A prune is a dried plum, but not every plum can become one. Prunes come from firm-fleshed European plum varieties (Prunus domestica), and US growers were allowed to label them dried plums, in part because the word prune puts some shoppers off. That matters here, because almost all of the human research on plums is really research on prunes.
Most fresh plums are not European plums. A genome study notes that commercial plum cultivars worldwide are mostly Chinese plums, Prunus salicina, which are also sold as Japanese plums, and that the species may have come from South China. China grew about 55% of the world’s plums in 2023.
A fresh plum is about 87% water and has 46 calories per 100 g. Plums are also rich in sorbitol, a sugar alcohol, and sorbitol and fiber are the usual explanation for why prunes loosen the bowels. A review of the plum research found that most human trials used dried plums, so the fresh-fruit studies below are mostly of juice, and some prune trials were paid for by the California prune industry, which each card says where the paper does.
Health benefits of plums
The top findings from 30 studies, strongest evidence first
What the stars mean
- Strong. Several randomized trials, pooled in a meta-analysis, point the same way, or regulators (FDA or EFSA) have approved the claim.
- Moderate. Good randomized trials support it, but there are fewer of them, or their results vary.
- Limited. Small, short or single trials, or mixed results. Promising, but it needs confirmation.
Population and lab studies get no stars: they show a link or a mechanism, not proof.
How we rate evidence →- ★★Lower LDL cholesterol with plum productsLDL fell (by about 11.5 mg/dL) across 9 trials of plum products, including prunes (dried plums). A second review found 12.5 mg/dL lower, with no change in triglycerides or HDL.
- ★★Slower bone loss in postmenopausal womenIn a 12-month trial, 50 g of prunes a day slowed hip bone loss: density fell 1.1% without prunes and 0.3% with 50 g. A pooled analysis of 11 trials found only a borderline gain in spine bone density.
- ★★Heavier stools; mixed results for constipationPrunes (80 g or 120 g a day) increased stool weight by 22.2 g and 32.8 g a day over 4 weeks in healthy adults. Against psyllium (a fiber supplement) in constipation, a review found no difference, but a 40-person trial found more bowel movements with prunes.
- ★★No clear effect on blood pressure or weightAcross 11 trials, plum supplementation did not significantly change blood pressure, body weight or C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation. The authors ask for more trials.
- ★Fewer bowel problems after rectal cancer surgeryAfter rectal cancer surgery, 27.3% of patients who ate prunes for 2 weeks had low anterior resection syndrome (bowel problems), against 74.6% who did not. It was not blinded and ran at one hospital.
All 30 studies, strongest evidence first
Across 9 trials of plum products, including prunes (dried plums), LDL cholesterol fell by about 11.5 mg/dL
Meta-analysis of 9 randomized trials of plum supplementation, a mix that included prunes (dried plums). Results varied widely between trials (I2 of 98.7%). LDL fell in the dried plum subgroup, in unhealthy people and with more than 8 weeks of use, and total cholesterol fell only in unhealthy people. Triglycerides and HDL did not change.
A second meta-analysis of plum products found LDL cholesterol 12.5 mg/dL lower but no change in triglycerides or HDL
Dose-response meta-analysis of trials of plum products. Total cholesterol fell 12.35 mg/dL, just short of statistical significance, and fell significantly only in unhealthy people, particularly with prunes (dried plums). The authors rate the quality of the evidence as very low to moderate.
Across 11 trials, plum supplementation did not significantly change blood pressure, body weight or C-reactive protein
Meta-analysis of 11 randomized trials. Systolic pressure moved by -1.24 mmHg and diastolic by -4.32 mmHg, neither significant, and weight by 0.04 kg. The authors conclude plum supplementation has no positive effect on metabolic syndrome factors and ask for more trials.
Eating 50 g of prunes (dried plums) a day for 12 months kept hip bone density from falling in postmenopausal women
Randomized trial in 235 women with a control group and groups eating 50 g or 100 g of prunes. Total hip bone density fell 1.1% in the control group and 0.3% with 50 g, but the 100 g group did not differ from control, and 41% of that group dropped out against 15% at 50 g. The California Dried Plum Board, a prune industry group, funded this trial (the Prune Study).
Prunes (dried plums) eaten for 12 months preserved bone strength in the shin of postmenopausal women
The same Prune Study, measured by CT scan of the lower leg. At the weight-bearing part of the tibia, cortical bone density and estimated bone strength fell in the control group and did not change in the combined 50 g and 100 g prune groups. The California Dried Plum Board, a prune industry group, funded the trial.
