As far as fruits go, plums are up there with being pretty perfect.
So what makes this tasty little stone fruit just so great?
Vitamin C - A single plum contains 10% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C, which is vital for the formation of collagen (the protein that keeps our skin looking plump and youthful)
Antioxidant - Plums are extremely rich in antioxidants, especially ones known as polyphenols. These are anti-inflammatory molecules which help protect our cells against the kind of damage that leads to ageing and disease
Blood sugar balancing - Although they are naturally higher in carbohydrates (as are most fruits), they don’t lead to a sharp spike in blood sugar. This is thanks to their fibre content, and the fact that they boost levels of a hormone called adiponectin. Both of these help regulate blood sugar levels.
Heart healthy - The good levels of fibre, potassium and antioxidants mean they are great for our heart health by helping to lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
Gut support - They can help your poop keep moving thereby preventing constipation. Believe it or not being constipated can lead to skin flare ups. If our bowels are sluggish and slow then the hormones that should be getting excreted have the time to be reabsorbed. This can lead to increased hormones circulating around your body again, thereby contributing to acne flare-ups. Who'd have thought our poop and our acne were connected?
The main polyphenol in plums are anthocyanins. This pigment is responsible for the gorgeous red, blue and purple colours of some of our foods.
Whether fresh, dried (in the form of prunes) or baked, hopefully this has given you lots of reasons to make plums a regular in your diet.
And completely unrelated to nutrition, but here's a little fact about plums for you... did you know they are part of the rose family and that they are the second most cultivated fruit in the world.. grown on every continent except Antartica.
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