Prunes Nutrition Calculator — Sorbitol, Potassium Density & Vitamin K per Serving

Prunes contain approximately 14.1g sorbitol per 100g (dried weight) — the highest concentration of any commonly consumed food. Sorbitol is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol that the body absorbs slowly and incompletely, which is why prunes have their well-known effect on digestive regularity. No other popular dried fruit approaches this concentration: raisins have ~4.5g, dates ~1.5g per 100g ^[2][3].

The USDA nutrient panel doesn't list sorbitol separately — it's captured within the total carbohydrate count. Dried prunes (FDC 168162) show 63.88g total carbohydrates per 100g, of which 38.13g are sugars and approximately 14.1g is sorbitol (tracked in food science research rather than standard USDA panels). The remaining carbohydrates include fiber (7.1g) and other polysaccharides ^[1][2].

Five pitted prunes (~42g) — a standard snack serving — contain roughly 5.9g sorbitol. This is functionally significant: research has documented that sorbitol at 5-10g can produce measurable effects on gut transit time in many individuals. Combined with the fiber content and naturally occurring phenolic compounds, this makes prunes one of the most research-studied foods for digestive function ^[2][3].

Dried prunes deliver 732mg potassium per 100g (16% DV) — ranking among the highest potassium foods commonly consumed. For context: banana has 358mg, orange 181mg, potato 421mg per 100g. Even among dried fruits, prunes lead: dried apricots have 1,162mg (higher per 100g but rarely eaten in the same quantities), raisins 749mg, dates 696mg ^[1].

Five prunes (~42g) provide 307mg potassium (7% DV) — nearly matching a small banana (362mg) at comparable calories (101 vs 90 kcal). A cup of prune juice (~256g) delivers 707mg potassium (15% DV) — one of the most potassium-dense beverages available ^[1].

The potassium-to-sodium ratio in prunes is remarkable: 732:2 (366:1) — among the highest of any food. This extreme ratio makes prunes particularly interesting for people tracking potassium-sodium balance in their food journals. The low sodium (2mg per 100g) means virtually all the mineral content is potassium, magnesium, and trace elements ^[1].

Dried prunes provide 59.5mcg vitamin K (phylloquinone) per 100g (50% DV) — the highest vitamin K content of any commonly eaten dried fruit and among the highest of any fruit in any form. For comparison: dried figs have 15.6mcg, raisins 3.5mcg, dried apricots 3.1mcg per 100g ^[1].

Five prunes deliver 25mcg vitamin K (21% DV) — from a 101-calorie snack. This is more vitamin K than you'd get from a cup of blueberries (28.6mcg from 84 kcal) and approaches green kiwi (40.3mcg per 100g) on a per-serving basis. For people tracking vitamin K specifically, prunes are a concentrated, shelf-stable source ^[1].

Prune juice retains some vitamin K but at much lower concentration: 3.4mcg per 100ml (3% DV) — a 94% loss compared to the dried fruit. The juicing process removes the cell wall structures where vitamin K concentrates. For vitamin K tracking, the dried whole fruit is far superior to juice ^[1].

Dried prunes: 240 kcal per 100g with 63.9g carbs, 7.1g fiber, 38.1g sugars. Stewed prunes (no added sugar): 107 kcal per 100g with 28.4g carbs, 3.8g fiber, 22.2g sugars. Prune juice: 71 kcal per 100ml with 17.5g carbs, 1.0g fiber, 16.5g sugars ^[1].

Stewing halves the calorie density (water absorption), but a typical ½-cup serving of stewed prunes (~124g) still has 133 calories — comparable to 5 dried prunes (101 kcal). The texture changes dramatically, and stewed prunes absorb about 45% of their weight in water. Fiber is slightly better retained in stewed form (3.8g vs 7.1g per 100g, but per dry-weight equivalent the difference is minimal) ^[1].

Prune juice loses most of the fiber (1.0g vs 7.1g per 100g dried equivalent) and virtually all the vitamin K (3.4 vs 59.5mcg). It does retain potassium well (276mg per 100ml) and has higher iron than might be expected (1.18mg per 100ml — 7% DV per cup). For nutrition tracking: dried prunes are the most nutrient-dense form; juice is primarily a potassium and sorbitol source ^[1].

Multiple research groups have studied prune consumption in relation to bone mineral density and mineral metabolism. A commonly cited protocol used 50-100g of dried prunes daily (roughly 5-12 prunes) and measured changes in bone mineral markers over 6-12 month periods. The mechanistic interest is in prunes' combination of vitamin K, potassium, magnesium, and boron — all minerals involved in bone metabolism ^[2][3].

The California Dried Plum Board has funded several of these studies, and they are published in peer-reviewed journals. The key nutrient contributors per 100g serving are: 59.5mcg vitamin K (50% DV), 732mg potassium (16% DV), 41mg magnesium (10% DV), and approximately 0.7-1.5mg boron (boron is not tracked by USDA but is documented in food science literature for prunes) ^[2][3].

For food journaling purposes, the relevant data point is that prunes deliver a unique combination of minerals rarely found together at these concentrations in a single food. The research interest is in the mineral profile rather than any single 'active ingredient.' Whether this mineral profile produces measurable outcomes in individuals is an active area of ongoing research ^[2][3].