NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
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Plum

Prunus domestica

Polyphenol-rich stone fruit; prunes help protect bone

Moderate evidence 🍎Fruits

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Moderate
Research weight
Citations
10 verified / 10
Classification
Fruits
❝
What the evidence says. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent.

Nutrition per serving 1 medium (66 g)

66gSERVING
  • Water 57.6 g88%
  • Sugars 6.5 g10%
  • Fibre 0.9 g1%
  • Other carbs 0.1 g0%
  • Protein 0.5 g1%
  • Fat 0.2 g0%
What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).
Vitamin C7%Potassium2%Vitamin K4%Fiber3%Vitamin A1%Copper4%
One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.
30 kcal0.5 g protein0.9 g fiber0.2 g fat
NutrientPer serving% daily value
Vitamin C6.3 mg7%
Potassium104 mg2%
Vitamin K4.2 ug4%
Fiber0.9 g3%
Vitamin A11 ug RAE1%
Copper0.04 mg4%
Sugars6.5 g13%
Vitamin B60.02 mg1%

Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗

What is Plum?

Plum (Prunus domestica) is a fruit used for dried plums (prunes) help preserve hip and spine bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Moderate. The strongest human evidence concerns dried plums (prunes) rather than fresh fruit, and is largely confined to postmenopausal women. In the 12-month Prune Study RCT (235 postmenopausal women), 50 g/day preserved total hip BMD while controls lost bone, and earlier 6-12 month RCTs from a single lab showed gains in ulnar and spine BMD versus dried apple. A 2026 systematic review of 11 RCTs (747 participants) found only a borderline-significant benefit at the lumbar spine with high heterogeneity, so the bone effect is real but modest. Prunes also reliably improve constipation, outperforming psyllium for stool frequency at matched fiber in a crossover RCT, an effect attributed to fiber plus sorbitol. Cardiometabolic claims are weak: a 12-month ancillary analysis found no change in lipids or glycemic control (only a reduction in central fat at the higher dose). Fresh plums are a low-calorie source of vitamin C, potassium and polyphenols but lack dedicated outcome trials. Overall the evidence is moderate for prunes and bone/constipation, and preliminary for fresh plums and cardiovascular endpoints.

Purported Benefits

✓Dried plums (prunes) help preserve hip and spine bone mineral density in postmenopausal women
✓Relieve constipation and improve stool frequency and consistency
✓Provide potassium and bone-relevant micronutrients (vitamin K, copper, boron)
✓Supply polyphenol antioxidants (chlorogenic and neochlorogenic acid)
✓Modest, low-glycemic source of fiber and natural sugars

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
2 fresh plums (~130 g) daily, or 50 g prunes/day (~5-6 dried plums) for bone benefit
Active Compounds
Hydroxycinnamic acids (neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid)Anthocyanins (cyanidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-rutinoside)Flavonols (quercetin, rutin)Sorbitol (sugar alcohol with laxative effect)Soluble and insoluble fiber (pectin)PotassiumVitamin K1 (phylloquinone)Boron and copper (bone cofactors)Carotenoids (beta-carotene)

Safety & Cautions

High prune/plum intake can cause gas, bloating and loose stools due to sorbitol and fiber; introduce gradually. Prunes are calorie- and sugar-dense (~240 kcal/100 g) and acrylamide can form in some processed dried-plum products. People with IBS may react to the sorbitol (a FODMAP). Stone fruit kernels contain amygdalin (cyanogenic) — do not eat the pits. Those prone to oxalate kidney stones should note a modest oxalate content; otherwise plums are safe as food with no significant drug interactions at culinary doses. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Plum with any medicine.

