Your grandma might have told you that “plums build your blood.” This is partially true, but mostly folklore. Plums do have iron, and iron is a key component of hemoglobin (the stuff that makes your blood red and not clear like alien juice). However, building significant blood reserves takes more than a few plums—it takes a balanced meal plan. If you’re feeling faint and tired, eating a bowl of plums is like trying to put out a house fire with a squirt gun. Fun, but ineffective.
That said, plums have something else that helps: copper. They contain a tiny bit of copper, which helps your body use iron more efficiently. Iron is the carpenter, and copper is the toolbox. Without the toolbox, the carpenter just stands there looking confused. So yes, plums are a two-for-one special for your red blood cells.
How To Eat Plums Like a Pro
If you’re dead set on boosting your iron with plums, here’s the pro tip: Don’t eat them alone. Slice a fresh plum over a spinach salad with grilled chicken and a squeeze of lemon. Boom—you just created an iron bomb that also tastes like a garden party. Or, eat prunes on your oatmeal with a dash of cinnamon. The cinnamon does nothing for iron, but it makes you feel like you’re living in a cozy cottage in a fairy tale.
Plums Nutrition Iron at Amelie Woolley blog
And for the love of all that is purple, avoid the common mistake: Do not blend prunes into a smoothie with coffee. Coffee and tea have tannins that block iron absorption. You might as well be throwing your plums into a wood chipper labeled “No Iron Allowed.” Save the coffee for after your plum feast, like a French aristocrat taking a digestive stroll.
