Prune juice facts for kids
Bottles of prune juice
|
|
Quick facts for kids Nutritional value per 1 cup canned prune juice |
|
|---|---|
|
44.67 g
|
|
| Sugars | 42.11 g |
| Dietary fiber | 2.6 g |
|
.08 g
|
|
|
Protein
|
1.56 g
|
| Vitamins | Quantity
%DV†
|
| Thiamine (B1) |
4%
.041 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) |
15%
.179 mg |
| Niacin (B3) |
13%
2.010 mg |
| Vitamin B6 |
43%
.558 mg |
| Vitamin C |
13%
10.5 mg |
| Vitamin E |
2%
.31 mg |
| Vitamin K |
8%
8.7 μg |
| Minerals | Quantity
%DV†
|
| Calcium |
3%
31 mg |
| Iron |
23%
3.02 mg |
| Magnesium |
10%
36 mg |
| Phosphorus |
9%
64 mg |
| Potassium |
24%
707 mg |
| Sodium |
1%
10 mg |
| Zinc |
6%
.54 mg |
| Other constituents | Quantity |
| Water | 207.97 g |
|
182 calories per cup
|
|
| †Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults. | |
Prune juice is a fruit juice made from prunes. Prunes are simply dried plums. To make the juice, these dried plums are soaked in water. Prune juice is made in large amounts for stores. People often drink it to help with constipation, which is when it's hard to go to the bathroom.
Contents
What's in Prune Juice?
When you buy prune juice in a bottle or can, it must have at least 18.5% of the good stuff from dried plums. Prune juice is also known for having a lot of fiber. Fiber is important for a healthy digestive system.
Natural Plant Compounds
Prune juice and plums contain special plant chemicals called phytochemicals. These include phenolic compounds like neochlorogenic acids and chlorogenic acids. They also contain sorbitol, which is a type of sugar alcohol.
How Prune Juice is Made
Prune juice is often made using a hot method. First, prunes are cooked in hot water. This creates a liquid extract. This liquid is then turned into juice. Sometimes, the prunes are heated and extracted several times. All the liquid from these steps is then mixed to make the final juice. Prune juice is a mass-produced item, meaning it's made in large quantities.
Prune juice can also be made as a concentrate. For this, cold water is used to get the liquid extract. This concentrate has a lot of sugar. Food companies use it to make foods taste better or sweeter. It can also help keep cookies and cakes moist. Sometimes, it's used in cereal bars to help bind the ingredients together.
Prune Juice for Digestion
Prunes can act as a natural laxative. This means they can help you go to the bathroom more easily. Prune juice can be a natural way to help with mild constipation. In 1990, a government agency in the U.S. said that "the common prune is an effective laxative."
A Bit of History
Prune Juice in the United States
The company Duffy-Mott started making prune juice in 1933. They sold it under the Sunsweet brand name. The first time prune juice was sold widely in the United States was in 1934. Back then, they only sold about 40,000 cases of it.
Prune Juice in Pop Culture
In the TV show Star Trek, the Klingon character Worf tries prune juice. He says it's a "warrior's drink." After that, he drinks it often in later episodes, even in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
In the TV series Suits_(American_TV_series), the character Louis Litt (played by Rick Hoffman) really likes prune juice. He always makes sure to have some in the office kitchen.
Images for kids
-
A prune juice label from 1870. It says "French Prune Juice – For giving age to and improving liquors."
