Prune (Dried Plum) (Prunus domestica): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence

Q: What is Prune (Dried Plum) used for?

Prune (Dried Plum) is most often taken for Relieves chronic constipation and improves stool frequency/consistency (RCT-supported), Helps preserve hip and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women, Provides soluble and insoluble fibre supporting gut regularity, High potassium content supports healthy blood pressure. Fibre-rich dried plum for gut and bone health

Q: Does Prune (Dried Plum) work — what does the evidence say?

Moderate evidence. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent. The strongest human evidence for prunes is in gastrointestinal function: randomized trials and a systematic review show ~50 g/day improves stool frequency and consistency in chronic constipation, outperforming an equal fibre dose of psyllium. A growing body of RCT evidence (notably the 12-month Prune Study) indicates 50-100 g/day helps preserve hip and total-body bone mineral density in postmenopausal women, though a 2026 meta-analysis found the effect only borderline-significant (favouring the lumbar spine) with high heterogeneity across sites. Benefits are attributed to fibre, sorbitol, polyphenols, potassium, vitamin K and boron acting together. Limitations include small samples, short durations, heterogeneous outcomes, and the fact most bone trials are industry-funded and focus on a single demographic. Cardiometabolic and antioxidant effects remain preliminary. Prunes are a calorie- and sugar-dense whole food, so portion matters.

Q: How many studies support Prune (Dried Plum)?

NutriDex cites 9 sources for Prune (Dried Plum), graded "Moderate".

Peh, Daryl

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Prune (Dried Plum)

Prunus domestica

Fibre-rich dried plum for gut and bone health

Moderate evidence 🍎Fruits

✚ Updated 7 Jun 2026 · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier

Moderate

Research weight

Citations

9 verified / 9

Classification

Fruits

❝

What the evidence says. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent.

Nutrition per serving About 5 prunes (42 g)

Water 13 g31%
Sugars 16 g38%
Fibre 3 g7%
Other carbs 7.8 g19%
Protein 0.9 g2%
Fat 0.2 g0%
Other 1.1 g3%

What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).

One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.

101 kcal0.9 g protein3 g fiber0.2 g fat

Nutrient	Per serving	% daily value
Fibre	3 g	11%
Potassium	307 mg	7%
Vitamin K	25 mcg	21%
Copper	0.12 mg	13%
Vitamin B6	0.09 mg	5%
Manganese	0.13 mg	6%
Vitamin A	16 mcg RAE	2%
Magnesium	17 mg	4%
Iron	0.39 mg	2%

Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗

What is Prune (Dried Plum)?

Prune (Dried Plum) (Prunus domestica) is a fruit used for relieves chronic constipation and improves stool frequency/consistency (rct-supported). NutriDex grades the human evidence as Moderate. The strongest human evidence for prunes is in gastrointestinal function: randomized trials and a systematic review show ~50 g/day improves stool frequency and consistency in chronic constipation, outperforming an equal fibre dose of psyllium. A growing body of RCT evidence (notably the 12-month Prune Study) indicates 50-100 g/day helps preserve hip and total-body bone mineral density in postmenopausal women, though a 2026 meta-analysis found the effect only borderline-significant (favouring the lumbar spine) with high heterogeneity across sites. Benefits are attributed to fibre, sorbitol, polyphenols, potassium, vitamin K and boron acting together. Limitations include small samples, short durations, heterogeneous outcomes, and the fact most bone trials are industry-funded and focus on a single demographic. Cardiometabolic and antioxidant effects remain preliminary. Prunes are a calorie- and sugar-dense whole food, so portion matters.

Purported Benefits

✓Relieves chronic constipation and improves stool frequency/consistency (RCT-supported)

✓Helps preserve hip and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women

✓Provides soluble and insoluble fibre supporting gut regularity

✓High potassium content supports healthy blood pressure

✓Rich in polyphenols with antioxidant activity

✓Low glycaemic impact relative to sugar content (sorbitol, fibre, polyphenols slow glucose absorption)

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose

Typical serving 4-5 prunes (~40-50 g) daily. For constipation, RCTs used ~50 g/day (about 6 g fibre). Bone-density trials used 50-100 g/day in postmenopausal women; 50 g/day is better tolerated.

Active Compounds

Pectin and cellulose (soluble + insoluble fibre)Sorbitol (sugar alcohol, osmotic laxative)Chlorogenic and neochlorogenic acids (phenolic acids)PotassiumVitamin K1 (phylloquinone)BoronCopperProvitamin A carotenoids (beta-carotene)Vitamin B6

Safety & Cautions

High in sorbitol and fibre, so larger amounts can cause bloating, gas, cramping or diarrhoea; introduce gradually. Calorie- and sugar-dense (~240 kcal/100 g) so mind portions in diabetes and weight management. Vitamin K1 content can interact with warfarin if intake changes abruptly. Contains moderate oxalate (relevant for those prone to calcium-oxalate kidney stones). Acrylamide can form during drying. Prunus (stone-fruit) allergy is possible. No grapefruit-type CYP3A4 interaction. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Prune (Dried Plum) with any medicine.

Key Studies

Meta-analysis Strock 2026 ✓ Source

Meta-analysis of 11 RCTs (747 participants): prune effect on BMD was only borderline-significant (favouring the lumbar spine), with high heterogeneity across sites.

Systematic review Dimidi 2024 (Aliment Pharmacol Ther) ✓ PubMed

Systematic review/meta-analysis (23 studies, 1,714 adults with chronic constipation) found prunes were not superior to psyllium for stool frequency; fruits overall and rye bread improved some outcomes.

Guideline BDA Guidelines 2025 (Dimidi) ✓ Full text

BDA evidence-based guidelines (4 systematic reviews, 75 RCTs, GRADE) found prunes no more effective than psyllium for straining/constipation outcomes; conditional recommendation only.

Systematic review Lever 2014 ✓ PubMed

Systematic review: prunes improve stool frequency and consistency in constipation and appear superior to psyllium, though evidence for other GI outcomes is weak.

RCT Koltun 2024 ✓ PubMed

12-month Prune Study analysis: prunes preserved cortical bone density and estimated strength at the weight-bearing tibia versus controls in postmenopausal women.

RCT Damani 2024 (J Nutr, Prune Study ancillary) ✓ PubMed

Ancillary analysis of the 12-month Prune Study RCT in postmenopausal women found 50–100 g/day prunes did not adversely affect cardiometabolic markers (lipids, glucose, blood pressure).

RCT De Souza 2022 ✓ PubMed

12-month RCT in 235 postmenopausal women: 50 g/day prunes preserved total hip BMD (-0.3%) vs significant loss in controls (-1.1%).

RCT Attaluri 2011 ✓ PubMed

In chronic constipation, ~50 g prunes twice daily raised complete spontaneous bowel movements more than an equal-fibre dose of psyllium and was judged effective as a first-line therapy.

Review Stacewicz-Sapuntzakis 2001 ✓ PubMed

Reviews chemical composition and bioactives of prunes (fibre, sorbitol, ~184 mg/100g polyphenols, potassium, boron, vitamin K) and candidate health effects.

NutriDex

Prune (Dried Plum)

Nutrition per serving About 5 prunes (42 g)

What is Prune (Dried Plum)?

Purported Benefits

Dosing & Compounds

Safety & Cautions

Key Studies

Common questions about Prune (Dried Plum)

What is Prune (Dried Plum) used for?

Does Prune (Dried Plum) work — what does the evidence say?

What is the typical dose of Prune (Dried Plum)?

Is Prune (Dried Plum) safe? Any cautions or side effects?

How many studies support Prune (Dried Plum)?