Prunes are dried plums—sweet, chewy, and naturally free of added sugar. But they’re not just tasty. They’re packed with nutrients like vitamin B6, copper, and manganese, which help our bodies release energy from the food we eat.
Prunes are also rich in antioxidants and important vitamins that support the immune system and help cells function properly. In simple terms, they help your body stay strong and fight off illness.
We already know that eating fruits and vegetables can help lower blood pressure—a major factor in keeping your heart healthy. When blood pressure is too high, it puts stress on your heart and arteries, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Studies have shown that the antioxidants and other nutrients in fruits and vegetables help reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Systolic pressure is the force when your heart beats, and diastolic is the pressure when your heart rests between beats.
To learn more about prunes and heart health, researchers at Shifa College of Medicine studied 259 people with different blood pressure levels. They divided the participants into several groups. Some received prunes or prune juice every day, while the control group was given just a glass of plain water each morning on an empty stomach.
After some time, the researchers found that those who ate prunes had a noticeable drop in their blood pressure. The most impressive results came from the group that ate three prunes a day. Interestingly, eating six prunes a day had a stronger effect on systolic pressure, but not much additional benefit for diastolic pressure.
The study also looked at cholesterol levels. HDL cholesterol—known as “good” cholesterol—was higher in the group that didn’t eat prunes. HDL helps remove “bad” cholesterol (LDL) from the blood, which can lower the risk of heart disease.
However, the prune groups had lower total cholesterol and reduced levels of LDL, which is the type of cholesterol linked to clogged arteries and heart problems.
Overall, the findings suggest that adding prunes to your daily diet could be a simple and natural way to help control blood pressure and support heart health. Since high blood pressure often doesn’t show symptoms but can lead to heart attacks or strokes, managing it with healthy foods like prunes may offer an easy and affordable solution.
Incorporating a few prunes into your breakfast or as a snack might be a small change, but it could lead to big benefits for your heart.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies about unhealthy habits that may increase high blood pressure risk, and drinking green tea could help lower blood pressure.
For more information about high blood pressure, please see recent studies about what to eat or to avoid for high blood pressure, and 12 foods that lower blood pressure.
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