The initial prescription by a physician for treating constipation often contains no medication at all. Instead, a physician will ask a patient to try supplement his or her diet with the addition of extra fiber. The extra fiber may come from natural sources, or from supplements that are derived from natural sources.
A good number of people will also have come across manufactured products such as Metamucil. Metamucil is made by Procter and Gamble, and has high psyllium fiber in crushed form that can be taken with water. One question one might ask is whether there are natural high sources of fiber? The answer is yes. A prime example is the prune. But more interestingly, the prune contains another ingredient that has excellent laxative properties.
A prune is actually a dried plum and has been part of human diets for thousands of years. The earliest evidence for drying plums comes from California and France. Then as now, plums were plucked and then dehydrated in hot air at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for a little less than a day. After dehydration treatment, dried plums can be turned into juice, puree or other products.
The chemical composition of a prune is actually quite complicated which is what makes it an ideal food that acts as a natural laxative. Even though we can analyze its chemical composition, our understanding of how each chemical acts in relieving constipation is somewhat unclear.
The main fact that is well-known and undisputed is that prunes contain a large amount of fiber. A less well-known but established fact is that prune juice has almost no fiber, yet still is able to provide constipation relief to people who drink it. The reason is due to its sorbitol content. Sorbitol acts as a bulk laxative, and acts synergistically with fiber.
Moreover, people who eat prunes find that it’s a source of high energy because it has both simple and complex sugars such as glucose, fructose, sorbitol and fibers. These sugars don’t act directly as natural laxatives, but ensure that the natural laxative action is accompanied by nutrition.
There are many other compounds in prunes that we don’t fully understand but believe to be of benefit to health. For example, phenolic compounds might synergize with the natural laxative action. Potassium in prunes and prune juice are hypothesized to be good for heart health. Prunes seem certainly like a wonder food.
Although there’s no need to prepare the prunes in a special way before eating, a commercial food preparer in the United Kingdom stumbled upon a home recipe for treating constipation that involves blending prunes with other fruits and vegetables. The recipe, known by the name Beverley-Travis, has become famous and even studied for its efficacy in improving digestive health.
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