Does Prune Juice Help You Lose Weight? Health Benefits & Nutrition
Losing weight can be challenging without any lifestyle changes or dietary alterations. There are numerous approaches to losing weight. But it is essential to regulate your food consumption to support weight loss. People who find it difficult to control hunger and eat more every day are more likely to gain weight due to excess calorie intake.
In addition, processed drinks with high-sugar content have mainly been consumed by people in recent times. This consumption elevates blood sugar levels, resulting in rapid weight gain.
Besides that, some people drink less water on a regular basis, which has a toll on their weight and health over time. Drinking prune juice is touted to help with weight loss and keep you hydrated throughout the day.
The detoxifying effects of prune juice can eliminate toxins and waste from your body, thereby providing energy to your body to burn fat efficiently. This article explores the potential weight loss effects of prune juice in addition to its health benefits.
Nutritional Information of Prune Juice
Prunus domestica, a specific variety of dried plum, is used to make prune juice. Prune juice is packed with nutrients that help to maintain healthy digestion. Since it has a unique, appealing flavor, it can help people drink more water and prevent dehydration. The nutritional profile of an 8-ounce serving of prune juice contains the following nutrients:
- 2 g of protein
- 4 g of fiber
- 44 g of carbohydrates
- 26 g of sugar
- 15 mg of sodium
- Calories – 165
Prune juice is also loaded with vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin B complex, vitamin C, manganese, copper, magnesium, iron, calcium, and potassium. The antioxidants found in prune juice aid in protecting your body against free radical damage and reduce the risk of many health conditions, including age-related diseases, heart disease, and certain cancers.
Does Prune Juice Help You Lose Weight?
Drinking prune juice in moderation can help with weight loss. Even though prune juice contains high-sugar content, it does not adversely affect your blood glucose levels. This is due to the juice’s high concentration of sorbitol, a type of carbohydrate.
Sorbitol is metabolized slowly by your body, implying a gradual assimilation of that glucose. Having control over blood sugar levels has a positive impact on your weight. When your blood glucose levels are under control, your body can burn fat effectively, resulting in weight loss.
The essential nutrients in prune juice cleanse your body and regulate bowel movements. In this way, drinking prune juice aids in the body’s detoxification process. When your body gets rid of the toxins and waste from it, it can enter fat-burning mode and provide more energy, which can improve your exercise performance.
Any natural beverage, including prune juice, cannot help you lose weight in the long run. However, if you consume prune juice in moderation and combine it with a healthy diet and exercise routine, it may help you lose weight.
Moreover, the fiber content in prune juice can increase feelings of satiety and regulate calorie consumption. If you wish to lose weight steadily, you should enter into a calorie deficit and consume fewer calories than your body burns.
Increasing your fiber intake might make you feel fuller and less hungry, which can help you control your calorie consumption and promote weight reduction. A 2009 review demonstrates the health benefits of dietary fiber. According to this review, dietary fiber can boost weight loss significantly in obese individuals. Prune juice contains dietary fiber that helps to suppress appetite and support weight loss.
How to Consume Prune Juice for Weight Loss?
When you consume prune juice for weight loss, it will help if you avoid prune juice with refined sugar or artificial flavors. Drinking natural prune juice can help manage your calorie intake and support weight loss. It is recommended to consume one glass of prune juice a day to lose weight.
Drinking prune juice when you crave a sugary snack can aid in modulating your calorie consumption and promote weight loss. The ideal time to drink prune juice for weight loss is in the morning to maintain energy throughout the day. Drinking prune juice at night can improve your digestion and relieve constipation.
It is best to stay within the recommended limit of prune juice consumption due to its high-calorie content, which can cause weight gain when consumed in high quantities. You can also buy some brands of prune juice blended with other fruit juices and consume them to benefit from the combination’s nutritious value.
It will help if you avoid the prune juice diet because your body needs various nutrients to support its health, which can be lacking in this kind of liquid diet. Combining the juice with a nutritious, balanced diet and an exercise regimen can promote weight loss significantly.
Health Benefits of Prune Juice
When you drink prune juice, your body can lose weight as well as benefit from the juice’s nutritional properties. Prune juice is loaded with antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, which provide you with various health benefits. We shall look into the major benefits of consuming prune juice on a regular basis.
Improves Digestive Health
Prune juice contains fiber, which can slow down stomach emptying and support healthy digestion. Due to its high sorbitol content, prune juice can act as a laxative and relieve constipation. Sorbitol promotes better movement of food along the gastrointestinal tract.
Improved gut motility reduces the risk of issues like hemorrhoids, bloating, nausea, etc. Increased fiber intake can help treat your digestive problems and improve your digestive health.
Reduce Cholesterol Levels
It is essential to control your cholesterol levels in the body to prevent the building up of plaque in your arteries. High amounts of cholesterol in the body can lead to atherosclerosis or artery narrowing. Drinking prune juice can reduce levels of cholesterol in the body and prevent the narrowing of arteries, thereby reducing the risk of heart-related conditions like heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. The antioxidants and soluble fiber found in prune juice can have a positive impact on your cholesterol levels.
Promotes Muscle and Bone Strength
A mineral called boron can strengthen and develop bones, and it is found in prune juice. Drinking prune juice can also help combat bone density loss from radiation. Dried prunes can also be beneficial in the treatment of osteoporosis by preventing the loss of bone mass in the body.
The vitamins and minerals in prune juice help increase lean muscle mass and improve muscle recovery. By ingesting prune juice, which is high in boron, you can also improve your stamina, strength, and endurance.
Lowers Blood Pressure
When you drink prune juice, which includes potassium, your blood pressure decreases. Potassium has this impact because it has the ability to regulate the amounts of sodium in your blood. High levels of sodium in the blood can raise blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease.
Drinking prune juice, which is rich in potassium, can assist in regulating blood pressure by neutralizing the effects of sodium, thus supporting your heart health. Prune juice is a potassium-rich beverage that can also help fluid control balance, muscle contractions, and nerve messages.
Apart from these, prune juice can also promote your liver health and lung health. The antioxidants in prune juice protect your body from free radical damage and reduce inflammation, thus reducing the risk of many health conditions. In addition to easing constipation, prune juice can lower the chance of developing colon cancer.
Potential Downsides
Even though prune juice contains nutrients that aid in weight loss, it is best to consume the juice in moderation. When you consume prune juice with abandon, you are likely to gain weight because of its high-calorie content. Drinking prune juice can also cause side effects like gas and bloating in some people.
Overconsumption of prune juice can lead to digestive issues like constipation or diarrhea. This is because of the sorbitol and fiber content in prune juice. The minimal amounts of histamine in prune juice can cause allergy symptoms in some people. It is best to consult your doctor before drinking prune juice if you have health conditions like ulcerative colitis.
The Bottom Line
Prune Juice is packed with nutrients that help regulate bowel movements and cleanse your body. The appetite-suppressing effects of prune juice can help regulate calorie consumption and support weight loss. It is best to consume prune juice in moderation to lose weight steadily. The essential minerals and vitamins in prune juice enhance your overall health.
Drinking prune juice can help you stay hydrated and preserve your fluid balance. Replacing high-sugar beverages with prune juice can reduce liquid calorie intake and support weight loss. When you combine drinking prune juice with a balanced diet routine or an exercise plan, you can lose weight effectively.
Claire John is a certified dietician and has a degree in nutrition and food management. She has worked in several health organizations as part of her job and has now decided to impart her knowledge about health and fitness to the masses through her excellent writing skills.