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Plums kill bacteria and viruses |
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Written by Jessica Smith
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Wednesday, 12 August 2009 |
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If you eat a couple of plums at a time-and who can't, most are
small-you'll get more than a fair dose of vitamins A and C, the B
vitamin riboflavin, the mineral potassium, and fiber.
In addition, you'll get flavonoids-some of the phytochemicals that give plants their colors and help people stay cancer-free with their antioxidant activity. Other substances in plums can kill off bacteria and viruses, making them mildly antibacterial and antiviral. Plums contain sorbitol, a natural sugar. In some people sorbitol has mildly laxative effects. However, it can cause gas, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea in people who are unable to digest sorbitol completely. Eating a few plums is not a problem for most people since fiber, water, and other nutrients dilute the sorbitol.
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