Sunsweet Growers Celebrate California Dried Plum Digestive Health Month

YUBA CITY, Calif., Jan. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared January 2008 "California Dried Plum Digestive Health" month, to call awareness to the overall health benefits that can be achieved with a balanced digestive system. In honor of the proclamation, Sunsweet Growers Inc., California's largest supplier of dried plums, is supporting digestive health through a line of innovative, healthy products and new online interactive tools.

Sunsweet Growers offers two new innovative products that can naturally promote healthy digestion. Sunsweet Ones, individually wrapped dried plums, make healthy snacking easier and offer a convenient way to get more fiber, a key ingredient for digestive health. Another new product from Sunsweet, PlumSmart Plum Juice, is a crisp-tasting juice which contains many digestive health nutrients including fiber, potassium and magnesium as well as naturally occurring sorbitol to help keep you "regular." Sunsweet recently introduced PlumSmart Light, which has 60% less calories and sugar, but still retains the same digestive health benefits of PlumSmart original.

To support digestive health awareness and education, Sunsweet recently launched two new websites. The consumer-friendly http://www.SmartDigestiveHealth.com provides easy-to-understand information on common digestive disorders as well as tips on how to achieve good digestive health everyday. Fun, interactive tools include a quiz about digestive health, and a "smart breakfast" cheat sheet. Consumers can also visit http://www.SunsweetSwap.com to learn how Sunsweet Prunes stack up nutritionally against popular snack foods like pretzels and popcorn. For example, each serving of Sunsweet Prunes has 3 grams of fiber, while an equivalent serving of pretzels only has 1.3 grams.

The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse reported that 60 to 70 million Americans suffer from digestive diseases of one kind or another; in addition, less than 50 percent of adults in the U.S. consume a sufficient amount of fiber each day. Sunsweet Ones and PlumSmart are high in fiber, as well as nutrients like magnesium and potassium -- naturally occurring elements that keep the digestive tract moving and provide nutrients to the body.

Sunsweet offers a full range of products that support a healthy lifestyle, including dried plums, apricots, cranberries, raisins, cherries, blueberries and more. As always, Sunsweet prune juice is a long-standing favorite for getting the body's daily requirements of fiber. For more information, visit http://www.Sunsweet.com.

About Sunsweet Growers, Inc.

Headquartered in Yuba City, Calif., Sunsweet Growers, Inc. is one of the world's largest handlers of dried fruits including dried plums, apricots, cranberries and raisins. A grower-owned marketing cooperative, Sunsweet provides healthy options of fruits and juices throughout the globe. The Sunsweet brand is widely recognized as representing products that promote a healthy lifestyle for today's consumer.