6 Best Benefits of Pluots

by John Staughton (BASc, BFA) last updated -

The health benefits of pluot include its ability to help your immune system, regulate your digestive system, increase your overall fluid intake, boost your vision, manage diabetes, and speed up the recovery process of your body.

What are Pluots?

Pluot is probably a fruit you haven’t ever heard of, and although the name sounds a bit funny, the benefits it can have for your health are nothing to joke about! The name “pluot” comes from the two fruits that make up this unusual hybrid, PLUms, and ApricOTs. They are also commonly called apriums and plumcots, depending on the vendor you are purchasing them from or the farm on which they are grown. Also, a pluot tends to show more plum characteristics than apricot characteristics, based on the method of hybridization. Both of the parent fruits are members of the Prunus species, but as a hybrid, a pluot doesn’t have a specific scientific name. [1] [2]

They were first “created” by Floyd Zaiger, who spent years experimenting with the two fruits before finally settling on this delectable hybrid. The very first pluot was sold in 1989. Pluots have the sweet flavor and texture of a plum, but their exterior has the fuzzy, soft feeling of an apricot. There are dozens of varieties of pluots that have emerged in the past two decades as other farmers have continued experimenting with the hybridization, but regardless of which variety you enjoy, you can be sure that there will be some very important health benefits thanks to the rich supply of nutrients that can be found within these unique fruits!

Close-up of fresh ripe whole and halved pluots on a wooden table

Fresh pluots Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Nutritional Value of Pluots

There is almost no fat or cholesterol in pluots, and they have a relatively low level of calories (approximately 80 per fruit). However, there is a high level of sugar in this unique fruit. Also, there is a significant amount of vitamin A and vitamin C, in addition to dietary fiber, protein, beta carotene, and various volatile organic compounds whose health benefits are not yet identified. [3]

Health Benefits of Pluots

Aid in Digestion

As with many fruits and vegetables, pluots are a very good source of dietary fiber. Fiber helps to bulk up our stool and facilitate smooth digestion of our food. It can speed up the digestive process, regulate our bowel movements, and keep our gastrointestinal system healthy. Fiber also reduces constipation, bloating, diarrhea, and cramping, along with more serious conditions like Crohn’s disease and gastric ulcers. Finally, fiber can help reduce heart diseases, as it prevents the accumulation of excess cholesterol on the walls of the arteries and blood vessels. [4]

Boost Immunity

The high levels of vitamin C found in pluots mean that they are very good for our immune system. Vitamin C stimulates the production of white blood vessels, which are mainline of defense against foreign substances and dangerous pathogens in our body.

Speed up Healing

Vitamin C does more than keep us healthy; it also regulates our metabolism and increases the speed at which we develop new tissues and heal our wounds. It is an important part of scar tissue, and also plays an integral role in the production of muscle tissue, cartilage, dental tissue, skin, tendons, and blood vessels! [5]

Antioxidant Properties

Vitamin A and vitamin C are two of the most versatile elements in human health. Pluots are great sources of both these vitamins, which act as antioxidants in the body. Vitamin A can break down into beta carotene when the body needs this important antioxidant, meaning that it helps to boost vision, prevent macular degeneration, and protect the skin from premature aging. Antioxidants, which vitamin C also acts as, can neutralize free radicals in the body, which are the dangerous byproducts of cellular metabolism. [6]

Improve Fluid Intake

One of the most important recent developments in human health has been the significance of water intake in the body. As you may know, our body is composed of more than 70% water, and dehydration is a major problem that can lead to serious health problems and metabolic inefficiency. Pluots have an unusually high water content, so biting into one of these delicious fruits can keep your fluid levels up! [7]

Word of Caution: The sugar content of pluots is higher than in most other fruits, so if you struggle to maintain proper sugar levels in your diet, avoid eating too many pluots. Other than that, enjoy pluots to your heart (and health’s) content!

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About the Author

John Staughton is a traveling writer, editor, publisher and photographer with English and Integrative Biology degrees from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana (USA). He co-founded the literary journal, Sheriff Nottingham, and now serves as the Content Director for Stain’d Arts, a non-profit based in Denver, Colorado. On a perpetual journey towards the idea of home, he uses words to educate, inspire, uplift and evolve.

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