Prunes in the News

"Often touted for their digestive benefits, prunes don’t get the credit they deserve for being a high-fiber powerhouse," says Caroline Thomason, RD, CDCES. Just one serving of four prunes contains three grams of fiber, which is considered a good source.

Prunes are known as nature's remedy for constipation, but they do more than just help to keep things moving. This fruit—made from drying out plums—is also high in potassium with over 13% of your daily value in each serving.

Her go-to recipe is a “foolproof” chicken thigh dish with olives and prunes. “I pull it out when I want something simple, elegant and delicious!" she says. "It turns out miraculously wonderful every time. You can’t mess it up.”

Chef Claire Wells said, "Prunes are naturally sweet and bring a lot of moisture to baking. They also make an excellent "fat substitute if you need a slightly healthier dessert. Swap 2 tablespoons of butter or oil for puréed prunes." 

Chef Claudette Zepeda of Vaga in Encinitas, California, loves this dish in cold weather: “Prunes and raisins work great and invoke the winter soul food we crave,” Zepeda notes.

For her chicken Marbella, a fruity vintage chicken dish, she adds extra produce to the original recipe published in "The Silver Palate Cookbook." For example, she adds 1½ cups of prunes instead of a single cup and doubles the amount of pitted green olives. 

Eating prunes every day can improve cholesterol levels while reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, according to two new studies presented at the American Society for Nutrition’s flagship conference in July.

According to research by scientists at Penn State University, eating 50 to 100 grams of prunes daily for six months prevented total loss of bone density.

Both Nazarian and Nemkov say that dried fruits like prunes have good amounts of potassium.