May 30, 2014 06:21 PM EDT By Jaleesa Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

Eating prunes may be the key to weight loss success, according to a recent study ConsumerAffairs reported.

Researchers from the University of Liverpool found that consuming prunes as part of a healthy life-style intervention produced significant changes in body weight, including an average of 2.3 percent reduction in waist circumference. Those who ate the dried fruit lost more weight than those who ate tastier items, ConsumerAffairs reported.

"These are the first data to demonstrate both weight loss and no negative side effects when consuming prunes as part of a weight management diet," Jo Harrold, leader of the study, said in a statement. "Indeed in the long term they may be beneficial to dieters by tackling hunger and satisfying appetite; a major challenge when you are trying to maintain weight loss."

For the study, researchers recruited 100 overweight and obese low-fiber consumers.

The researchers divided the participants in to two groups:  those who ate prunes every day (140g a day for women and 171g a day for men) and those who were given advice on healthy snacks over a period of 12 weeks.

The researchers found that those who ate prunes diet lost about 4.4 pounds (2kg) in weight and shed about 1 inch (2.5cm) off their waists. The people in the group which was given advice on healthy snacks lost only 3.3 pounds (1.5kg) in weight and 6/10 of an inch (1.7cm) from their waists.

Based on their findings, researchers also learned that "prune eaters experienced greater weight loss during the last four weeks of the study. After week eight, participants showed increased feelings of fullness in the prune group," ConsumerAffairs reported.

"Maintaining a healthy diet is challenging. Along with fresh fruit and vegetables, dried fruit can provide a useful and convenient addition to the diet, especially as controlling appetite during dieting can be tough," Jason Halford, researcher and professor of Experimental Psychology and Director of the University's Human Ingestive Behavior Laboratory, said in a statement.

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