People who have looked into constipation treatments have likely learned about the prune. Prunes are thought to be good for treating constipation, possibly because of its high fiber content. However, many people don’t know that prune juice is also a good constipation treatment.
The cultivation and exploitation of plums has gone on for hundreds or even thousands of years, according to the best archaeological evidence. Modern prune makers follow an ancient tradition. Plums are plucked and collected in one area where temperature is raised to about 200 degrees Fahrenheit. In ancient times this was likely done in or near an oven. After drying, the prunes can be further processed to create related products.
The conventional understanding is that prunes get their laxative effects by having a lot of fiber. In fact, the fiber is over 5% by weight, which is quite high for a fruit. Prune juice however has almost no fiber because the particulates are filtered out usually. Therefore, how does prune juice benefit those who suffer from constipation? The key is sorbitol, a long complex sugar.
Prune juice has very high levels of this mysterious sugar substitute called sorbitol. Unlike glucose, sorbitol is a long polysaccharide chain that is no easy to digest by the human stomach. As such, it resides in the intestinal space and absorbs a lot of water. Sorbitol’s non-digestible property means that it’s also often used as a sugar substitute in foods.
Pears and sugar free gum are two other things with sorbitol. Of course, the pear has a higher amount and is presumably a good aid for digestion as well. One interesting fact is that dietary fiber has molecular properties that are very similar to sugar and sorbitol. It’s no coincidence that all of these laxatives have similar molecular characteristics.
What gives sorbitol its powerful anti-constipation effects? Two things that we have mentioned are responsible: the fact that sorbitol goes through the gut without being digested and the fact that sorbitol has a tendency to retain a lot of water in the intestine. Together, this means that foods with sorbitol will become bulky with fluids.
With excess water, the colon contents become less dense and pass more easily through the body. The class of laxatives that exerts its effects through water retention is known as the osmotic laxatives. Prune juice is convenient to store and take all day. However, as with any type of self-administered laxative treatment, it’s probably best to ask a physician for safety and dosing instructions.
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