Morning vs Night: The Ideal Time to Eat Prunes

Prunes offer a super-powered health punch in a petite, wrinkly package. Packed with fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, these dried plums boost immunity, heart health, digestion and weight control.

But is there an optimal time of day to indulge in prunes to maximize their many perks? Let’s weigh the pros and cons of eating prunes in the morning vs at night.

Why Eating Prunes in the Morning is Best

As a prebiotic fiber and potassium-rich choice first thing in the AM, plums offer health advantages:

1. Improves Regularity

Prunes are famous for their constipation-curing prowess. Much of this can be attributed to their generous fiber content, which softens and adds bulk to stools.

Eating them first thing primes your digestive tract for the best elimination experience by stimulating the contraction and growth of intestinal bacteria.

2. Feeds Your Gut Microbiome

In addition to aiding the smooth passage of waste, all that indigestible fiber in prunes serves as prebiotic plant food for healthy gut bugs.

A robust, diverse microbiome sets the tone for proper daily digestion and immunity. Getting an early start feeds good bacteria so they can multiply rapidly.

3. Stabilizes Blood Sugar

Despite their sweetness, prunes release their glucose slowly thanks to their high soluble fiber content. This results in steady, sustained energy sans an insulin spike and crashes later.

When you eat prunes first, you set the tone for stable blood sugar and appetite for hours after.

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Eating prunes as part of a balanced, fiber-fueled first meal optimizes metabolism and digestion. But this doesn’t mean you can’t still benefit from these dried plums later in the day.

Why Consuming Prunes at Night Works Well

While prunes first thing optimizes digestive processes, eating them post-dinner provides other valuable health effects:

1. Lowers Hemoglobin A1C Long Term

This protein attached to red blood cells signifies average blood sugar levels over months. High hemoglobin A1c indicates uncontrolled glucose and a risk of diabetes complications.

Studies demonstrate participants eating 50 grams of prune daily for 3 months dropped their HbA1c markers significantly, reducing diabetes and heart disease risk.

2. Triggers Melatonin for Improved Sleep

Prunes contain decent melatonin levels, the sleep-regulating hormone that relaxes the body before bedtime. Topping off dinner with some prunes boosts circulating melatonin for potentially higher-quality rest.

Their B6 and magnesium content also encourage muscle relaxation while suppressing stress hormone cortisol secretion at night.

3. Amps Up Overnight Fat Burning

Interestingly, prunes consumed after dinner may support enhanced fat metabolism based on their high soluble fiber content.

Some research found that soluble fiber nourishes good gut microbes that signal the liver to ramp up fat breakdown during extended fasting periods overnight after eating a high-fiber meal.

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While the gut-nourishing fiber makes the early bird argument strong for prime pooping, the blood sugar and sleep benefits might make it prudent to split your prune intake between morning and evening rather than overload a single meal.

Bonus: Prune Power Between Meals

In addition to prime post-breakfast bathroom visits and hitting the hay sweeter after dinner, prunes also serve as a stellar snack throughout the day with advantages like:

• Curbs Cravings and Sweet Tooth
• Fills You Up With Low Calories
• Provides Sustained Energy For Hours
• Antioxidants Fight Cell Damage From Stress, Exercise & Environment

Just stick to a 1/4 cup serving size a couple of times daily to prevent overdoing the natural sugar. Raw almonds, another antioxidant and fiber heavyweight, make the perfect crunchy complement pairing.

Easy 5-Ingredient Prune & Almond Energy Bars

Want to harness the winning perks of prunes and almonds in an easy homemade snack bar? Whip up these no-bake treats with just 20 minutes and 5 basic ingredients:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups pitted Medjool dates
• 1 cup raw almond butter
• 1/3 cup chopped prunes
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds

Directions:

1. Line an 8″ x 8” pan with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray.
2. In a food processor, pulse dates until small bits form. Add almond butter, prunes, vanilla, and salt. Process until blended and clumps begin to form.
3. Press the mixture very firmly into the prepared pan using damp hands. Top evenly with slivered almonds, gently pressing down.
4. Refrigerate bars for at least one hour until firm. Cut into 16 squares with a sharp knife when ready to serve.

Now you can grab a heart AND gut-healthy snack bursting with fiber, protein, and potassium whether it’s AM or PM!

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So, while starting your day with these sweet dried plums aligns with smooth and regular bathroom habits courtesy of their incredible fiber content, eating prunes later on also confers blood sugar management and sleep benefits.

For optimal health rewards across the board, why not incorporate prunes as part of your morning meal prep and after-dinner dessert a couple of times a week? This allows you to take advantage of their digestion-regulating and microbiome-nourishing perks while also soaking in the overnight fat-burning and sleep-enhancing effects they bring.

Bottom line

incorporating prunes as a quick bite during the early morning hours seems ideal for avoiding discomfort while doubling up with a nighttime dose ensures you extract every last drop of their numerous health gains.

So embrace this wrinkly superfood often and liberally as your schedule permits to boost everything from bathroom business to beauty sleep!

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