iron – the type of iron that is exclusive to plants and is easily absorbed in the presence of vitamin C, which is also found in prune juice.

As rich as this juice is, Omotunde says, it can prevent the development of osteoporosis. “This is because it contains the trace mineral, boron, which is very essential to bone health,” the nutritionist says.

Indeed, Ilonze says that daily use of prune juice can prevent disease because as a plant-based food, it is an essential part of a healthy diet, and it contains vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

“The phenols – a type of antioxidant – found in prune juice protects the cells from damage that is caused by harmful free radicals. When your body is rid of free radicals, you are unlikely to develop certain chronic diseases such as cancer and heart issues,” a General Physician, Dr. Kemi Ilori-Gbadebo, adds.

Ilonze says he now takes prune juice religiously after he was introduced to it by a registered nurse while he was staying in Britain. He says he suffered from haemorrhoids for several years and that he had become despondent when all the medications he was given simply didn’t help.

“This nurse introduced me to the prune juice; and the very first time I took it, my symptoms were relieved almost instantly.

“Before then, I had great difficulties whenever I wanted to relieve myself, as I had to labour to push out the waste.

By the time I started taking the prune juice, my digestive system improved, my haemorrhoids was healed and I have never stopped taking it more than 15 years since then,” Ilonze says.

Cardiologists warn that uncontrolled blood pressure can lead to cerebrovascular accident, otherwise known as stroke. Consultant Neurosurgeon, Dr. Biodun Ogungbo, warns that in order to reduce the risk of stroke, the blood pressure levels must be brought down to healthy and manageable levels, while the individual must imbibe foods that are high in potassium levels and reduced sodium (salt) intake.

Omotunde adds that regular consumption of a fruit juice such as prune, which contains high dose of potassium, in addition to conscious healthy dietary habits, may work the wonders in helping to lower the blood levels significantly and thus save you from the risk of developing stroke.

The nutritionist adds that soluble fibres such as found in prune juice helps in slowing down the rate at which the body uses sugars, thereby helping the body to normalise its sugar level.

“This fibre content inherently helps the body to stimulate insulin production, thereby reducing an individual’s risk of developing Type-2 diabetes,” Omotunde counsels.

Indeed, compared to blueberries and raising, researchers say, prune juice’s antioxidant capacity is higher than that of any food in its category.

“Antioxidants protect our cells from damage caused by unstable molecules (free radicals) that result from normal cell metabolism, smoking, pollution and ultraviolet irradiation. Regularly taking the prune juice will prevent premature ageing, wrinkling of the skin, cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer,” researchers say.