Prunes Benefit Digestive Health Says European Food Standards Agency

Date: Jun-14-2013Eating prunes is officially beneficial for digestive health confirms the EU Commission
in a final authorisation ruling recently[1]. Prunes are now the only natural, whole and dried
fruit to achieve an authorised health claim in the EU following a six-year application
process by the California Prune Board.

With eight out of ten adults in the UK not eating enough fibre, according to the
National Diet and Nutrition Survey[2], the new EFSA ruling is welcome news for health
professionals and provides final scientific proof of what generations of people have known
for centuries - prunes contribute to normal bowel function.

"Discussing bowel function in the UK is a very difficult topic, so public health
messaging around this subject can be hard to communicate," says nutritionist and
registered dietitian Jennette Higgs. "For normal function the recommendation is that we
eat 25g of fibre in our diet every day, and yet 80% of the UK does not eat enough. Fibre
comes from fruits, vegetables, salad, wholegrains, nuts and seeds - so it is important to
include a plentiful range of these foods in your daily diet."

Recent studies have shown that the average fibre intake of UK adults is currently
18.4g/day[3],[4], which is 26% below the recommended dietary fibre intake of 25g/day[5].
Eating 100g (8-12) of prunes every day as part of a balanced diet will provide the
beneficial digestive health effect and contributes 7.1g or a quarter of the recommended
fibre intake.

Three prunes provides one of the five-a-day fruit and vegetable requirements necessary
for a healthy and balanced diet and prunes are also a good source of potassium, which
helps maintain normal blood pressure; a source of vitamin B6 and copper, which support
normal functioning of both your immune and nervous systems; and a source of vitamin K and
manganese, which support the maintenance of normal bones.

The aim of the EU Nutrition and Health Claims Regulations is to protect consumers from
false health claims in labelling, advertising, marketing or promotional activity. All
health claims are judged using rigorous scientific scrutiny and require top quality human
research based on internationally agreed good scientific practice.

The EFSA ruling comes as a result of six years of comprehensive study to demonstrate
the beneficial effect of prunes on digestive health and brings together the total weight
of evidence brought from a series of studies concerning gut function, as a result of
incorporating prunes in the diet[6].

California is the largest producer of prunes in the world and they are known to be the
best quality due to the region's rigorous harvesting techniques and quality control
assessments. The premium produce is supplied to 70 countries worldwide and the region
contributes 60% of the world's prune supplies.

Mark Dorman, International Marketing Director of the Californian Prune Board adds,
"This EFSA ruling has confirmed what people have known for centuries and should help
people make a more informed choice about what they are eating and feeding their families.
We have been working in the UK and Europe for the past 25 years, raising the profile of
California Prunes as the healthy and nutritious commodity they are - we finally now have
the EU health ruling which confirms that prunes offer a convenient way to maintain normal
bowel function."
Courtesy: Medical News Today Note: Any medical information available in this news section is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional.