In 1864 there were 150 cultivated races. Plums stimulate the movement. Its skin contains a substance that is responsible for that effect so if you peel the fruit you won't be bothered with the well known side effects of this lovely fruit. Plums are also used for its juice and often jelly or a thick syrup is made out of it. There are more than 200 cultivars.
Japanese plums are larger than European plums and it is a stronger race.
Other peculiar characteristics Plums are high in carbohydrates, low in fat and low in calories. Plums are an excellent source of vitamin A, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium and fiber. Plums are free of sodium and cholesterol. Prunes used to be dried on the tree and in the sun like raisins, but nowadays they are dried in forced air tunnels heated by gas, this gives a more uniform product. The Japanese plum should be called the Chinese plum because the Japanese imported the fruit 200 to 300 years ago from the Chinese that had cultivated the fruit for thousands of years.