Stapletons Technical Bulletin:
Antioxidant Properties of  Dried Plums (prunes)

Introduction

It is documented that people who eat lots of fruit and vegetables are less likely to develop diseases like cancer and heart disease. Of course, fruits and vegetables are generally low in fat and rich in fiber, but there's something more....

Scientists are now discovering that part of the benefit comes from antioxidants -- substances that defend our body against the damaging effects of free radicals.  It is now known that free radicals are associated with as many as 60 different diseases including heart disease, many forms for cancer, Alzheimer's Disease, arthritis, stroke, allergies, chronic fatigue and aging in general.  

As you can see, antioxidants are important.  The question now is:  How do we get these life enhancing antioxidants?

The Vitamin Supplement industry has certainly caught on and you can now buy many antioxidant supplements.  However, the best way to get your antioxidants is right from the source.  The good news is that dried plums (prunes) rank number 1 in antioxidant activity and the additional benefits of fiber and other vitamins and great taste make them the smart snack for a healthy lifestyle.  Here are some additional facts to show how good prunes are:

• Prunes are top ranked as a source of cancer and disease fighting antioxidants. In fact, prunes scored number 1 in the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) test, the measure of anti-oxidant power. The table below illustrates this:
  

 

Fruit	ORAC (units/100g)
Dried Plums (Prunes)*	5770
Raisins*	2830
Blueberries*	2400
Blackberries*	2036
Strawberries*	1540
Raspberries*	1220
Plums*	949
Oranges*	750
Grapes (red)*	739
Cherries*	670
Additional Products Available only from Stapleton-Spence
Stapleton’s Fresh Plum Puree (Brunswick Laboratories, 2000)	3100
Plum Good Plum Powder 040 (Brunswick Laboratories, 2001)	7400

• Prunes are high in fiber, long known to be beneficial in reducing the risk of colorectal cancer, prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, diabetes and diverticular disease.
  
• Prunes are a good source of Vitamin A, an essential nutrient. Vitamin A has also been shown to have antioxidant activity, which as mentioned above has been associated as protective against many forms of cancer.

"Eat your fruits and vegetables."  As we learn more about the protective effect of antioxidants, this old adage rings true.  Finally, don't forget the dried plums and raisins.  They are both on the very top of the antioxidant list.  It seems another adage is true too... taste good and good for you too! 

References

* Prior, R., Joseph, J., Cao, G. and Shukitt-Hale, B., "Can Foods Forestall Aging", Agricultural Research, Feb., 1999

Notes

Antioxidants - Chemical compounds that are able to quench the effects of free radicals.  Scientist have now identified a number of these antioxidants.  Most are naturally occurring plant compounds such as plant phenolics, carotenoids such as Vitamin A or E and some organic acids such as Vitamin C (ascorbic acid).

Free radicals - Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules that can cause damage to living cells (and hence cause disease).  Free radicals are thought to be a byproduct from a number of causes including environmental factors, unhealthy food, smoking, radiation and a number of other sources.