Ok i Know Prunes are partially de hydrated plums.........but how come prunes are known for having a laxative effect in some (or they keep you regular) and are a high source of fibre..........yet plums don't have the same recognisable qualities?
But plums do have a laxative effect. Prunes are dried plums - so they simply contain less water than plums. In other words, whatever causes the effect is more diluted in the plums, and so you have to eat more of them to get the same results.
heathfield thanks for your answer...........to be honest i have never heard of anyone saying you should eat plums if you are struggling to .......erm..go. But prunes are mentioned quite a lot.
As you say maybe because you need to consume more plums then prunes to reap the benefits then nobody bothers to recommend plums to relieve constipation.
hi squirtle, if your struggling why not try plum curry it always works for me, make sure you remove the stones though as these would just cause you more problems.
In addition to the dilution factor I think it might partly be because of the availability of plumbs that they are not suggested.
Plums being fresh need to be in season, I don't think they are grown that much around the world so are only really available at specific times of year, prunes on the other hand are available all year round.
If you are constipated I'm sure the last thing you want is to have to wait for Plums to come in to season ;)