A pooled analysis of 11 trials found only a borderline gain in lumbar spine bone density with prunes (dried plums)
Meta-analysis of eleven trials with 747 people, mostly postmenopausal women eating 50 to 100 g of prunes. No other bone site differed significantly, bone formation and breakdown markers did not differ, and results varied a lot between trials (I2 of 98%). The authors call it preliminary evidence of modest benefit.
80 or 120 g of prunes (dried plums) a day for 4 weeks increased stool weight in healthy adults with infrequent stools
Randomized trial in 120 healthy adults with low fiber intake and 3 to 6 stools a week. Stool weight rose 22.2 g a day with 80 g of prunes and 32.8 g a day with 120 g, against no change with water alone. Bifidobacteria rose, gut transit time did not change, and flatulence was more common with prunes.
In a review of foods for chronic constipation, prunes (dried plums) did not beat psyllium for stool frequency
Meta-analysis of 17 randomized trials and 6 uncontrolled studies (1714 people) of foods, drinks and diets, including 2 trials of prunes and 1 of prune juice. Fruit overall gave 0.36 more bowel movements a week than psyllium, as did kiwifruit alone, but prunes alone did not differ from psyllium. The authors call the evidence scarce.
A review of 25 human studies of plums found low-quality evidence overall, mostly on dried fruit
Systematic review of 73 papers on Prunus domestica and Prunus salicina from lab, animal and human work. Of the 25 human studies, 6 were confirmatory and of moderate quality and 19 were exploratory. Most human trials used dried plums rather than fresh fruit, so they say little about fresh plums.
Juice from a dark Japanese plum lowered blood pressure over 6 hours in a small crossover test
Pilot trial in 12 adults over 65 and 12 adults aged 18 to 45 who drank 300 mL of Queen Garnet plum juice, in one dose or in 3 doses of 100 mL. Blood pressure and heart rate fell in both age groups, more clearly in the older group, and thinking tests did not change. This was a high-anthocyanin variety, not an ordinary plum, and an acute test.
Plum juice with a high-fat meal improved blood vessel function 2 hours later in overweight older adults
Crossover trial in 16 overweight adults (average age 65.9) who drank 250 mL of Queen Garnet plum juice or apricot juice with a high-fat, high-energy meal. Flow-mediated dilation was 1.14% higher and C-reactive protein was lower at 4 hours (1.80 against 2.30 mg/L), while blood pressure, triglycerides and total cholesterol did not differ. It was small and tested one meal.
Plum nectar every day for 8 weeks did not change blood pressure, thinking or gut bacteria in older adults
Randomized crossover trial in 28 healthy adults aged 55 and over who drank 200 mL a day of a low-anthocyanin Queen Garnet plum nectar or raspberry cordial for 8 weeks each, with a 4-week break. Inflammation markers did not differ either. The nectar held only 5 mg of anthocyanins per 100 g.
Plum juice for 8 weeks added no thinking benefit to a memory program in older adults with mild cognitive impairment
Double-blind trial in 42 people with mild cognitive impairment who drank Queen Garnet plum juice or apricot juice daily and took part in a 6-week group memory program. Scores on several tests improved over time in everyone. The plum group gained 13.93% on one recall test, but the difference between the groups was not significant.
In 12 men, plum juice did not change the urine chemistry that drives kidney stones
Small study in 12 healthy men aged 18 to 38 on a standard diet, in which 330 mL of plum, cranberry or blackcurrant juice replaced mineral water in separate phases. Cranberry and blackcurrant juice raised urine oxalic acid, but plum juice had no significant effect on urine composition. It measured risk factors, not stones, and the authors’ own university division paid for it.
In constipation, prunes (dried plums) beat psyllium for stool frequency in the one trial that tested it, a review found
Systematic review of 4 randomized trials, one in constipation and three in people without it. At 100 g a day for 3 weeks, prunes gave 3.5 complete bowel movements a week against 2.8 with psyllium (22 g a day), and softer stools. In people without constipation, prunes raised stool weight in one trial (628 g against 514 g over 72 hours). The authors call the evidence weak and ask for more research.
Prunes (dried plums) gave more complete bowel movements a week than psyllium in 40 people with constipation
Single-blind crossover trial in 40 constipated adults (37 of them women, average age 38) who ate 50 g of prunes twice a day or took 11 g of psyllium twice a day, 3 weeks each. Stool consistency also improved more with prunes, while straining and overall symptoms did not differ. Both were well tolerated.
