"Randy Johnson" > wrote in message
t...
>
> On 12-Sep-2007, "Paul M. Cook" > wrote:
>
> > OK, prunes for example. Dried plumbs right? Prunes can relieve you of
> > constipation, plumbs don't. Why is this? Because the sunlight changes
> > the
> > phenols in the plumbs into phenolphthaleins (yellow in this case), which
> > causes your colon to excrete water thus giving you diarrhea. The
sunlight
> > does this. Dehydrating plumbs in an oven won't do this. Did you
observe
> > the word light? Light is amazing stuff, it allows plants to make food
for
> > example. Whoa! brain freeze!!! Food from light? Impossible you say??
> > Well no. Sunlight also changes simple carbohydrates and moisture into
> > sugars by activating natural enzymes in the fruit. Plumbs are loaded
with
> > carbohydrates and sun drying greatly increases the sugars. The same
goes
> > for tomatoes. Sun drying will intensify the natural sugars while
> > dehydrating won't. It will concentrate the flavors simply by removing
> > water.
>
> Ummmm; seems to me your credibility is undermined by your inability to
spell
> plum. Perhaps your reply would be better accepted if you could cite
> reference material to substantiate.


Of course it does. One misspelled word (I'll blame it on the spell czecker)
and I have NO CREDIBILITY. Look it up on Google, Einstein - or find some
other research monkey. But since I misspelled plum, how could you possibly
trust any source I supplied? Your credibility argument is so old as to be
trite.

> Not being a rocket scientist, or any kind of scientist, I just assumed it
> was the fiber in prunes that provides the laxative effect.

Fiber does not give you diarrhea. Bulk laxative are just that - bulk. You
get diarrhea from prunes due to the fact that the chemical I mentioned
causes your colon to release large amounts of water. Fiber does the
reverse, it holds on to water thus softening stools which help relieve
constipation. Fiber therapies take 24-48 hours to show results, you get
relief with prunes in less than 6. Or at least I do anyway. And best not
be far from a bathroom when they kick in - have mercy. You don't get that
effect with Metamucil.

> It seems
> reasonable, since most recommendations to combat constipation involve some
> sort of fiber. As to prunes vs. plums as laxative; a serving of prunes is
> generally 4-6 while a serving of plums is 1; I imagine eating 4-6 plums
> (even prune plums, which are smaller) might move one as well.

The only problem is that you're wrong. But don't let that affect your
opinion.

Paul