Plum
Plum

Background

The plum is a fruit. There are over 40 species of plum. The most common are Prunus domestica and Prunus salicina. Dried plums are called prunes.

Fresh and dried plums contain fiber and other chemicals that might help with constipation. Dried plum also contains chemicals that seem to reduce bone loss and improve joint health.

People use dried plums for constipation, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support most of these uses.

Don't confuse plum with Japanese Apricot. These are not the same.
When taken by mouth: Plums are commonly consumed in food. Plum is possibly safe when used as medicine for up to 12 months. Plum might cause stomach issues like gas and diarrhea. If dried plums or pits are swallowed whole, they might block the intestines.

Special Precautions & Warnings:

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Plums are commonly consumed in food. There isn't enough reliable information to know if plum is safe to use in larger amounts as medicine when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and stick to food amounts.

Allergy to plants in the Rosaceae family: People who are allergic to other plants in the Rosaceae family, including apricots, peaches, and cherries, might also be allergic to plum.

Effectiveness

NatMed Pro rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate.
Likely effective Effectiveness definitions
Possibly effective Effectiveness definitions
  • Constipation. Consuming dried plums, plum juice, or plum puree seems to improve constipation. It seems to work as well as psyllium.
There is interest in using plum for a number of other purposes, but there isn't enough reliable information to say whether it might be helpful.
Likely ineffective Effectiveness definitions
Possibly ineffective Effectiveness definitions
Insufficient evidence Effectiveness definitions

Dosing & administration

Whole plums, dried plums, and plum juice are commonly consumed in foods.

As medicine, dried plums have most often been used by adults in doses of 50-100 grams by mouth daily for up to 12 months. Speak with a healthcare provider to find out what dose might be best for a specific condition.

Interactions with pharmaceuticals

Medications that slow blood clotting (Anticoagulant / Antiplatelet drugs)

Interaction Rating=Moderate Be cautious with this combination.

Plum might slow blood clotting. Taking plus along with medications that also slow blood clotting might increase the risk of bruising and bleeding.

Interactions with herbs & supplements

Herbs and supplements that might slow blood clotting: Plum might slow blood clotting and increase the risk of bleeding. Taking it with other supplements with similar effects might increase the risk of bleeding in some people. Examples of supplements with this effect include garlic, ginger, ginkgo, nattokinase, and Panax ginseng.

Interactions with foods

There are no known interactions with foods.
Super Greens + Reds
RRP: $124.95$103.71Save: 17%
Create account
vital.ly has licensed monographs from TRC Healthcare.
This monograph was last reviewed on 18/09/2023 10:00:00 and last updated on 01/12/2020 22:45:07. Monographs are reviewed and/or updated multiple times per month and at least once per year.
Natural Medicines disclaims any responsibility related to medical consequences of using any medical product. Effort is made to ensure that the information contained in this monograph is accurate at the time it was published. Consumers and medical professionals who consult this monograph are cautioned that any medical or product related decision is the sole responsibility of the consumer and/or the health care professional. A legal License Agreement sets limitations on downloading, storing, or printing content from this Database. No reproduction of this monograph or any content from this Database is permitted without written permission from the publisher. It is unlawful to download, store, or distribute content from this site.