In constipation, prunes (dried plums), kiwifruit and psyllium all raised weekly bowel movements
Partly randomized trial in 79 adults with chronic constipation (75 with complete data) who ate 2 green kiwifruit, 100 g of prunes or 12 g of psyllium a day for 4 weeks. Responder rates were similar. Stool consistency improved with prunes and kiwifruit, and straining improved with all three. Kiwifruit had the fewest side effects and the fewest dissatisfied patients.
Prune juice made from dried plums reduced hard, lumpy stools in Japanese adults with chronic constipation
Double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of a prune juice containing sorbitol, pectin and polyphenols. Normal stools increased without more loose or watery stools, and there were no adverse events. The abstract gives no group sizes. MIKI Corporation partly funded the trial and two authors work for it.
After rectal cancer surgery, patients who ate prunes (dried plums) had less low anterior resection syndrome, a group of bowel problems
Open-label trial in 130 patients (118 finished) who ate prunes every day for 2 weeks after surgery or did not. At 3 weeks, 27.3% of the prune group had the syndrome against 74.6%, and major syndrome affected 18.2% against 61.9%. It was not blinded and ran at one hospital.
6 months of prunes (dried plums), 50 or 100 g a day, prevented loss of total body bone density in older women with osteopenia
Randomized trial in 48 women aged 65 to 79. Both doses kept total body bone density from falling compared with control, and a marker of bone breakdown (TRAP-5b) dropped. The authors say 50 g, about 5 to 6 prunes, may work as well as 100 g. It was small and short.
100 g of prunes (dried plums) a day for 12 months lowered bone breakdown markers but did not change bone density in men
Randomized trial in 66 men who ate 100 g of prunes or none. TRAP5b and CTX, two markers of bone breakdown, fell at 3, 6 and 12 months with prunes. Bone density at the spine, hip, ulna and whole body did not change in either group, and the authors call the benefit modest.
In older men, a year of prunes (dried plums) did not raise or maintain bone density beyond what calcium and vitamin D did
Randomized trial in 59 men aged 55 to 80 at risk of or with osteopenia, eating 100 g, 50 g or no prunes a day, all with calcium and vitamin D. Total and lumbar spine bone density did not change significantly. Two bone markers differed slightly between groups, which the authors call exploratory. The California Prune Board donated the prunes.
6 months of dried plums (prunes) lowered total cholesterol in healthy postmenopausal women eating 100 g a day
Controlled trial in 48 women eating 0, 50 or 100 g of prunes a day. Total cholesterol fell with 100 g, while HDL cholesterol and the inflammation markers IL-6 and TNF-alpha improved with 50 g, each compared with that group’s own start, and the authors saw no clear dose effect. It was small.
A daily mix of dried fruit including prunes (dried plums) did not improve cholesterol or blood pressure and raised fasting glucose slightly
Crossover trial in 55 adults with a high BMI and extra heart risk factors who ate 3/4 cup a day of dried plums, figs, dates and raisins, or a matched snack, for 4 weeks. Lipids did not differ between conditions, fasting glucose was 0.08 mmol/L higher on dried fruit, and weight did not differ between conditions. It tested a mix, so the part from prunes is unknown.
12 prunes (dried plums) a day for 8 weeks lowered LDL cholesterol slightly in men with mild high cholesterol
Crossover study in 41 men who ate 100 g of prunes (6 g of fiber) a day or drank grape juice. LDL was 3.9 mmol/L after prunes against 4.1 after grape juice, and stool weight was about 20% higher. It is a 1991 study, and the cholesterol difference was small.
In three US cohorts, eating plums, peaches and apricots was not linked to the risk of type 2 diabetes, and prunes (dried plums) were borderline
Pooled analysis of 66,105 women in the Nurses’ Health Study, 85,104 in Nurses’ Health Study II and 36,173 men, with 12,198 diabetes cases. For every 3 servings a week, the hazard ratio was 0.97 (range 0.92 to 1.02) for peaches, plums and apricots together and 0.89 (0.79 to 1.01) for prunes, neither significant. Plums were grouped with other stone fruit, so plums alone are not shown.
Obese rats given plum juice gained less weight and had a better HDL-to-total cholesterol ratio
Study in rats, not people. Obese Zucker rats drank peach juice, plum juice or placebo. Both juices protected against high blood sugar, insulin resistance and oxidized LDL, but only plum juice prevented weight gain and raised the HDL ratio. The authors link this to plum having three times the polyphenols of peach.
