Plum properties. What are the benefits of plums for the body?

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Plum is a member of the pink family. This fruit plant began to be grown in Asia Minor and the Caucasus. A little later, it appeared on the territory of many countries, including Russia. The plant has many varieties, each of them has its own size and color of the fruit. They eat plums in their natural form, prepare various jams, juices, compotes from it, add them to the filling for pies. Wine made from such fruits and spirit tinctures are highly valued.

Plum leaves are also used to make teas. The usefulness of such drinks has been known since ancient times. They have a calming and restorative effect. Many people know how plums are useful for the body. Such fruits are recommended for use in cardiovascular diseases, they also have a beneficial effect on the digestive tract.

Varieties of plums

The plant has many varieties. Plum flavors are also varied. What are the benefits of these fruits? It directly depends on the variety and the place of their growth. Plum includes the following types:

• Turn - a tree with smalldark blue fruits with a sour taste.
• Home plum - useful properties and contraindications vary greatly depending on the area of growth. This plant is the most popular. It was developed by crossing other varieties. It grows in the south of Russia in Central Asia. There are a lot of varieties that differ in different colors and fruit sizes. The tree cannot stand high temperatures, with strong heat (40 degrees) it begins to deteriorate.
• Canadian plum - the height of such a plant can reach three meters. The branches have thorns. The fruits of this tree are sweet. The size and color are quite varied. This species is not resistant to cold climates.



• Ussuri plum is the most unpretentious type of plant. The fruits are usually small in size, green in color with a yellow tinge. It does not have a particularly strong taste. However, as a result of crossing, it was possible to develop quite resistant varieties with high yields that have a wonderful aroma.
• American plum - the height of the tree reaches 9 meters. In Russia, it is grown only in the southern regions, as it has low resistance to winter climate.
• Plum plum is a shrub whose size can reach 15 meters. The fruits are usually small, up to 50 millimeters. The color varies from light yellow to dark, almost black. Most varieties are not cold hardy.

Useful properties

It has a rich vitamin compositionplum. Useful properties and contraindications of this plant depend on the variety. The soil also plays a significant role. The predominance of a certain type of minerals in the ground directly affects the composition of the fruit.

What are the benefits of plums for the body:

• The most useful of these fruits are considered for people with cardiovascular diseases. Plum helps regulate blood pressure, improves vascular tone. This effect is achieved due to the high content of rutin. It is resistant to high temperatures, so even plum jam is considered very useful. Moreover, it is better to keep the peel, it contains the maximum content of vitamins.
• Plum also has a strong laxative effect and is an excellent remedy for people suffering from constipation.
• Fruits are rich in vitamin A, which will be very useful for people with rheumatic lesions and gout.
• Removes cholesterol from the body. The most useful is dried prunes.
• Plums have a diuretic effect, able to remove excess fluid from the body.
• Plum fruits are also used as a prophylactic in the formation of blood clots.
• The fruit has a calming effect.
• Has the ability to heal wounds.
• Can be used for metabolic diseases.

Chemical composition of plums:

• vitamins A, E, P;
• iodine;
• iron;
• potassium;
• copper;
• zinc;
• acids: folic, nicotinic;
• sucrose, glucose;
• organic acids: citric, malic, oxalic.

Who is contraindicated in plums

Although plums are a very useful food product, they still have contraindications:

• They should not be used by children under 1 year old, as the product causes abdominal pain, upset stools and increased gas formation.
• For the same reason, they are not recommended for breastfeeding mothers.
• People with peptic ulcers of the stomach and duodenum, as well as with high acidity, this product is also prohibited.

Preserving plums

Many housewives preserve plums for the winter. The usefulness of such fruits has long been known to mankind. After all, such a product retains useful properties even during heat treatment. From plums prepare jam, compote, juice. There are many different recipes for preserving these fruits. They are closed whole with or without a stone, mixed with other fruits and berries. Most Popular Recipes:

• Plum jam pitted with peel. For cooking, you need 1 kg of plums and 1 kg of sugar. Wash fruits and remove pits. 100 ml of water is added to the sugar, and the syrup is boiled, which must be poured over the plums and left for 3 hours. After this time, the fruits are put on fire and brought to a boil. Leave for another 9 hours. Then the plums are boiled again and cooled. The procedure is carried out two more times. For the third time, the jam is boiled until tender and put into jars.



• Plum compote. The variety of plums is not important for this. It is better to preserve pitted compote, such a drink will be stored longer. 1 kilogram of plums are taken, the bones are removed from them. The pulp is cut into slices and falls to the bottom of the jar. The more you put plums, the more saturated the compote will be. Boiling water is poured into the jar to the top and infused for 1 hour. After that, the water is drained and put on fire. Sugar is added at the rate of 1 cup per liter of water. The syrup is brought to a boil and poured back into the jar. The rest of the space is filled with boiled water.

How plum leaves are consumed

Besides fruits, plum leaves are also of special value. Useful properties of this product:

• High content of vitamin C helps to strengthen the immune system.
• Has a wound healing effect.
• Helps reduce the chance of blood clots.

Use these leaves as medicinal teas and various lotions, compresses. Drinks have a general strengthening effect, and compresses are used for local treatment. There are no contraindications for this product.

Eating plums in childhood

Many parents are wondering if plums can be given to children. How useful are these fruits? Plum is a very nutritious product, but its use in childhood should still be limited. Up to 1 year it is generally not recommended to give. A side effect in this case is an increasedflatulence and intestinal colic. At an older age, it is also not recommended to abuse this product, otherwise diarrhea is guaranteed. What is the benefit of plum for children?

• Slightly soothes and promotes sound sleep.
• Stimulates bowel movements, helps relieve constipation.
• Provides a growing body with many useful substances.
• Has a wound healing effect.

Plums should not be used for babies with stool disorder, as well as diseases of the digestive tract associated with high acidity.