Davidson Plum
Food · Fruit · Food, Typed Supps
A very tart native plum, rich in vitamin C and deep purple plant pigments.
Stage by stage
- Intake (Chewing begins): Chewing breaks open the tart, pigmented flesh.
- Stomach (Fruit structure broken down): Stomach acid continues breaking down the flesh, releasing vitamin C and pigments.
- Small intestine (Vitamin C absorbed): Vitamin C is absorbed directly; some pigments are absorbed here too.
- Bloodstream & tissues (Used for immunity & antioxidant activity): Vitamin C supports collagen and immunity; plant pigments act as antioxidants.
Timing
No particular timing requirement; it’s almost always eaten cooked and sweetened rather than raw.
Time to effect
- Hours: Blood vitamin C levels typically rise within a few hours of eating vitamin C-rich food.
Allergens
None of the fourteen major allergens. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.
Eating patterns
Fits: Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Halal, Kosher, Gluten-free.
In season
July to October in the northern hemisphere, January to April in the southern.
Satiety
161 on the satiety index, where white bread is 100 — high. Modelled from the Holt et al. (1995) measurements.
Environmental footprint
1.1 kg CO2e and 199 litres of freshwater per kg, matched to "Other fruit" in Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science 360.
Cost band
Cheap — roughly £3 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.
Key nutrients
Nutrition per 100g
- Calories: 66.9
- Protein: 1g
- Carbohydrate: 14.3g
- of which sugars: 3.9g
- Fat: 0.2g
- of which saturated: 0g
- Fibre: 2g
- Sodium: 45mg
Food vs. supplement
A 100g serve provides roughly a third of the daily vitamin C target, comparable to citrus, plus anthocyanin pigments a plain vitamin C supplement doesn’t contain.
Kitchen tip
Cook it down with a little sugar for jam or sauce — raw Davidson plum is very tart and rarely eaten plain.
Common myth
“Davidson plum is an extreme antioxidant superfruit, far beyond ordinary fruit.” In reality: Its deep colour does reflect a genuinely dense pigment content, but its vitamin C level is in the same range as citrus, and rigorous human research specific to Davidson plum is limited compared to more studied fruits.
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