Plum is a delicious fruit that belongs to the Rosaceae family of plants. Furthermore, the fruit fits the genus Prunus domestica same family as the nectarine, peaches, and almonds. This is one of those few fruits that come in a variety of colors. The plant that bears the fruit is actually small and is widely grown all over the world, particularly in Japan, Europe, USA, and China. The fruit is very delicious and the health benefits of plums are also extraordinary and are quite impressive.
The plum fruits actually differ in colors and sizes. Furthermore, they may vary according to their region of origin. The months between May and September is where the plum mostly bears fruit. Additionally, in some areas, they don’t call the fruit as plum, they have a different term for it, like Alpakoda, Onagida, etc.
What are Plums?
Plums are juicy and delicious fruits that have many colors and shapes. Furthermore, the fruit has 2000 different varieties all over the world. The fruit is in fact divided into three groups: Damson, European-Asian, and Japanese. The Damson plum is also famous in the term Prunus Insititia. The Japanese plums, on the other hand, is also known as Prunus Salicina. And last but not the least, the European-Asian plums also referred to as Prunus Domestica.
China is the leading harvester of plums in the whole world together with the United States, Romania, and Serbia. Plums can also be eaten dried since it is produced that way, and also there are some canned plums if you would like to.
Nutritional Value of Plums
Plums contain healthy components like minerals and vitamins that make it beneficial for the health. Plums are excellent sources of vitamins like vitamins A and C; furthermore, it also has folate and vitamin K. It is also a good source of vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, and vitamin E.
Plums are also rich in minerals like fluoride, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc and calcium. It also supplies some dietary fiber and offers low calories without any fats that may cause harm.
Side Effects of Eating Plums
It’s not always about the health benefits of plums that are important. The side effects of plums are also important to know. This is mainly because we must know if the fruit might harm us or not.
In fact, plums have oxalic acid, a natural substance which crystallizes and transforms into an oxalate stone in the urinary tract. If you eat an excessive amount of plums, it might cause some serious conditions.
The sulfites in dried plums may cause allergic reactions to those who are allergic to the fruit. Furthermore, it can also result to severe anaphylactic attacks which are serious and need a serious treatment too.
Health Benefits of Plums
The fruit is very rich in phenols and flavonol. These are some components that make an impressive range of health benefits.
Here are some other health benefits of plums:
Helps prevent osteoporosis. The consumption of dried plums helps in maintaining the health of the bones. Moreover, the caffeic acid flavonoid helps in inhibiting the bone tissue deterioration. This eventually prevents the occurrence of osteoporosis and some other bone complications.
Fights free radicals in the body. Because of the rich antioxidant properties of plums, it is beneficial in fighting the free radicals in the body. These free-radicals are the ones that cause the occurrence of various illnesses.
Helps in digestion. The dietary fiber in the plums is effective in treating various digestive illnesses like constipation.
Helps fight obesity. As research shows, plums are beneficial in treating obesity and some complications of it. Furthermore, it also helps in combating metabolic syndrome, this is due to the bioactive compounds present in the fruit.
Aids in the improvement of the cognitive health. The flavonoid content of plums helps in giving protection against some age-related mental illnesses.
Helps in controlling the risk of diabetes. The antihyperglycemic effect in the plums helps in fighting diabetes. The consumption of plums as studies suggest helps in reducing the levels of blood glucose and triglycerides in the body.
Helps improve the cardiovascular health. Eating plums help in the maintenance of the cardiovascular health. Some research shows that regular intake of dried plums helps promote fluidity in the blood arteries.
Helps in improving the nervous system. Vitamin B6 in plums helps in transmitting nerve signals and help in the smooth functioning of the whole nervous system.
Helps in boosting immunity. Plums help in strengthening the body’s immune system since it is rich in vitamins like vitamin C.
Conclusion
Truly, plums are very amazing. Not just because it is very delicious, its health benefits are also good. So, what are you waiting for, if you want a new thing in your diet, try eating this astonishing fruit and you will see the best health benefits it may give you!
