Prunes in crates at a market stall

Moderate evidence23 studies

How we rate

“Strong” = several concordant meta-analyses or systematic reviews. “Moderate” = one synthesis, or several controlled trials. “Limited” = early trials only. The rating is about the quality of the studies, not about how useful the supplement is.

Prune

Prunes help with bowel movements, better than psyllium in constipated individuals, and 50 g per day slowed down hip bone loss after menopause. On cholesterol and blood sugar, the largest trial finds nothing.

Digestion

Benefits

Help with bowel movements: in 40 constipated people, prunes increased the number of complete bowel movements per week and improved their consistency, better than psyllium.
In 120 adults who ate low fiber, 80 or 120 g of prunes per day for 4 weeks increased stool weight and frequency.
Prune juice reduced hard stools in constipated individuals compared to a placebo, without making them too soft.
Protect bone after menopause: in 235 women, 50 g of prunes per day prevented hip bone mineral density loss for 12 months, whereas it decreased in the control group; estimated tibia strength was also preserved.
In 236 osteopenic women, 100 g per day for one year increased forearm and spine bone density, more than dried apples.
In 48 women aged 65 to 79, 50 g per day prevented bone loss as well as 100 g over 6 months.
In 41 men with slightly high cholesterol, 100 g per day (12 prunes) for 8 weeks lowered LDL compared to grape juice and increased stool weight by about 20%.

Precautions

Gas: flatulence was more frequent with 80 or 120 g of prunes per day. Hard to maintain: at 100 g per day, 41% of women dropped out of the one-year trial, compared to 15% at 50 g and 10% in the control group. In a comparative trial on constipation, kiwifruit caused fewer adverse effects and less dissatisfaction than prunes or psyllium. Prune juice: no adverse effects or liver or kidney abnormalities in the placebo-controlled trial. Limitations: in the largest trial (183 women, 12 months), neither 50 nor 100 g per day changed blood sugar or blood lipids. Cholesterol: in 160 women, 75 g per day for one year did not lower total cholesterol or LDL more than dried apples. In men: 100 g per day for 12 months did not change the bone density of 66 men, only bone resorption markers. Bowel movements: in healthy adults, prunes did not change transit time; after gynecological surgery, they did not shorten the time to the first bowel movement (77 women).

Recommended dosage

50 to 100 g of prunes per day for bone, 80 to 120 g for bowel movements (100 g is about 12 prunes).

How to take it

Who it is for: almost all trials involve postmenopausal women (for bone) or constipated individuals. None involve athletes, except one in women breast cancer survivors who engaged in weight training.
For bone: 50 g per day is enough; they performed as well as 100 g over 6 months and protected the hip for 12 months.
For bowel movements: 80 to 120 g per day increased stool weight in 4 weeks; prune juice was also tested, against placebo.
Duration: from 2 weeks to 12 months depending on the trials. Women who had eaten 100 g per day in a trial still had higher bone density five years later.
Form: whole dried prunes or prune juice. No study in this file tests a capsule or an extract.
As a snack: taken before a meal, prunes caused people to eat less at the meal and reduced hunger, compared to bread of the same caloric value (45 people).
With weight training: adding 90 g per day to 6 months of training changed nothing further regarding body composition or bone density.

Did you know?

Women who had eaten 100 g of prunes daily during a trial still had higher bone density five years after the end of the intervention.

What the studies say

This systematic review of randomized controlled trials evaluated the effect of prunes on human gastrointestinal function. In individuals suffering from constipation, the daily consumption of 100 g of prunes for 3 weeks improved stool frequency and consistency compared to psyllium. In non-constipated subjects, prunes softened stool consistency and increased stool weight in some studies. These results suggest that prunes are a promising intervention for managing constipation, although more rigorous research is needed to confirm these effects.
Lever E, Cole J, Scott SM, Emery PW, Whelan K. — Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics (2014) — View the source study

For information only: not a substitute for medical advice. Dietary supplements are not a replacement for a varied, balanced diet. Learn more