Rats given a plum beverage had 48% fewer early colon lesions
Study in rats, not people. Rats given a colon-lesion-causing chemical drank a plum (Prunus salicina) beverage or a control drink for 10 weeks. Dysplastic aberrant crypt foci fell 48% and cell growth in the colon lining fell 24%, and the authors tie the effect to the AKT/mTOR pathway and a microRNA.
Mice on a 20% dried plum (prune) diet developed arthritis later and had less joint damage
Study in mice and cells, not people. In mice bred to develop arthritis, a 4-week diet with 20% dried plum slowed onset and cut bone erosion. In cell cultures, neochlorogenic acid, a main polyphenol of dried plum, lowered inflammatory signals and the formation of bone-eroding cells.
Dried plum (prunes) restored bone density in rats that had already lost bone
Study in rats, not people. After 40 days of bone loss from ovary removal, rats ate 5, 15 or 25% dried plum for 60 days. Even 5% restored thigh and shin bone density, and the strength of the thigh bone improved by 6.9% and 6.0% on two measures.
Who should be careful with plums
Most people can eat plums freely. Take a little care if one of these applies:
- Irritable bowel syndrome or a sensitive gut. Monash University lists plums as a high-FODMAP fruit and names them among the fruits particularly rich in sorbitol. Prunes (dried plums) are stronger: in 120 healthy adults, flatulence was more common with 80 or 120 g of prunes a day.
- Plum pits. The kernel inside the stone contains amygdalin, which the body turns into cyanide. The National Capital Poison Center says one or two whole swallowed seeds are unlikely to cause harm, but chewing or crushing seeds, or swallowing several at once, raises the risk. Discard the stone.
How to choose, store and eat plums
- Fresh: two plums (132 g) have 61 calories, 1.8 g of fiber and 14% of the daily value of vitamin C, but the studies here tested juice, not the whole fruit.
- Juice and nectar: the blood pressure test used 300 mL of juice from a dark Japanese plum, while 200 mL a day of a low-anthocyanin nectar for 8 weeks changed nothing.
- Prunes (dried plums): bone trials used 50 g a day, about 5 to 6 prunes, and in the Prune Study 15% of women dropped out at 50 g against 41% at 100 g.
Pick plums with firm, smooth skin and no bruises or cuts, ripen them in a paper bag at room temperature, and keep ripe ones in the fridge. Residues are no reason to skip plums: in USDA tests of 305 plum samples in 2023, none had a residue above the legal limit.
Sources
- FODMAP food list. Monash University FODMAP.
- Klein-Schwartz W. Are pear, plum and prune seeds toxic? National Capital Poison Center (Poison Control).
- Lever E, Scott SM, Louis P, Emery PW, Whelan K. The effect of prunes on stool output, gut transit time and gastrointestinal microbiota: a randomised controlled trial. Clin Nutr. 2019.
- De Souza MJ, Strock NCA, Williams NI, et al. Prunes preserve hip bone mineral density in a 12-month randomized controlled trial in postmenopausal women: the Prune Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2022.
- Koltun KJ, Strock NCA, Weaver C, et al. Prunes preserve cortical density and estimated strength of the tibia in a 12-month randomized controlled trial in postmenopausal women: the Prune Study. Osteoporos Int. 2024.
- Hooshmand S, Kern M, Metti D, et al. The effect of two doses of dried plum on bone density and bone biomarkers in osteopenic postmenopausal women: a randomized, controlled trial. Osteoporos Int. 2016.
- Igwe EO, Charlton KE, Roodenrys S, et al. Anthocyanin-rich plum juice reduces ambulatory blood pressure but not acute cognitive function in younger and older adults: a pilot crossover dose-timing study. Nutr Res. 2017.
- Igwe EO, Roodenrys S, Probst YC, et al. Low anthocyanin plum nectar does not impact cognition, blood pressure and gut microbiota in healthy older adults: a randomized crossover trial. Nutr Res. 2020.
- Plums. University of Illinois Extension.
- Pesticide Data Program annual summary, calendar year 2023. USDA Agricultural Marketing Service.
History of plums
Plums are likely to have been one of the first fruits people domesticated, and plum remains turn up at Neolithic sites next to olives, grapes and figs. The European plum, Prunus domestica, has been traced to the mountains of Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. Its exact origin is uncertain: it has six sets of chromosomes, and it may have involved the cherry plum and possibly the blackthorn.
The Chinese plum, Prunus salicina, comes from China, and its Latin name means willow-like, because its leaves resemble some willows. A 2021 genome study suggests it may have originated in South China. Japanese plum varieties reached the United States in the second half of the 19th century, and Luther Burbank crossed them with other plums and selected varieties such as Santa Rosa.
