Prune Juice Laxative

Prune Juice Laxative
Constipation is one of the most common ailments affecting millions of people worldwide. Marked by less than three bowel movements a week, chronic constipation can end up causing a number of different health problems if it is not treated on time. Since most people find constipation to be a recurring disease, it is better to treat it with natural remedies rather than allopathic medicines. And when it comes to natural remedies for constipation, then prune juice is definitely up there on the top.

When your digestive system is working perfectly, nutrients are absorbed into the human body while waste is moved out of the body through the intestine or colon with the help of muscle contractions. Constipation occurs when the intestines absorb too much water or when the intake is already too dry due to lack of water in the diet. This disrupts the natural waste removal process as the intestine finds it hard to move dry waste effectively, thus resulting in constipation. The most common causes of constipation are a lack of adequate fiber in the diet or a less than appropriate consumption of fluids or water.

It has been proven through a number of high profile research projects that prune juice laxatives aid in relieving constipation through a number of different actions. Firstly, prune juice is rich in a substance known as dihydrophenylisatin, which is a laxative that aids muscle contractions. Secondly, it contains a number of different sugars like sucrose, fructose and sorbitol that help in drawing fluid into the intestines, thus helping the passage of waste out of the body. Research has shown that prune juice greatly helps in increasing the volume of fluid that remains in the waste passing through the intestine while also causing contractions that aid bowel movement.

To help you get rid of constipation, we list here two of the most common and effective prune juice remedies:

• If you are suffering from chronic constipation, or have not passed bowels for two to three days, then try this combination recipe of prune juice and apple juice. Drink two to three glasses of prune juice first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. After half an hour, top this up with a glass of apple juice. This is generally enough to start bowel movement even in severe cases of constipation. Drink a glass of apple juice an hour after the first one to properly clean out your bowels and to get them functioning normally.

• Mix half a glass of prune juice with half a glass of oat milk. Drinking this before you eat or drink anything else in the mornings will help you get rid of constipation for good.

Even having prune juice all by itself can treat constipation easily. Take a glass in the morning and one in the evening while you are suffering from constipation and reduce this intake to half a glass twice a day for maintaining good colon health and avoiding constipation permanently.
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Other health benefits of prune juice

Other health benefits of prune juice

As with most fruits, prunes contain generous amounts of a variety of vitamins, minerals and other healthful compounds. In fact, they're a concentrated source of energy because they lose water during the drying process.

One of the most healthful compounds in prunes is beta-carotene, which is a very powerful antioxidant, helping to neutralize harmful oxygen molecules in the body.

Prunes and prune juice also contain generous amounts of potassium, a mineral that's essential for keeping blood pressure down. Studies have shown that when potassium levels decline, even for a short time, blood pressure rises.

Only 5 prunes contain 313 mg. of potassium, which is about 9% of the DV.

In fact, when Harvard School of Public Health researchers tracked 41,000 nurses for 4 years, they found that those who ate the most prunes, apples, oranges and grapes had the lowest blood pressure levels.

Although prune juice has less fiber than the whole fruit, it's a more concentrated source of vitamins. For example, 5 whole prunes contain more than 1 mg. of vitamin C, while a 6-ounce (170 g.) glass of juice contains almost 8 mg.

But the whole fruit is much more powerful than fruit juice for constipation. If you want to keep regular, eating whole prunes is more recommended because of their high fiber content.

But, as you've seen, even drinking prune juice can be very effective in preventing constipation!
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More active compounds in prune juice

More active compounds in prune juice
Another reason why people who have used prune juice for constipation may have had very good reasons to do so, is the discovery of another compound in prunes and prune juice that acts as a chemical laxative.

This compound, called dihydroxyphenyl isatin, reportedly stimulates contraction of the intestinal wall and increases secretion of fluid, making the stools softer.

So the use of prune juice for constipation has a lot of scientific backing.

Prunes and prune juice are also very rich in magnesium.

During a study, USDA researchers yanked magnesium out of prunes and the fruit's laxative properties dropped to almost zero.

But when they fed the purified prune magnesium alone to mice, not much happened either.

It seems that the famous prune chemical works only when it's in the prunes.

Dr. Sydney Marsi, who worked on the study, believes the magnesium is "chelated", or locked together, with other chemicals in prunes that potentiate the laxative effect.
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Prunes Juice and Fiber

Prunes Juice and Fiber
Prunes, also called dried plums, are high in insoluble fiber, which is perhaps one of the reasons they help prevent constipation.

And because it's incredibly absorbent, insoluble fiber soaks up large amounts of water, making stools larger and easier to pass, decreasing transit time.

The insoluble fiber in prunes also provide food for "good" bacteria in the large intestine. When the good bacteria use this insoluble fiber, they produce butyric acid, which is a short-chain fatty acid that is the primary fuel for intestinal cells to maintain a healthy colon.

These bacteria also form other short-chain fatty acids, such as acetic and propionic acid, that are used as cellular fuel in the liver and muscles.

Prunes also contain soluble fiber, that helps lower cholesterol and with it the risk of heart disease. Prunes may also decrease the damage of cholesterol on the arteries through the action of phenolic compounds, such as neochlorogenic and chlorogenic acids which act as antioxidants to "bad" LDL cholesterol.

Just 5 prunes contain almost 3 g. of fiber, or about 12% of your Daily Value (DV).

So just from the fiber point of view it would be better to have whole prunes than prune juice for constipation.
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