Randomised clinical trial: dried plums (prunes) vs. psyllium for constipation

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Dietary Therapeutics
• Clinical Nutrition

Background:

• Chronic constipation affects many, with significant patient dissatisfaction regarding current treatments.
• There is a need for effective, natural, and safe constipation remedies.
• Dried plums (prunes) have a traditional use for constipation, but their efficacy requires scientific validation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate and compare the efficacy of dried plums versus psyllium in managing chronic constipation.
• To assess key constipation symptoms and patient-reported outcomes.

Main Methods:

• An 8-week, single-blind, randomized crossover study involving 40 participants with chronic constipation.
• Participants consumed dried plums (50g twice daily) or psyllium (11g twice daily) for 3-week periods, separated by a 1-week washout.
• Daily symptom diaries tracked bowel movements, stool consistency, straining, and overall relief.

Main Results:

• Dried plums significantly increased complete spontaneous bowel movements per week compared to psyllium (P<0.05).
• Stool consistency scores also showed significant improvement with dried plums.
• No significant differences were observed in straining or global constipation relief between the two interventions. Both were equally palatable and well-tolerated.

Conclusions:

• Dried plums are a safe and palatable option for treating mild to moderate constipation.
• Dried plums demonstrate superior efficacy over psyllium in improving key bowel movement parameters.
• These findings support considering dried plums as a first-line therapeutic approach for constipation.