Dried plums are a nutrient packed powerhouse. Dried plums contain a host of health benefits including fiber, potassium, phytonutrients, which act as antioxidants, and vitamin A and iron. Best of all, dried plums are very easy to make in a food dehydrator. Below are some of the impressive health benefits of dried plums:

• Dried plums are great for digestion - Dried plums contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. Dried plums also contain sorbitol, which is an unfermentable sugar. Sorbitol has been shown to help produce desirable intestinal microorganisms which aid digestion. Insoluble fiber - fiber that’s not dissolvable - helps draw water into the intestines which helps food pass more quickly and easily through the digestive process. Meanwhile, soluble fiber makes water in the stomach more thick. This results in a fuller feeling, helping reduce overeating, and increasing nutrient absorption as food passes through the intestines.
• Dried plums contain phytonutrients which are antioxidants - Human cells, genes and proteins deteriorate over time. This deterioration can be speeded up by free radicals in the body. Free radicals are unstable electrons and cells that are naturally produced by the body’s interaction with oxygen and other external pollutants like cigarette smoke. Free radicals have been associated with many diseases including cancer and alzheimers.

  The body has its own processes to eliminate free radicals, but eating certain fruits and vegetables can provide additional phytonutrients or phytochemicals that can boost antioxidant levels. The most well known phytonutrients are carotenoids which are the colorful pigments, like purple, red, orange, green and yellow, that are found in certain fruits and vegetables. Dried plums are high in antioxidants. Fruits and vegetables that are high in antioxidants, like carotenoids, have been shown to protect the human body against certain cancers and heart disease.

Published 1/24/2010 12:00:00 AM

Tags: Dried Fruit, Dried Plums