USE OF PRUNES AS A CONTROL OF HYPERTENSION

Authors

  • Talat Ahmed
  • Halima Sadia
  • Sadia Batool
  • Ayesha Janjua
  • Faiza Shuja

Abstract

Background: Fruits and vegetables are shown to reduce blood pressure. It is not merely the
antioxidants contained in fruits and vegetables that have health benefits such as lowered systolic
and diastolic blood pressures. This study was undertaken to see the cardiovascular protective
effects of prunes. Methods: A placebo controlled clinical trial study was designed to see the
effects of Prunus domestica on blood pressure in 259 pre-hypertensive (Systolic BP=120-139
mmHg, diastolic BP=80-89 mmHg) volunteers. Treated groups drank prune juice and ate the
whole fruit (dried plums) while either 3 (about 11.5 gm) or 6 prunes were soaked overnight in a
glass of water whereas control group took only a glass of plain water early in the morning on
empty stomach. Blood pressure was recorded fortnightly for 8 weeks, and blood samples were
taken at 0 and 8 weeks. Results: There was significant reduction of blood pressure by single dose
of prunes daily group and the controls (p<0.05). With the double dose of prunes, only systolic BP
was reduced significantly (p<0.05). Control group had significantly increased serum HDL
whereas test groups had significantly reduced serum cholesterol and LDL (p<0.05). Data was
analysed by paired-sample t-test with 95% confidence interval. Conclusion: The data predicts
cardiovascular protective effects of prunes.
Keywords: Plums, Prunus domestica, blood pressure, lipid profile, pre-hypertensive patients

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Published

2010-06-01

How to Cite

Ahmed, T., Sadia, H., Batool, S., Janjua, A., & Shuja, F. (2010). USE OF PRUNES AS A CONTROL OF HYPERTENSION. Journal of Ayub Medical College Abbottabad, 22(1), 28–31. Retrieved from https://jamc.ayubmed.edu.pk/index.php/jamc/article/view/3077

Issue

Vol. 22 No. 1 (2010): JOURNAL OF AYUB MEDICAL COLLEGE, ABBOTTABAD

Section

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

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