A Look At Plum Nutritional Facts

The plum is a fruit of the genus prunus in the family of plants called rosaeae. It is related to other fruits like almonds, peaches, apricots and nectarines. There are very many different varieties of the plum (over 200 cultivars) that are grown throughout the world.

Because it is of different varieties or cultivars, the plum fruit comes in a myriad of colors such as yellow, green, red and white. The flesh of the fruit, size and season will also vary depending on the variety. The plum is round with a depression where it was attached to the stem. In the middle, there is a flatish, stone-like seed or pit which is referred to as a drupe, that is not edible. When ripe, this fruit is very sweet to the taste.

The plum is a very nutritious and healthy fruit with numerous health benefits. Some plum nutritional facts state that the plum is one of the healthiest fruits you can find. One of the reasons for this is because of its high content of phytonutrients. Phytonutrients which are also called phytochemicals are quite commonly found in plants and play a protective role to the plant. These phytonutrients also play this protective role for humans. They protect humans from diseases like cancer, hypertension, diabetes and heart disease. The specific phytonutrients found in plums are classified as phenols and these have excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Plum nutritional facts also state that this particular fruit is an excellent source of Vitamin C. Vitamin C not only has antioxidant properties, it is essential for proper absorption of iron in the body. Iron is important for the formation of red blood cells. Vitamin C has been proven to be vital in the neutralization of free radicals which are linked with the progression and even the development of diseases like arthritis, some types of cancer, asthma and such.

One of the more interesting plum nutritional facts is about the skin of the fruit. The skin of the plum is very tart and many people opt to discard it. However, other than the fact that the concentration of phytonutrients is highest in the skin, the skin is also good for proper functioning of the digestive system. This is because the skin contains the compounds isatin and sorbitol. Sorbitol is a natural sugar with mild laxative effects making the plum excellent for treating constipation. More plum nutritional facts state that the fruit, when eaten with the skin has a great deal of fiber content.

Plum nutritional facts also suggest that fresh plums are better than dried plums as far as glycemic load is concerned. Fresh plums have a low glycemic load while dried ones have a high one. Another one of the more important plum nutritional facts is that it is low in calories, low in saturated fat and has no sodium.