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Prunes (dried) Benefits (Ayurveda Insights)
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Table of Contents

How Does This Ayurvedic Food Improve Wellness?

CONSTITUTIONAL MEDICINE INSIGHTS

Recipes with Prunes (dried): Plum Sauce with Rosemary
Recipes with Prunes (dried): Plum Sauce with Rosemary
High fiber (pectin) and phenolic compounds have made prunes famous as laxative. While prunes are a great choice of laxative for Kapha's with lazy colon constipation, Vata should take caution due to the diuretic nature of prunes. High potassium makes plums a diuretic and drying for Vata, a quality easily counterbalanced with salt.

Plums are high in magnesium and iron. Pairing with salt allows Vata constitutions to benefit from plums' electrolyte-replenishing and blood building effects. High beta-carotene and citric acid contributes to an overall blood balancing and liver-soothing effect, experienced as a cool feeling in the eyes after a refreshing glass of prune juice.

High in sugar, fiber, Vitamin A, K, potassium, copper & manganese. Prunes are high in anti-oxidants. Dried prunes contain high doses of a chemical called acrylamide which is a known neurotoxin and a carcinogen.

See Plums for Ayurvedic properties.

Cooking Prunes (dried)

Prune ice-cream is popular in the Dominican republic. Prune pastries are popular in New York. Prune juice is sweet, thick, and cooling. Saladitos are dried, salted plums, sometimes sweetened with sugar and anise or coated in chile and lime. The name means 'little salty things.' Although a candy in Mexico, the recipe originates in China. There, the salted, dried plums are stuffed into orange or lemons, where the plum absorbs the juices of the sour fruit.

Ayurveda recommends soaking dried fruits before eating. Dried fruits are generally sweeter and harder to digest than fresh ones. They also absorb precious digestive juices. For example. one cup of fresh plums is equivalent to cup dried prunes. To reconstitute them, dried prunes must absorb at least 3 times their volume in water from the digestive tract. Gastric juices also have a harder time penetrating poorly chewed, dense dried fruits. For those with dry or otherwise weak digestion the sweetness of dried fruits quickly leads to fermentation, gas and bloating.

Buying & Preparation

Prunes are often labeled as 'dried plums.'

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Is Prunes (dried) a Good Match for My Body?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether 'Prunes (dried)' is a good fit. Complete the basic quiz in 1 minute, or go deeper with additional quizzes at your own leisure to learn more about your body.

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Constitutional nutrition is tailored to the individual. In the kitchen, especially during your family’s formative years, you shape your family's lifelong health.

Understanding your child's constitution is key to raising resilience, instead of wiring in disease. Study constitutional medicine to discover the keys to personalized nourishment.

Rooted in the insights curated from Ayurveda and Greek medicine, constitutional medicine teaches you which foods match your body, so you and your family have true vitality, strength, and balance. See How it Works.

Medicinal Effects of Prunes (dried)

Constitutional nutrition systems use biocharacteristics to classify the metabolic nature of food, hebs, lifestyle choices, your body, and disease.

METABOLIC NATURE / BIOCHARACTERISTICS

Metabolic Nature / Biocharacteristics

Ayurveda assesses metabolic imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics (vital qualtiies). Aggravating them weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which biocharacteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct metabolic imbalances before you get sick. Every biocharacteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite biocharacteristic.

Find Out More

CLEAR

ABOUT CLEAR BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Clear refers to anything that cleanses or flushes out wastes, or that digests ama.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CLEAR

DRY

ABOUT DRY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Dry is identified by lack of moisture, lack of fat, or anything that causes diuresis.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DRY

HOT

ABOUT HOT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Hot is identified by increased body temperature, metabolism, or inflammation.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HOT

TASTES

The 6 Tastes

Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food. Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body. Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food. Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods. Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion. Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste. One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes. The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below?

Find Out More

SWEET

ABOUT SWEET BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Sweet refers to anything builds tissue, including macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SWEET

AYURVEDA BODY TYPES (DOSHAS)

The Three Doshas / Body Types

Ayurveda is a metabolic theory of medicine that explains individual health, tendencies, and disease patterns through the concept of doshas, which can be understood as your metabolic patterns and tendencies.

Each dosha reflects a distinct metabolic nature and describes strengths & weaknesses in bodily function, and how these affect energy levels, digestion, susceptibility to disease, and many other tendencies.

Your metabolic nature not only affects your physical characteristics, but also influences your mental thought patterns, confidence, and enthusiasm.

Ayurveda balances these metabolic strengths & weaknesses to support your body's vitality and prevent recurrent disease cycles. This support is a critical aid, especially in chronic or incurable disease conditions.

The 3 metabolic body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha).

Through dosha, Ayurveda empowers people to identify metabolic imbalances early, break repetitive patterns of disease, and cultivate habits that support long-term vitality and well-being.

Ultimately, these metabolic patterns also provide a framework for understanding yourself, including body, mind, and spiritual tendencies.

