Plum is a plant widely cultivated in the United States, Europe, Japan and China, as well as in Indonesia due to the nutrients contained in the plums are beneficial to health. Many cultivars of plums are grown all over the world, which sets it apart is the color, size and harvest schedule conformed to the planting area. In general, the plum-sized 5-6 cm with a weight of 50-70 grams.
While the plum color can be creamy yellow, red, light blue or green depending on the type of cultivar. The resulting flavor of plums are sweet flavor with a distinctive aroma and fragrant. Plum nutritional benefit lies in having a low-calorie meat that is 46 calories per 100 grams and does not contain saturated fat, but contains many compounds that are good for health as minerals and vitamins.
Besides fiber, sorbitol, and isatin known can help to regulate the function of the digestive system and also relieve constipation condition. Plum is a moderate source of vitamin C and is also a powerful natural antioxidant. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C can help the body develop resistance against infectious agents, inflammatory and harmful free radicals. Fresh plums are a source of vitamin A and beta carotene.
Vitamin A is essential for good eyesight. It is also necessary for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural fruits rich in vitamin A has been found to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers. Plum is also excellent in providing health flavonoid poly phenolic antioxidants such as cryptoxanthin, lutein and zea-xanthin in large numbers. These compounds help act as an antidote to oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various diseases.
Plum contains abundant minerals and potassium that is fluoride and iron. Iron is necessary for the formation of red blood cells, while potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. The content of plums vitamin B-complex group of vitamins such as niacin, vitamin B-6 and pantothenic acid.
This vitamin helps the body acts as a cofactor in the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Plum also provides about 5% RDA levels of vitamin K. Vitamin K is essential for many functions of clotting factors in the blood and in bone metabolism and help reduce Alzheimer's disease in the elderly.
For those of you who want to present plum in the daily diet, you can present a plum for extra salad, plums can also be used as ingredients for cakes, dessert, peanut butter and jelly, plum dioleh can either be baked or cooked as for dried plums usually added on some muffins, cakes, ice cream. Although plum very beneficial to your health but the right portion to consume this fruit is highly recommended.
Plum contains oxalic acid, a substance that occurs naturally found in some fruits and vegetables, which can be crystallized as the oxalate stones in the urinary tract in some people. Therefore, people with known oxalate urinary tract stones are advised to avoid eating plums. The recommended water intake to maintain normal urine output even if people want to consume it.
