Naturalistic, Controlled, Crossover Trial of Plum Juice vs. Psyllium vs. Control

JOURNAL: The Internet Journal of Nutrition and Wellness 2009: Vol 7. No. 2.

AUTHORS: Cheskin LJ, Mitola AH, Ridore M, Kolge S, Hwang K and Clark B.

This controlled study involving 36 adults reporting chronic constipation symptoms, evaluated the effects of consuming a daily portion of plum juice (PlumSmart) prior to a meal for 14 days, compared with psyllium (Metamucil), a non-fruit source of fiber, and equicaloric, fiber-free clear apple juice as the placebo control.
According to the results: Softer stools were associated with plum juice compared to apple juice alone and apple juice with Metamucil; Plum juice was as likely as psyllium to provide immediate relief (within 24 hours of first use) of constipation symptoms and both performed better than the placebo/apple juice alone; The taste of plum juice was equal to apple juice alone and was preferred over apple juice with psyllium.
The study provides preliminary evidence to support the daily use of natural product, plum juice, as an accepted and effective treatment for stool softening and immediate relief of constipation symptoms.