Key Studies ★ 10 studies

Systematic review / meta-analysis Treister-Goltzman 2026 ✓ Source
Systematic review and meta-analysis of 11 RCTs (747 participants): prune intervention had only a borderline-significant effect on lumbar-spine BMD in postmenopausal women (SMD 1.30, 95% CI -0.03 to ~2.6) with high heterogeneity; no significant effect at other sites.
Randomized controlled trial (ancillary) Damani 2024 ✓ Full text
Ancillary analysis of the 12-month Prune Study: 50 or 100 g/day prunes did not improve lipids or glycemic markers vs control, though 100 g/day reduced central (android) fat mass.
Randomized controlled trial Koltun 2024 ✓ PubMed
Prune Study pQCT analysis: 12 months of prunes (50 or 100 g/day) preserved cortical bone density and estimated bone strength of the weight-bearing tibia in postmenopausal women vs decline in controls.
Randomized controlled trial De Souza 2022 ✓ PubMed
12-month RCT (235 postmenopausal women): 50 g/day prunes preserved total hip BMD while the control group lost significant hip bone mass; the higher 100 g/day dose was associated with higher dropout.
Randomized controlled trial Hooshmand 2016 ✓ PubMed
6-month RCT in 48 osteopenic postmenopausal women: 50 g/day dried plum was as effective as 100 g/day in preventing bone loss, lowering the bone-resorption marker TRAP-5b.
Randomized controlled trial Lever 2019 ✓ PubMed
Parallel-group RCT (120 healthy adults with low fiber intake and infrequent stools): 80 or 120 g/day prunes for 4 weeks significantly increased stool weight and frequency and were well tolerated (no effect on stool SCFA or pH).
Randomized controlled trial Hooshmand 2011 ✓ PubMed
12-month RCT (160 postmenopausal women): 100 g/day dried plum significantly increased ulnar and lumbar-spine BMD vs dried apple and reduced bone-turnover markers.
Randomized controlled trial Attaluri 2011 ✓ PubMed
Single-blind crossover RCT (40 patients): at matched fiber (6 g/day), prunes (50 g twice daily) increased complete spontaneous bowel movements and improved stool consistency more than psyllium in chronic constipation.
Narrative review Wallace 2017 ✓ Full text
Comprehensive review of 24 studies concluding that dried plums may have protective effects on bone loss in postmenopausal women, while cautioning that all clinical data came from one lab and need confirmation by larger, longer trials.
Case report Strock 2021 ✓ Full text
Case report: an osteopenic 55-year-old postmenopausal woman whose lumbar-spine BMD rose 7.8% over 16 months of 50 g/day dried plum after losing 7.6% during a prior calcium/vitamin-D-only phase.
10 sources cited · 10 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about Plum

What is Plum used for?

Plum is most often taken for Dried plums (prunes) help preserve hip and spine bone mineral density in postmenopausal women, Relieve constipation and improve stool frequency and consistency, Provide potassium and bone-relevant micronutrients (vitamin K, copper, boron), Supply polyphenol antioxidants (chlorogenic and neochlorogenic acid). Polyphenol-rich stone fruit; prunes help protect bone

Does Plum work — what does the evidence say?

Moderate evidence. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent. The strongest human evidence concerns dried plums (prunes) rather than fresh fruit, and is largely confined to postmenopausal women. In the 12-month Prune Study RCT (235 postmenopausal women), 50 g/day preserved total hip BMD while controls lost bone, and earlier 6-12 month RCTs from a single lab showed gains in ulnar and spine BMD versus dried apple. A 2026 systematic review of 11 RCTs (747 participants) found only a borderline-significant benefit at the lumbar spine with high heterogeneity, so the bone effect is real but modest. Prunes also reliably improve constipation, outperforming psyllium for stool frequency at matched fiber in a crossover RCT, an effect attributed to fiber plus sorbitol. Cardiometabolic claims are weak: a 12-month ancillary analysis found no change in lipids or glycemic control (only a reduction in central fat at the higher dose). Fresh plums are a low-calorie source of vitamin C, potassium and polyphenols but lack dedicated outcome trials. Overall the evidence is moderate for prunes and bone/constipation, and preliminary for fresh plums and cardiovascular endpoints.

What is the typical dose of Plum?

2 fresh plums (~130 g) daily, or 50 g prunes/day (~5-6 dried plums) for bone benefit

Is Plum safe? Any cautions or side effects?

High prune/plum intake can cause gas, bloating and loose stools due to sorbitol and fiber; introduce gradually. Prunes are calorie- and sugar-dense (~240 kcal/100 g) and acrylamide can form in some processed dried-plum products. People with IBS may react to the sorbitol (a FODMAP). Stone fruit kernels contain amygdalin (cyanogenic) — do not eat the pits. Those prone to oxalate kidney stones should note a modest oxalate content; otherwise plums are safe as food with no significant drug interactions at culinary doses.

How many studies support Plum?

NutriDex cites 10 sources for Plum, graded "Moderate".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). Plum (Prunus domestica): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/plum

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_plum,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {Plum (Prunus domestica): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/plum},
  note         = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-06-26}
}

For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.

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