# Why Do Prumes Make You Poop? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 19, 2004, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prumes-make-you-poop/240763 "2004-04-19T02:31:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![inkleberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@inkleberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkleberry)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prumes-make-you-poop/240763/1 "2004-04-19T02:31:30Z")
Why do prunes (and pears, plums, etc) make you poop? It can’t be the fiber. At least not for prunes, as they don’t have much. What is the nature of the poopy prune magic? ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prumes-make-you-poop/240763/2 "2004-04-19T03:26:21Z")
😃 [sup] **What’s a prume?** [/sup] ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prumes-make-you-poop/240763/3 "2004-04-19T04:14:35Z")
> [@inkleberry](#): > > It can’t be the fiber. At least not for prunes, as they don’t have much. It is indeed the fiber, specifically soluable fiber: [Prunes](http://www.wholehealthmd.com/refshelf/foods_view/0,1523,66,00.html) > [@](#): > > First and foremost, they are a high-fiber food: Ounce for ounce, prunes contain more fiber than dried beans and most other fruits and vegetables. Over half of this fiber is of the soluble type that studies have linked to lowered blood-cholesterol levels. Your confusion about the nature of fiber might be due to the difference between soluble fiber and insoluble fiber: [High Fiber Diet](http://www.jhbmc.jhu.edu/healthy/stayinghealthy/foodfitness/fiber.html) > [@](#): > > **Soluble Fiber** – dissolves and thickens in water to form a gel. Good sources of soluble fiber include dried beans and legumes, oatmeal, oat bran, barley and citrus fruits. This type of fiber may help with weight loss as it makes you feel full longer. Research has shown that this type of fiber may also help lower blood cholesterol. > > **Insoluble Fiber** – usually referred to as ‘roughage’, includes the woody or structural parts of plants, such as fruit and vegetable skins, wheat bran, and whole-grain cereals. This type of fiber tends to speed up the passage of material through the digestive tract and reduce the risk of colon cancer, as well as diverticular disease. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prumes-make-you-poop/240763/4 "2004-04-19T16:06:09Z")
**kniz** , a prune is merely a dried plum. And the word “prune” is so associated with the geriatic lifestyle that California prune growers have changed their name to the California Dried Plum Association. (kinda like how a garbageman is a sanitation engineer) Anyway, prunes seem to have a stool softening effect beyond the amount of fiber they contain. They are high in sorbitol (a sugar alchohol) which can cause diarrhea in large amounts and which may contribute to the effect. (this would also explain why prune juice - which has no fiber - seems to have the same effect) But the research is inconclusive. Here’s a fascinating [article](http://www.salon.com/health/col/roac/1999/11/05/prunes/index.html) all about prunes and how the prune growers are trying to market to a younger crowd. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prumes-make-you-poop/240763/5 "2004-04-19T16:38:09Z")
> [@tremorviolet](#): > > **kniz** , a prune is merely a dried plum. And the word “prune” is so associated with the geriatic lifestyle that California prune growers have changed their name to the California Dried Plum Association. (kinda like how a garbageman is a sanitation engineer) **Tremorviolet** , **kniz** didn’t ask “What is a prune?” The question was “What is a prume?” referring to the typo in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prumes-make-you-poop/240763/6 "2004-04-19T16:44:37Z")
This question is obviously a typo. What the OP _meant to ask_ is: **Why Do Prumes Make You Poot?** ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2004, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-prumes-make-you-poop/240763/7 "2004-04-19T16:50:25Z")
> [@Fat Bald Guy](#): > > **Tremorviolet** , **kniz** didn’t ask “What is a prune?” The question was “What is a prume?” referring to the typo in the OP. Huh, I figured I was being whooshed (not that the smiley was a tip-off or anything) but didn’t see it. I’d be a crappy copy editor. 🙂