What is prune? Is he so healing? Prune weakens or strengthens? Does pregnant women benefit from it? What about the children? Such a large number of questions is not accidental at all.
The people about prunes have legends. Miraculous healing properties are attributed to him: he is able to restore youth, beauty and harmony. And they say that he is insidious if you trust him without looking back.
How to cook prunes
The best prunes are obtained from plums of the Hungarian Italian variety . Homemade Hungarian is also very good for prunes. You can use other varieties. Plum fruits must go through several stages of processing.
- Well-ripened berries are selected (at least 10% sugar, not more than 1.2% acid).
- It is treated with boiling water to remove plaque - this will facilitate the drying process.
- Cool with water (preferably flowing).
- Then it is dried in special devices for about 36 hours, adjusting the temperature from 80 to 60 degrees.
- Then cool.
- After that sorted.
- For 1.5–2 minutes, put in boiling water.
- They are treated with glycerin (the ratio of glycerol to fruits should not exceed the norm).
After this treatment, prunes of the first, second or third grade are obtained. It is soft, sweet and sour in taste, black.
If at least one of the characteristics does not correspond to the description, then the plum processing technology has been violated, and the resulting product cannot be called prune. Surprisingly, a fact! This prune has a unique taste. It is simply impossible to confuse its taste with another product.
Prune Composition
Surprisingly, after going through such a difficult processing path, prunes retain in their composition the same beneficial substances as the plum hanging on a tree branch. Organic acids, sugars, vegetable fiber are the main chemical elements in the composition of prunes. And also he is not deprived of vitamins, sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and iron.
The benefits of prunes
Due to the high content of minerals and vitamins, the benefits of prunes for the body are very noticeable.
The composition of this dried fruit determines the range of diseases in which its regular use is desirable. Prunes are recommended in the early stages of cardiovascular diseases to normalize blood pressure, metabolism, and eliminate gum inflammation. Moreover, it has bactericidal properties. Prunes tones, restores efficiency, improves the functioning of many organs, increases the body's ability to withstand various diseases. There is a bold statement that this product, as a powerful antioxidant, helps to cope even with cancer. Therefore, the regular use of prunes in the diet is recommended for people living in ecologically unfavorable areas.
To replenish the content of minerals and vitamins in the body, it is enough to consume 5-6 berries of this dried fruit daily. The use of prunes during periods of vitamin deficiency is especially recommended.
Prune weakens or strengthens: we learn
The most popular in folk medicine prunes received as a laxative. For these purposes, it can be used in its natural form or make a decoction. It is prepared very simply: pour prunes with boiling water, let it brew for 10-12 hours. Such a decoction is consumed as necessary, berries are also used as food. “Health sweets” is another way to get rid of constipation. For their preparation you will need 4 berries of prunes, 4 fruits of figs and one teaspoon of coriander. Grind the fruits, mix with coriander, divide into equal portions (one teaspoon), place in the refrigerator. One such candy will relieve even the most severe constipation. Relief will come in two hours.
Science has also proven the laxative properties of prunes by conducting clinical trials of the product in 2011. It is proven that these berries are able to soften stool, acting as a mild laxative. Therefore, doctors in some countries officially prescribe prunes to patients to eliminate this delicate problem.
The people there is one more advice on the inclusion of this product in the diet. It turns out that the use of compote from prunes can produce not a laxative, but astringent effect on the body.
So prune weakens or strengthens? Speaking about this product, they often joke: “He weakens the stool, and the body strengthens”.
Prune and slim figure
The opinions of experts about the positive effect of this product on body weight are very controversial. It is worth noting that prunes are a high-calorie product. One hundred grams of it gives the body 231 kcal. The dehydrated (dried) product will give you 339 kcal. Braised prunes contain 113 kcal, and canned prunes - 105 kcal. The above data allow us to conclude that the benefits of prunes for weight loss are small. This product does not have a direct impact on the slimness of the figure, but its indirect participation in the weight loss program is perfectly acceptable.
