Prune juice has a mild laxative effect in adults with certain gastrointestinal symptoms

Prunes are believed to have a laxative effect. Our aim was to study whether prune juice affects gastrointestinal function in adults with certain gastrointestinal symptoms. The study comprised 54 volunteers (13 men, 41 women) whose mean age was 44 years (range, 24-82 years). The study began with a 1-week baseline period, followed by a 2-week prune juice period, and finally a 1-week follow-up period. During the prune juice period, the subjects drank, twice a day, 125 mL of the test prune juice, which consisted of plum juice concentrate, prune puree, water, and fructose. During the 4 study weeks the subjects kept a daily record of fecal frequency, difficulty of defecation, stool consistency, and gastrointestinal symptoms. The subjects reported fewer days with difficulty in defecation during the prune juice period (combined first and second weeks) than during the baseline week (1.3 vs 1.7 days, P = .02). This effect appeared to continue into the follow-up week. The mean frequency of days with flatulence was higher during the prune juice period than during the baseline week (2.1 vs 1.4 days, P = .02). Regularly ingested prune juice had a mild laxative effect in adults with certain gastrointestinal symptoms. However, it also increased flatulence. Prune juice may offer an alternative to laxatives, at least, in cases of mild constipation.