Health benefits of prunes.

We all endeavour to stay healthy and eat healthy food and fruit, and one of those is the prune, as well as the plum.

The word prune is a versatile word in the English language, we prune a tree or our budged etc, but we can also eat it. A dried plum becomes a prune and that’s why we keep mentally active so that our brains don’t take on the appearance of a “shrivelled up” prune. Besides that, eating prunes is good for you.

Prunes remind me growing up on the family farm and my mother converting some of our plums to prunes on a timber rack in the sun. They were the better substitute and much better to take than castor oil, to keep us kids regular. In fact prunes are recognised the world over as a very effective natural laxative.

Prunes are also quite a nutrient rich fruit, and are famously known for their unique taste and exceptionally high fibre content. The nutrient richness of prunes goes beyond helping to stay regular. Prunes are a source of many health promoting compounds including protein, vitamin A, K, C, E, B6, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc.
 

Following is and interesting article.  And, for further interesting information about prunes click here - and here - Starting as a plum.

I wish you all good health good health, and get into prunes. - Werner

Health Benefits of Prunes.

Dried Plums May Help Women Lower Blood Cholesterol Levels after Menopause. In an animal model of postmenopausal hormone deficiency, dried plums suppressed a rise in blood cholesterol without affecting HDL (good) cholesterol associated with the onset of menopause, according to a study conducted at Oklahoma State University.

At menopause, women’s risk for coronary heart disease drastically increases due to loss of oestrogen. Options for lowering cholesterol include a diet rich in plant fibre and other protective nutrients. Although hormone replacement therapy (HRT) often is used to prevent the rise in blood cholesterol associated with menopause, HRT may not be suitable for all women. In addition, some women may prefer a dietary approach to reducing blood levels of cholesterol. One possible way might be eating foods that provide dietary fibre such as dried plums. Dietary fibre, especially soluble dietary fibre such as pectin, has been shown to lower blood levels of cholesterol in both humans and animals.

The study showed that including the equivalent of about 10-12 dried plums in the diet of ovarian hormone deficient animals prevented the rise in total and non-HDL blood cholesterol levels. Postmenopausal women who are not on HRT and who are seeking ways to lower total cholesterol might consider including fibre-containing foods such as dried plums in their daily food choices.

Dried Plums May Play a Role in Bone Health.
An animal study conducted at Oklahoma State University discovered that the equivalent of 10-12 dried plums prevented bone loss associated with oestrogen loss at menopause and that the equivalent of about 3-4 dried plums restored bone loss in an animal model of early postmenopausal bone loss.

Dried plums completely stopped and were able to reverse bone loss in an animal model for post-menopausal osteoporosis. The mechanism responsible for this is not known. The mechanism might be related to the plant phenolic compounds, the sugar alcohol sorbitol, the mineral boron, or dried plums' ability to impact absorption of minerals. A small clinical trial is underway to determine whether any of these observations in the animal model can be seen in postmenopausal women.

Dietary Fibre in Dried Plums Helps Lower Blood Cholesterol Levels. A study at University of California, Davis showed that adding 12 dried plums to the daily diet can significantly increase the dietary fibre intake for those seeking this dietary goal. Adult men with mildly elevated levels of blood cholesterol supplemented their usual diets with 12 dried plums (100 grams having 6 grams of dietary fibre, over half of which is pectin) daily. Levels of LDL-cholesterol were significantly lower after the dried plum period than another fruit juice control period.

This is one of the first studies that tested the ability of pectin-containing foods to lower blood cholesterol levels. Previous studies used purified pectin rather than natural food sources. The report encourages careful selection of fibre containing foods rather than the use of isolated fibre supplements as part of overall positive changes in eating habits.
Dried Plums – A Source of Antioxidants

Dried plums and prune juice contain significant levels of phenolic compounds. Phenolic compounds contribute colour and sensory properties like bitterness to food, and often function as antioxidants. Phenolic compounds have been associated with reduced incidence of heart disease by protecting low density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad” cholesterol) from oxidation.

A study at the University of California, Davis analysed dried plum and prune juice extract for phenolic compounds. The main compounds detected in both dried plums and prune juice were the hydroxycinnamates, especially neochlorogenic acid and chlorogenic acid. Both dried plums and prune juice inhibited LDL oxidation in vitro indicating that dried plums and prune juice may provide a source of dietary antioxidants.

My thought for today. – Werner
Good health and good sense are two of life's greatest blessings. Publilius Syrus

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Alternative medicine in jeopardy.

Our lives are not only controlled by our government, Woolworths and Coles, but also the big pharmaceutical companies and their willing cronies, the FDA or TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) in Australia. These ‘authorities’  have no compunction about destroying businesses, large or small, that produce alternative medicine and supplements that have benefited the well being of so many people for as far as I can think back.

Swisse, the widely known and esteemed company, which produces a range of health products, including Australia's number one multivitamin, and some of the fastest growing supplements in the country, are one of many in the TGA’s spotlight.

A panel chaired by the Therapeutic Goods Administration has requested Swisse withdraw the ads spruiking several of its vitamin products, saying Swisse could not prove its claims that consumers would "feel better on Swisse". How stupid is this?  We should have the democratic right to test for ourselves whether they are right or not in their claim.

It makes one wonder, why the TGA is silent on mandatory water fluoridation, which the Bligh Labor government forced on its citizens.  This is a toxic waste product from the Chinese fertilizer and aluminum industries going through our drinking water systems, and Anna Bligh uses every opportunity to tell anybody that questions this insidious practice how good it is for us. Now, if the TGA thinks this is also a health product, shouldn’t they stop Bligh from telling us “how good it is?”  Click here for TGA article  in "The Australian.