So, for example, prunes can be used as a snack product (sometimes they are consumed with kefir), as a result of which you get rid of hunger for a while. Eating five berries of prunes before meals reduces appetite, and this affects the amount of food consumed during lunch. The misconception is the fact that the laxative properties of prunes will help to lose weight, but it is quite possible to reduce the tummy, which may appear as a result of irregular stools.
A special interest in prunes as a product that affects the slimness of the figure appeared in the eighties after special studies. It was proved that this dried fruit is an excellent antidepressant, therefore, for a person who decided to go on a diet (any), 1-2 prune berries per day will be very useful for improving the functioning of the nervous system and improving mood. In addition, our product is an excellent substitute for sweets. Many popular slimming recipes include prunes. There are different opinions about its ability to lose weight, but all experts agree on one thing: prunes can safely replenish the list of healthy foods.
Prune use during pregnancy
With the onset of pregnancy, expectant mothers have to rethink their diet. Some of their usual foods fall into the forbidden category, and some dishes are highly recommended for consumption. After all, everything that a woman receives with food is received by the baby. What category is our dried fruit in? It is unambiguously categorized by all experts as recommended products, since the benefits of prunes during pregnancy are obvious.
One of the common problems of a woman in position is the weakening of the protective functions of the oral cavity. There is bleeding of the gums, the possibility of tooth decay, which is associated with hormonal changes in the work of the future mother's body. Frequent use of prunes will help in eliminating problems with gums and teeth.
With these fruits, a sufficient amount of potassium enters the body, which ensures uninterrupted kidney function. And this is important for mom and baby.
If you brew prunes with black tea and drink this drink, you can avoid problems with blood pressure, which is also one of the hardships of pregnant women.
Many future mothers suffer from constipation. The best way to eliminate this trouble is prunes, since the use of drugs for pregnant women is undesirable.
Perhaps the only drawback of our product is that it is high-calorie. Excessive consumption of berries will lead to excessive weight gain, which is contraindicated for pregnant women.
Prune and appearance
There are also positive reviews about the cosmetic properties of prunes. He is able to significantly improve the condition of the skin, appearance, when using prunes, the body rejuvenates.
Cookery
Given the beneficial properties of prunes (dried) and its unique taste, this product is used to prepare a huge number of treats: salads, appetizers, drinks, main and second courses.
Prunes also occupy a worthy place in the preparation of desserts. Together with this product cream, nuts, kefir are very often used. But especially prunes made friends with meat. If prune extract is added to the meat, then it can be kept fresh, while dried fruit will not change the taste of the main product.
Using these dried fruits, you can improve the taste of familiar dishes, such as cereals, salads.
Prunes and recipes of traditional medicine
Over hundreds of years of using prunes as a healing agent, some of the recipes have received real recognition among the people. They give tips on how to eat prunes to improve health. For example, after severe infectious diseases, it is recommended to use a compote cocktail of dried fruits with a high content of prunes. A very common recipe for biological tonic. To prepare it, you need to take chopped prunes in equal parts (the beneficial properties and contraindications of which have long been studied), raisins, dried apricots, walnuts. Mix everything with honey and consume one teaspoon daily in the morning and evening.
Contraindications to the use of prunes
With all the positive characteristics of the product, you still need to pay attention to some negative points that may arise as a result of excessive use of prunes.
High levels of sorbitol and diphenylisatin in dried fruit can cause diarrhea.
Cases of individual intolerance to this product are possible, therefore precautions are necessary when using it in food.
Prune is a high-calorie product, therefore, its excessive use in obesity is contraindicated.
This dried fruit is not recommended for nursing mothers, as it can cause an upset in the intestines in children.
So, we sorted out the questions: “What benefits does prune have, does this product weaken or strengthen, who can and who cannot include it in the diet?”