One of the highest-fibre fruits, and among the better plant calcium sources.
Figs are unusual on two counts: they are very high in fibre for a fruit, and they contain
more calcium than almost any other fruit.
Fresh and dried figs behave very differently.
Fresh figs are around 74 calories per 100g; dried figs are roughly 250, with the sugar
concentrated accordingly. Dried figs also carry more calcium and fibre per gram, so both the
benefit and the sugar concentrate together.
The tiny crunch is seeds, and they are part
of why figs work so reliably for constipation.
Per 100g fresh. Dried figs are roughly 9.8g fibre and 162mg calcium per 100g.
Based on the nutrients and fibre this food supplies. These are supporting foods, not treatments.
Two or three dried figs soaked overnight in water is the traditional
constipation remedy across the Mediterranean and South Asia. It works, and the soaking water
is part of it.
Ripe fresh figs are soft and heavy and slightly split at
the base. They do not ripen much after picking and they bruise if you look at them
wrong.
Eat them within two days of buying — fresh figs are among
the most perishable fruits there is.
Count dried figs. Four dried figs
is a substantial amount of sugar.
Figs deliver both soluble and insoluble fibre plus the seeds, which act as mechanical
roughage. That combination is why they work more reliably for constipation than fruits with
similar total fibre.
The calcium content is genuinely notable — dried figs supply
more calcium per 100g than milk does. The caveat is that plant calcium absorbs less
efficiently than dairy calcium, so the practical difference is smaller than the numbers
suggest.
Diabetes: whole fruit over juice, portion aware, and better eaten
with protein or fat than alone.
IBS: several fruits are high-FODMAP
and commonly trigger symptoms — tolerance is personal.
Kidney
disease: potassium may need limiting. Ask your doctor for your numbers.
This is information, not a prescription. If you are managing a diagnosed condition or taking medication, talk to your doctor before making a large change to your diet.
Nutrition figures on this page come from standard food composition data. These links let you check the numbers and read the underlying research yourself rather than taking our word for it.