The word plum comes from Old English plūme, borrowed from Latin prūnum, which came from Greek proûmnon, a word thought to come from a language of Asia Minor. A 12th-century agriculture book by Ibn al-’Awwam describes plum growing in Andalusia, and the Victoria plum, first sold in 1844, owes its fame largely to marketing, according to Wikipedia.
Prunes in California began with a Frenchman. Louis Pellier set up a nursery in San Jose in 1850. In December 1856 his brother Pierre shipped about 500 pounds of French seeds, cuttings and plants, and the French prune known as the little Agen plum is dated to that winter. Pellier grafted it onto wild plum rootstock and gave cuttings to local farmers, and by 1887 San Jose had 52,000 acres of prune trees.
California now produces about 96% of US prunes and about 70% of the world’s, according to figures for 2018. The main US variety is Improved French. The US also allowed growers to call prunes dried plums, a change some distributors made because prune is linked in shoppers’ minds with constipation.
Sources
- Plum. Wikipedia.
- Prune. Wikipedia.
- Prunus salicina. Wikipedia.
- Pellier Park. Wikipedia.
- Huang Z, Shen F, Chen Y, Cao K, Wang L. Chromosome-scale genome assembly and population genomics provide insights into the adaptation, domestication, and flavonoid metabolism of Chinese plum. Plant J. 2021.
- Igwe EO, Charlton KE. A systematic review on the health effects of plums (Prunus domestica and Prunus salicina). Phytother Res. 2016.
Frequently asked questions about plums
Are plums good for you?
For most people, yes, though the research is mostly on prunes, the dried fruit. A fresh plum has 46 calories and 1.4 g of fiber per 100 g, and two plums (132 g) give 14% of the daily value of vitamin C. In meta-analyses, plum products lowered LDL cholesterol by about 12 mg/dL but did not significantly change blood pressure, weight or C-reactive protein. No plum finding here reaches strong evidence.
Do plums make you poop?
Prunes (dried plums) do in trials, and fresh plums have not been tested the same way. In 120 healthy adults, 80 and 120 g of prunes a day raised stool weight by 22.2 and 32.8 g a day. In 40 people with constipation, 50 g of prunes twice a day gave more complete bowel movements than psyllium, though a pooled analysis found no difference between the two. Sorbitol and fiber are the usual explanation.
What is the difference between plums and prunes?
A prune is a dried plum from a firm-fleshed European plum variety, so every prune is a plum but not every plum can become a prune. A fresh plum is about 87% water, so drying leaves far more sugar and calories per gram. Most human trials use prunes, and the fresh-plum studies here mostly used juice or nectar.
Are prunes good for bones?
Possibly, but the results are mixed. In the Prune Study of 235 postmenopausal women, 50 g a day for 12 months kept hip bone density from falling (0.3% against 1.1% lost in the control group), while 100 g did not differ from control. A 2026 meta-analysis of 11 trials found only a borderline gain at the lumbar spine, and in 59 older men a year of prunes did not change bone density. A California prune industry group funded the Prune Study.
How many prunes should you eat a day?
No study sets an ideal amount. Bone trials used 50 to 100 g a day, and 50 g is about 5 to 6 prunes. In the Prune Study 15% of women dropped out at 50 g against 41% at 100 g, and in healthy adults flatulence was more common at 80 and 120 g. If prunes loosen your stool more than you like, eat fewer.
Are plums good for people with diabetes?
They can fit, but no trial here tested plums in diabetes. In three US cohorts, eating plums, peaches and apricots was not linked to diabetes risk (hazard ratio 0.97 for every 3 servings a week), and prunes were borderline at 0.89. Fresh plums have about 9.9 g of sugars and 1.4 g of fiber per 100 g. In a trial of mixed dried fruit including prunes, fasting glucose was 0.08 mmol/L higher than on a matched snack. Check portions and choices with your care team.
Are plums good for weight loss?
No study here tested weight loss with plums. A meta-analysis of 11 trials of plum supplementation found no significant change in weight (0.04 kg) or BMI. Fresh plums have 46 calories per 100 g and are about 87% water, so they fill a plate cheaply, but that is a swap effect for higher-calorie foods, not a proven effect of plums.
Can plum pits hurt you?
Swallowing one or two whole plum seeds is unlikely to cause harm, says the National Capital Poison Center, because a whole seed should pass through. The kernel inside holds amygdalin, between 0.4 and 17.5 mg per gram of seed, which the body turns into cyanide. Chewing or crushing seeds, or swallowing several at once, raises the risk, so discard the stone and call a poison center if someone has chewed several.