Bodybuilding Nutrition Guides - Nutritional Facts & Benefits of Prunes

In the gym circles, you may have heard that bodybuilders should eat more fiber and that prunes are a good choice. The question many ask themselves is should I eat prunes, and what bodybuilding benefits do they truly have if any? Let's take a closer look!

Prune eaters are often depicted as denture-wearing bingo players. It may be true that many in the not-so-young category consume prunes, but healthy young bodybuilders might be wise to resist snubbing the dried fruit and look closer at the mountain of training benefits of prunes provide. The pros and amateurs who eat prunes daily have learned that increased fibre consumption can help promote protein digestion. Prunes also provide a wallop of nutrients that help aid in recovery from training.

Even an unfortified prune tops the charts for antioxidant levels; they have more than double that of raisins or blueberries, according to the California Prune Board (www.prunes.org). Antioxidants are especially important to bodybuilders. Antioxidants help the immune system function at a high level, reducing the chances of getting sick and missing training sessions. Antioxidants also help the body recover faster after a strenuous workout which makes it easier to train harder and make better gains. Prunes are also a good source of vitamin A and potassium.

Additionally, prunes are high in fiber and are fat and cholesterol free. As your granny probably told you, eating prunes every day can help keep you regular, which is important for a bodybuilder, especially one who is consuming a lot of food to bulk up. Five medium-size prunes are considered one serving, which provides 12% of the daily fiber needs for a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet. Consider the amount of calories you consume, and adjust your fiber intake upward accordingly.

If you find wrinkles unappetizing, eating fresh plums is a decent alternative. However, fresh plums are lower in fiber and have only about 15% of the antioxidants that their shriveled counterparts.

Prunes might not be the most beautiful dried fruit, but they have a sweet taste and smooth, slightly chewy texture. They can be eaten alone as a between-meal snack or cut up and mixed into cereal or oatmeal. You can also buy or make prune puree, which can be added to oatmeal or cooked with meat. To make prune puree with a food processor, blend six tablespoons of hot water with cups of pitted prunes, which will make one cup. Or you can purchase prepared prune puree at some grocery stores and most specialty food stores.

Now glue in your dentures, steer your Caddy to the store and stock up on prunes.