Prune juice is inexplicably linked to constipation, but the healthy juice can do more than just relieve occasional constipation. Prune juice has actually been for centuries in folk medicine to help treat jaundice, high blood pressure, diabetes, and more. The fruit is extremely healthy to consume on a regular basis because it is high in dietary fibers, vitamins, amino acids, and minerals. Adding natural prune juice to a diet is a great way to supplement your nutrition and boost your health.

Can Relieve Constipation

Of course, the most obvious benefit of prune juice is that it can help relieve constipation. Laxatives often had the side effect of becoming addicting, but prune juice is a natural way to help regulate your digestive system at any age. The high amount of dietary fiber in prune juice helps to relieve constipation symptoms while also adding water to your diet. As a bonus, prune juice also offers a boost in energy as it softens the stool so that you can experience more frequent bowel movements. For best results try to drink at least one serving of prune juice a day.

Help Treat Overactive Bladder

Prune juice can also help you out if you have an overactive bladder. There are many reasons that you may suffer from frequent urination, but regardless of the reason, it can be a very embarrassing and bothersome help problem to have. Prune juice can help treat an overactive bladder because it regulates your bowels which then stop pressing on your bladder. The high amount of dietary fiber in prune juice is what will help with your bladder, and all it takes is as little as ¾ a cup of prune juice a day mixed in with some applesauce.

Great Dietary Supplement

Even if you don’t suffer from bowel or bladder issues, prune juice is a great dietary supplement to consider taking on a daily basis. Most people could use more healthy fiber in their diet, and prune juice is packed full of it along with a handful of other great vitamins. In just half a cup of prunes, you receive 65% of your daily value of Vitamin K, 14% of your daily value of Vitamin A, and 9% of Riboflavin, Vitamin B-6, and Niacin. Additionally, prune juice is high in several other minerals including magnesium, copper, and manganese.

Great Source of Iron

Iron is an essential mineral that your body needs to function correctly. Many people have problems getting iron into their body, and prune juice can be a great aid in that circumstance. Prune juice has a high amount of iron present in it and helps iron to be absorbed at the same time. For the body to absorb iron, there needs to be enough Vitamin C present in your body. Prune juice contains both Vitamin C and iron making it the perfect way to prevent anemia. Vegetarians and vegans, in particular, suffer from iron issues and can benefit from adding prune juice to their diet.

Helps Protect Your Gut Flora

Due to the prevalence of probiotics in modern health, most people are aware that you have good and bad bacteria in your gut. The good bacteria are known as gut flora and are essential for a healthy gut and strong immune system. Prunes contain a high amount insoluble fiber which feeds the good bacteria to help keep your gut balanced. The healthier your gut flora is, the more it can stop diseases from affecting you. Thus, if you have strong gut flora, you are less likely to get stomach bugs and food poisoning. Just another great reason to drink up.

Protects Against Liver Disease

Prunes can defend more than just your gut; they also help protect your liver and prevent it from becoming diseased with regular consumption. Researchers conducted an eight-week study that looked at how prune juice can affect liver function. They found that at the end of the eight-week period the liver function and liver health of study participants improved. They looked at a marker called alanine aminotransferase which is released when the liver is diseased or damaged and found that it dropped dramatically in those that had been consuming the prune juice regularly.

Helps Combat Free Radicals

 Free radicals are the components that you come across every day that harm the body. You cannot stop your exposure to free radicals as they are present in plastics and processed foods and most people will consume some at some point. However, prune juice is a high-antioxidant food, which means that it fights and prevents the damages that are caused by these same free radicals. In particular, prune juice was found to stop the buildup of a specific dangerous free radical known as peroxyl radical. It also can help prevent some of the diseases that are associated with this free radical.

Help Save Your Eyesight

Prune juice is really high in zeaxanthin and lutein, two very important carotenoids that help protect the health of your eyes. As you age, most people notice that their eyesight starts to decline and in later years many people suffer from macular degeneration. This is the process when the eye actually starts to break down, and you need painful intervention to try and protect your sight. By regularly consuming prune juice you receive the carotenoids that can help prevent it from occurring thus helping to preserve your eyesight for longer.

Strengthens Bones

Prune juice does more than protect your organs and fight free radicals; it can also be extremely healthy for your bones if consumed on a regular basis. Different studies on postmenopausal bone health have shown that prune juice can help prevent ‘bone turn-over.’ This is the process of when reabsorption spurs new bone growth. It also prevented bone loss and, in some cases, could even reverse the presence of bone loss by altering the metabolism of the study participant and increasing the amount of antioxidant activity that was taking place within the bones. In short, it can help strengthen and prevent eventual bone loss.

Help Prevent Heart Disease

Finally, the fact that prunes are high-antioxidants makes them a great way to help prevent and protect against the development of heart disease down the road. The antioxidants in prune juice help to prevent the oxidation of LDL (the bad cholesterol). Additionally, there is a substance in prunes that is known as ‘propionic acid’ that can stop a specific enzyme in the liver from making cholesterol. This helps reduce the presence of bad cholesterol in the body and helps lower heart disease risks overall in the patient consuming the prune juice. If this is not enough, the soluble fiber in prunes also helps the cholesterol present in your system to bind to bile. Bile is pushed out of your body by your digestive system, and thus any cholesterol stuck to it is swept out as well.