Plum, the fruit of youth

Picture: I have to de-skin the plum for Little Marc because he is not skillful enough to chew the skin yet.

I never realize that plum can be so juicy and deliciously sweet with a tint of its aroma. I feel lucky that my family is able to enjoy it. After all, it is not easy to get really nice plum these days. I bought the same type of plum 2 weeks ago from another stall and it was all spoiled and they are all tasteless too.

Little Marc asks for more after taking his first bite (what a glutton) and my husband who doesn’t really like fruit that much commented that it was delicious. I would say it’s the perfect fruit ever. I bought another batch last weekend from the same stall. Hopefully it is of the same quality. If you would like to know, I bought them from SS 2 weekend market and the stall is next to a fish stall. She is the only fruit stall there. I bought them at 7 pieces for RM10.

A health conscious fruit eater I am, my curiosity drives me to look for the health benefits that we can have from eating plums. Here are my findings:


Nutrients

1) High source of antioxidants

2) Rich in vitamin C

3) Vitamin A

4) Vitamin B2

5) Fiber

6) Potassium


Health benefits

1) The antioxidants properties are able to counteract aging process. This means that it protects our skin and body cells from being damage by free radicals.

2) High vitamin C to help iron absorption.

3) Build a strong immune system so you won’t easily catch cold and flu.

4) Vitamin C is able to avoid conditions such as asthma, arthritis, cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

5) Good for your eyesight because of its vitamin A content.


How to choose a ripe plum?

1) Rich in color with a slight of “whitish bloom”.

2) Soft when you apply gentle pressure

Note: You gain more health benefits from a full ripen plum.



People who should avoid eating plums:

1) kidney patients

2) gallbladder problems

The reason for the people described above to avoid eating plums is because it contains measurable amounts of oxalates. Oxalates when it becomes too concentrated in our body fluids will tend to crystallize and cause some health problems such as kidney stones or gallbladder stones.

Excessive oxalates are also found to interfere with our calcium absorption.



Pesticides

Plums have been researched to have the least pesticides contamination compared to apples and strawberries. So, good news for plum lovers!



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Tags: Plums, Health benefits, side effects, oxalates, good eyesight, vitamin C, Vitamin A, antioxidants, aging