Now here is the harebrained idea from the FDA, the American equivalent of Australia’s TGA.  I quote from Dr. Mercola’s newsletter. Click here to read edifying article.

If a Food Can Prevent a Disease, it must be a Drug.

This is the backward thinking that goes on at the FDA, where regulations currently prohibit manufacturers of dietary supplements or producers of food from referring to any scientific study documenting the potential effect of the substance on a health condition, punishable by large fines and even jail.

Disclosure about the benefits of a dietary supplement or food, no matter how credible, places the food in the category of an "unapproved drug." In other words, if a product makes a medical claim, it's automatically classified as a drug. This is how the FDA got away with sending Diamond Food a warning letter; stating: "… We have determined that your walnut products are promoted for conditions that cause them to be drugs because these products are intended for use in the prevention, mitigation, and treatment of disease.

All that this company had used as their heading was: "OMEGA-3s... Every time you munch a few walnuts, you're doing your body a big favour … "

Fluoride, for example is supposed to provide a ‘health benefit’ so it should also be regulated as a drug – by both the FDA and TGA – which they don’t, unfortunately.

Here are a couple more cases that prove beyond doubt the tremendous benefit derived from alternative medicine and supplements. Yet the TGA wants to stymie the alternative medicine producers at every turn and deny the benefits to the general public. How on earth will the public know if alternative medicine producers are not allowed to give written information about their products? One has difficulty not to assume that  the TGA is funded by the big pharmaceutical companies, which could make it difficult for them to remain impartial.

1. I had a large sun cancer (SC) bigger than a five cent coin, on the side of my head. The doctor said that it has to be surgically removed.  However a good friend told me about a “Black Salve” with which she had successfully treated and totally removed many sun cancers.

So, she put some of this salve on my SC and covered it with a bandaid and within ten minutes I could feel that the spot was heating up. Two days later the procedure was repeated and on the fourth day the bandaid was taken off and the SC has formed a scab. To make a long story short on the 7th day while washing my face a big plug of pus 2cm across and 3 mm thick fell out. Within a few days the hole was closed and the cancer had gone, and I saved the taxpayer money.

When I asked why we don’t see this salve advertised I was told that it is supposed to be only used on animals and only available from veterinarians, but to tell somebody that it kills sun cancer would be tantamount to giving medical advice, and would be a criminal offence.  Without a doubt, the TGA had a hand in it. Click here for more information, or if the link doesn't open, Google "Black Salve."

2. A relative who lived in South Australia was diagnosed with prostate cancer. The doctor wanted to operate immediately, but he said let me think about this for a while. During this “while” he sought advice from a Naturopath in Adelaide and was told to go for fruit and vegetable juicing and was prescribed alternative natural medicine.

To make a long story short, he was totally cured and every consecutive test had proved that the cancer had vanished.  The doctor who was in such a haste to operate said somewhat sarcastically, “Oh, it will come back.” Fifteen years had passed, and there were still no signs of prostate cancer. Isn’t this another clear indication that we need alternative medicine without restrictions from the TGA?  

Following is one sad example of a victim of the TGA’s myopic thinking bound to destroy business and livelihoods; this is Big Brother’s handy work.

A friend (who has to remain anonymous because of TGA scrutiny) sells a natural health product online with scientifically proven benefits, but is not allowed to include any of this information on the product’s website. No doctor's articles, no scientific studies, no customer testimonials are allowed to be shown on the same website as the products are displayed for sale, because they may be deemed to constitute advertising of the products (or any ingredients) as having a therapeutic benefit.  Advertising a therapeutic effect is not allowed for any products unless it has a TGA listing number (which costs many thousands of dollars per product when you add the consultant fees).  Even with the listing number, all advertising must be approved by TGA's advertising compliance section. 

Censored is any mention of diabetes, cancer, heart disease or mental illness.  If any products are providing something to the body that alleviates some of the symptoms of these illnesses, or heaven forbid, even cures them, it cannot be divulged to the general public.  One can only advertise such benefits with supporting studies and published medical literature to qualified health professionals - but not to the general public.  You can't even have doctors on your website endorsing the therapeutic benefits of the products.  This legislation also catches links from the website to any other websites which have such information.

Imagine what the internet will become like if you cannot access articles, studies, information about health and products that may help... If you cannot read about how other people have experienced those products or what science has discovered about the ingredients in the products?  Do you think you would be able to make an informed decision?  This information may of course be passed to doctors, naturopaths and other health professionals, but you will need to refer to such practitioners for the information.  You, Mr and Mrs general public, cannot possibly make up your own minds about such things.  Not even with a legal disclaimer is it possible to have an information resource section to help you decide about whether a product may be right for you or not.

Best go to the drug selling doctor who won't even read out to you the contraindications or possible side effects of the drugs being prescribed.  Just take them with blind faith.  You don't need to involve your own intelligence and common sense when it comes to your health.  Just take your pills and go back to sleep.

We should be afraid, very afraid at what Big Brother is dishing out to us, and everybody must make every effort to talk to their respective politicians about this TGA problem, or be forever dependent on chemicals prescribed by your doctor. – Werner

Also read my story: "All about a Nut." Click here.

My thought for today. – Werner
Doctors are men who prescribe medicines of which they know little, to cure diseases of which they know less, in human beings of whom they know nothing. - Voltaire

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