Plums are not just a juicy fruit that is a seasonal dish in the kitchen, they have a lot to offer in terms of health benefits and maintaining wellness.

They can be eaten fresh or dried and are easily converted into sauces, jams, and chutneys. They can also add a nice sweet touch to your meat dishes or turns. But plums are not just a tasty treat. They also have a number of health benefits that are hard to ignore.

A growing body of research on plums shows promising results for their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and memory-enhancing properties. This fruit is especially attractive to researchers because of its high content of phenols, primarily antioxidants called anthocyanins.

Here's a rundown of 11 reasons to love and eat plums in taste today.

1. Promote bone health

Dried plums or prunes are believed to be effective in preventing and reversing bone loss.

To test this, the researchers recruited 236 postmenopausal women between the ages of 1 and 10 in their study and found that dried plum significantly reduced blood metabolic markers in subjects. They concluded that dried plums may improve bone mineral density in postmenopausal women, in part by inhibiting the rate of bone turnover.

Similar results for dried plums were obtained in male animal models, where they increased bone mass, inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokines, and promoted peak bone mass. They also prevented bone loss in a male model of osteoporosis in a variety of ways.

2. Support for cognition

Eating fruits and vegetables potentially protects against age-related cognitive decline, especially when it comes to foods high in antioxidants. In a study in elderly rats, those who drank plum juice between the ages of 19 and 21 months improved working memory during exercise. Those who were fed dried plum powder did not differ from the control group, probably due to fewer phenolic compounds in powder form.

3. Can suppress and fight cancer.

In a study published in 2009, unripe plum extracts strongly suppressed the growth of cancer cells in HepG2 cells, which are involved in the development of liver cancer. The immature plum and its active compound, epicatechin, have been recognized by researchers as "a natural resource for the development of new therapeutic agents for the prevention and treatment of cancer."

Previous studies have highlighted the anti-mutagenic effects of plums. Researchers tested the acetone extract of unripe Chinese plum fruit and found that it offered higher levels of total phenolic compounds and condensed tannins compared to mature plums.

The unripe fruit extract was cytotoxic, indicating that it may be a safe and promising dietary intervention against breast cancer.

In addition, by studying the main effects of purified plum polyphenols on human lung cancer cells, the scientists concluded that polyphenols could potentially be an effective dietary intervention for cancer or during chemotherapy.

4. Supporting Heart Health

In one study, participants drank plum juice and ate three or six prunes every morning for eight weeks, or drank only a glass of water on an empty stomach. The group consuming prunes and prune juice experienced significantly lower blood pressure, lower total cholesterol, and lower LDL cholesterol levels compared to the water group.

In another study, men diagnosed with high cholesterol had lower LDL cholesterol after consuming 12 prunes every day for eight weeks. In a separate study, consuming peach and plum juice rich in polyphenols prevented risk factors for metabolic disorders. obesity-related; and cardiovascular disease in animal models.

5. Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

In one study, plums showed "remarkable potency" in antibacterial tests, especially against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, in two studies of extracts.

A separate study evaluated the antioxidant activity of plums, which provides anti-inflammatory effects, and found that chlorogenic acids were the main source of antioxidant activity in fruits. Consuming fresh plums can be a problem because they are seasonal, so powdering the juice extract is a common strategy.

However, drying can affect the polyphenols present and affect the various ways in which plums inhibit the growth of foodborne pathogens. Plum extract powders, for example, have shown great anti-inflammatory activity depending on the processing and temperature used during the drying process.

6. Weight support.

In the study, scientists assessed the effects of plums extracted from water on obesity and inflammation in cells, analyzing aspects such as total phenols and flavonoids, as well as antioxidant activity.

Their results highlighted that plums can be a natural remedy for preventing and reducing obesity. Snacking on dried plums can also increase satiety as well as reduce subsequent food intake, which can help control obesity.

7. Support for blood sugar levels.

Studies in animal cells in vitro and in some human cells have revealed the ability of functional foods to influence insulin resistance and underlie oxidative stress and inflammatory processes leading to diabetes. In a study, data showed that a functional diet based on foods, including plums, can help manage type 2 diabetes. Plums can also increase levels of the hormone adiponectin, which plays a role in regulating blood sugar levels.