Find Out More

PACIFIES
Kapha pacifying Pitta pacifying
AGGRAVATES
Vata aggravating

GREEK MEDICINE / TEMPERAMENTS

The Four Temperaments / Humors

Ayurveda & Greek Medicine were the dominant form of medicine along the Silk Road from England to China and South Asia. They work by assessing your metabolic type, patterns, and nature. Greek medicine recognizes 4 metabolic temperaments, Melancholic, Choleric, Sanguine, and Phlegmatic.

Find Out More

PACIFIES
PHLEGMATIC

ABOUT PHLEGMATIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

A Phlegmatic has a cold and wet metabolic nature. The coldness implies a slow metabolism, the moisture that you are well-nourished. Phlegmatics tend towards sluggishness and thickened fluids, including mucus.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PHLEGMATIC

AGGRAVATES
CHOLERIC

ABOUT CHOLERIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Has a hot and dry metabolic nature. Enthusiastic, vibrant and bright. In excess burns up fluids and ojas, irritable. Corresponds to high bilirubin in the blood that irritates and heats up the body and liver.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CHOLERIC

MELANCHOLIC

ABOUT MELANCHOLIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Cold and dry with a slow, variable or erratic metabolism. Colicky, tense. Withdrawn, pensive, anxious, and hesitant. Analytical, intelligent, detail oriented and creative. Prone to ojas depletion, dehydration, an overactive nervous system, and depression.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MELANCHOLIC

SANGUINE

ABOUT SANGUINE BIOCHARACTERISTIC

A hot and oily nature with a moderate metabolism and a well nourished body makes Sanguine individuals vigorous, vivacious, outgoing and generous, and prone to impulsivity and self indulgence. Bullish and intense when out of balance.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SANGUINE

Other Health Virtues

Affinity:
Bowel Poop Elimination
Family:
Rosaceae

Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Prunes (dried)
Experiences are Personal
Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.

(see all)
Digestion:
Appetite Suppressant

APPETITE-SUPPRESSANT

Suppresses hunger without causing weight gain.

SEE ALL 'APPETITE-SUPPRESSANT' FOODS / HERBS

Bowel Health:
General Laxative

GENERAL-LAXATIVE

Promotes a bowel movement. General laxative is an umbrella term that refers to several different types of laxatives.

SEE ALL 'GENERAL-LAXATIVE' FOODS / HERBS

,
High Fiber Laxative

HIGH-FIBER-LAXATIVE

A class of laxative that adds bulk and water to stools. The large size of the stool stimulates peristalsis so the stool can pass more easily through the colon. It is important to drink plenty of water when using high fiber laxatives, as they can be dehydr

SEE ALL 'HIGH-FIBER-LAXATIVE' FOODS / HERBS

Energy Vitality:
Nutritive

NUTRITIVE

An herb that is strengthening and nourishing.

SEE ALL 'NUTRITIVE' FOODS / HERBS

Heart & Circulation:
Alterative

ALTERATIVE

Restores the proper function of the body by cleansing the blood and balancing blood chemistry. In Ayurveda terms, they pacify Pitta in rakta. They were traditionally used to revitalize and detoxify after a long winter.

SEE ALL 'ALTERATIVE' FOODS / HERBS

,
Antioxidant

ANTIOXIDANT

An antioxidant is a molecule that inhibits oxidation. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals that lead to a chain reaction causing damage or death to cells. Antioxidants terminate these oxidation reactions.

SEE ALL 'ANTIOXIDANT' FOODS / HERBS

,
Blood Tonic

MILD BLOOD-TONIC

An herb that produces more blood cells in the body, or otherwise improves blood cell quality or hemoglobin content. Helpful for anemia and other types of deficiency.

SEE ALL 'BLOOD-TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Kidney & Urinary:
Diuretic

DIURETIC

Herbs that promote urine formation, thereby flushing the kidneys and urinary tract while eliminating any excess water retention. As diuretics reduce water retention, they are often used to reduce blood pressure.

SEE ALL 'DIURETIC' FOODS / HERBS

Foods with a Similar Nature to Prunes (dried)

  • Carrot

    Carrot has these Actions in Common

    Antioxidant, General-laxative, Blood-tonic, High-fiber-laxative, Alterative, Diuretic, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Grape

    Grape has these Actions in Common

    Blood-tonic, High-fiber-laxative, Alterative, Diuretic, Nutritive, Antioxidant, General-laxative

    LEARN MORE

  • Dates (dried)

    Dates (dried) has these Actions in Common

    Diuretic, Nutritive, Alterative, General-laxative, Blood-tonic, High-fiber-laxative

    LEARN MORE

  • Popped Amaranth

    Popped Amaranth has these Actions in Common

    Alterative, Diuretic, Appetite-suppressant, High-fiber-laxative, Blood-tonic, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Amaranth

    Amaranth has these Actions in Common

    Blood-tonic, Nutritive, Alterative, Diuretic, Appetite-suppressant, High-fiber-laxative

    LEARN MORE

  • Acai

    Acai has these Actions in Common

    Appetite-suppressant, Nutritive, Alterative, General-laxative, Antioxidant, High-fiber-laxative

