Consuming only two handfuls of prunes a day can curb a person’s appetite and help them lose weight, according to new studies.
Scientists at Liverpool University in England, monitored the weight and appetite of 100 obese and overweight men and women who were given extensive dieting guidance. Half of the participants were also given prunes to eat.
The women were asked to eat 12 prunes a day, and the men were asked to eat 15. Both groups of participants lost on average of about 4lb of weight, and an inch off their waistlines, in a little over three months. However, the people in the prune group weight loss seemed to speed up towards the end of the study. Also, the participants reported that they felt fuller – likely because of the high amount of fiber in the dried fruit.
Researcher Jo Harrold said that the prunes were well tolerated, despite prunes having a reputation for causing digestive issues.
Colleague Jason Halford said ‘the appetite-suppressing effects of prunes outweighs any damage done by their sugar content.’
‘This doesn’t necessarily mean that prunes are the new weight loss miracle but they don’t undermine dieting,’ he added.