    LEARN MORE

  • Watermelon

    Watermelon has these Actions in Common

    Antioxidant, Nutritive, Blood-tonic, Alterative, Diuretic

    LEARN MORE

  • Flax Seed

    Flax Seed has these Actions in Common

    Diuretic, Nutritive, General-laxative, Appetite-suppressant, High-fiber-laxative

    LEARN MORE

  • Adzuki Beans

    Adzuki Beans has these Actions in Common

    Blood-tonic, High-fiber-laxative, Diuretic, Nutritive, General-laxative

    LEARN MORE

  • Mango

    Mango has these Actions in Common

    Diuretic, Nutritive, General-laxative, Antioxidant, High-fiber-laxative

    LEARN MORE

Herbs & Supplements with a Similar Nature to Prunes (dried)

  • Amalaki

    Amalaki has these Actions in Common

    Nutritive, Alterative, Antioxidant, Blood-tonic, General-laxative

    LEARN MORE

  • Ashwagandha

    Ashwagandha has these Actions in Common

    Alterative, Antioxidant, Blood-tonic, Diuretic, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Chyavanprash Nutritive Jam

    Chyavanprash Nutritive Jam has these Actions in Common

    Blood-tonic, General-laxative, Nutritive, Alterative

    LEARN MORE

  • Arjuna

    Arjuna has these Actions in Common

    Diuretic, Alterative, Antioxidant, Appetite-suppressant

    LEARN MORE

  • Punarnava

    Punarnava has these Actions in Common

    Antioxidant, Blood-tonic, Diuretic, Alterative

    LEARN MORE

  • Punarnasava

    Punarnasava has these Actions in Common

    Diuretic, Alterative, Antioxidant

    LEARN MORE

  • Pitta Massage Oil

    Pitta Massage Oil has these Actions in Common

    Alterative, Blood-tonic, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Yellow Dock

    Yellow Dock has these Actions in Common

    Alterative, Blood-tonic, General-laxative

    LEARN MORE

  • Kutaja Bark

    Kutaja Bark has these Actions in Common

    Diuretic, General-laxative, Alterative

    LEARN MORE

  • Agrimony

    Agrimony has these Actions in Common

    Appetite-suppressant, Diuretic, Antioxidant

    LEARN MORE

  • Triphala

    Triphala has these Actions in Common

    Alterative, Diuretic, General-laxative

    LEARN MORE


Joyful Belly is a recognized college of biocharacteristics medicine.

TRADITIONALLY INDICATED FOR
THESE SYMPTOMS

Prunes (dried) may temper these symptoms. The suitability of any food for a condition is highly dependent on the individual and constitution. Please see your doctor before using this food to treat a medical condition.

CONTRAINDICATED FOR
THESE SYMPTOMS

Prunes (dried) may be harmful or contraindicated for these symptoms. Note this is not a complete list of all possible contraindications. Please see your doctor before using this food to treat a medical condition.

Herb Drug Interaction Risk

Here are some potential herb drug interactions with Prunes (dried). Please see your health care provider for more information.

View other ingredients
for Autumn-Winter

Prunes (dried) is recommended for Autumn-Winter. Check out these other Autumn-Winter foods here.
VIEW ALL AUTUMN-WINTER FOODS MORE FOODS FOR PITTA / KAPHA MAIN INGREDIENT PAGE

Constitutional Nutrition: Strengthen Your Health Naturally

When your dietary choices align with your individual nature (constitution), it supports your metabolism, energy, and health naturally. A personalized diet, fitting to your constitution, leverages your natural strengths while gently supporting your body where it's vulnerable.

Constitutional nutrition is especially beneficial for digestion, a foundational pillar of health influencing your entire well-being. Balanced digestion fortifies your body's natural defenses against illness and enhances your resilience when illness does arise. A healthy digestive fire (*agni*) eases discomfort, speeds recovery, and naturally uplifts your mood.

By embracing constitutional nutrition, you will soon experience a profound sense of renewal, vitality, and inner strength.

CONTINUE READING

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About the Author

John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a healthy diet and lifestyle through constitutional nutrition (Ayurveda & Greek Medicine). His approach is clinical, yet exudes an ease which many find enjoyable and insightful. John also directs the Joyful Belly College of Ayurveda, offering professional clinical training in Ayurveda for over 15 years.

John's hobbies & specialties include advanced digestive disorders, medieval Catholic philosophy, & botany. He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University. John, his wife Natalie and their 8 kids live in Asheville, NC

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Comments & Questions About 'Prunes (dried)'

Do you like 'prunes (dried)'? Why or why not? What makes it unique? Is there something else you'd like to know about 'prunes (dried)'?

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 1 rating, 203 likes
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Ed Parker
2024-02-22
“Are soaked prunes pacifying to Vata?"
Like Reply
John J Immel Asheville, NC
2025-02-20
“Soaked prunes are a laxative which can help Vata. But they are also diuretic and drying, which can aggravate Vata. So, a little bit of both."
Like Reply
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