Figs: Benefits, Fresh vs Dried Fig Nutrition and Allergy Facts

Figs are the soft, sweet fruit of the fig tree (Ficus carica), eaten fresh in late summer and dried all year. Drying changes them a lot. In USDA data, 100 grams of dried figs has about 249 calories, 9.8 grams of fiber (35% of the Daily Value) and 12% of the Daily Value for calcium, more calcium than most dried fruits. A fresh medium fig is mostly water and has about 37 calories. Below are USDA fig nutrition facts for fresh and dried figs, how figs compare with prunes, raisins and dates, what the small trials on figs benefits actually tested, and the allergy and fig-sap skin reactions worth knowing about.

Peptide Labs does not sell figs or fig products. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.

Fig nutrition: fresh figs vs dried figs

The table uses two USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy entries: raw figs (FDC 173021), at USDA’s weight for a medium fig (50 grams), and dried, uncooked figs (FDC 174665), at a quarter cup (about 37 grams, one quarter of USDA’s 149-gram cup). The percent Daily Value (%DV) uses the FDA Daily Values printed on Nutrition Facts labels.

One dried fig weighs only about 8 grams in USDA data and has about 21 calories and 0.8 grams of fiber, so the serving you actually eat matters more than the per-100-gram numbers. Drying removes water, so everything is concentrated: per gram, dried figs carry roughly three times the calories, fiber and sugar of fresh figs. That is why a small handful of dried figs adds up quickly, while a fresh fig is a light, watery fruit. Our guide to daily fiber intake explains the fiber reference values, and our fiber-rich foods guide shows where figs sit among other foods.

How figs compare with other dried fruit

Per 100 grams, the dried fruits people most often compare look similar on calories but differ on fiber, sugar and minerals. The table uses USDA SR Legacy entries for each uncooked dried fruit, with raw figs added for scale.

Two things stand out. Dried figs lead this group on fiber and calcium, a mineral covered in our guide to calcium in foods. And every dried fruit here is a meaningful potassium source per 100 grams, which our potassium foods guide puts in context. Our guides to prunes and raisins cover those fruits in depth, and our sibling guide to dates explains why medjool and deglet noor dates differ in sugar type.

Fig bar cookies are a different food. USDA lists fig bar cookies (FDC 172721) at 348 calories and 4.6 grams of fiber per 100 grams, with added fat and sodium that plain dried figs do not have, so read the Nutrition Facts label if a fig snack is your main way of eating figs.

Figs benefits: what the research shows

Most fig research is chemistry, lab and animal work on fruit, leaf and latex extracts. Human trials of the fruit are few, small and mostly about bowel habits, which fits the fiber content.

• IBS with constipation (2019): a single-blind randomized trial in 150 adults with IBS-C compared figs, flixweed and a control group for four months. The fig group improved more on how often pain occurred, bloating, stool frequency and hard stools, and on quality of life, but not on pain severity or an inflammation marker. Single-blind means participants knew what they were eating.
• Constipation in pregnancy (2025): a double-blind randomized trial in 90 pregnant women with functional constipation compared fig syrup, fig-walnut syrup and placebo for 14 days. Both fig groups had more bowel movements than placebo; the authors said more studies are needed.
• Meta-analysis (2022): a review of 11 randomized and crossover fruit trials in functional constipation found that, in three studies, kiwifruit beat fig paste on stool consistency. A 2021 review noted fig paste reduced gut transit time in human studies, along with kiwifruit and apple fiber.

The honest summary is that figs, especially dried figs, are a fiber-dense fruit, and the small trials point the same direction as other fiber-rich fruits rather than showing something unique. Our guide to fiber and bowel regularity covers the broader evidence, and our kiwi guide covers the fruit that did well in head-to-head trials. Constipation that is new, severe, or comes with blood, weight loss or pain needs a clinician, not a fruit swap.

Dried figs and sugar

Figs have no added sugar, but drying concentrates the natural sugars: about 48 grams per 100 grams of dried figs in USDA data, mostly glucose and fructose, vs about 16 grams in fresh figs. People managing diabetes can include fruit, but should ask their clinician or dietitian how dried fruit fits their plan. Our guides to fruit sugar levels and low glycemic foods explain why fresh fruit, dried fruit and juice behave differently. Dried figs also list modest vitamin K, covered in our vitamin K foods guide for people who keep intake steady on warfarin.

Fig allergy, fig sap and skin reactions

Fig allergy is uncommon, and published cases often trace back to other plant allergies:

• Weeping fig link: a 2003 study of five patients with mouth itching or anaphylaxis after figs found that reactions to fresh or dried figs can follow sensitization to airborne allergens from the weeping fig (Ficus benjamina), a common houseplant, independent of rubber latex allergy. A 2004 study found 2.5% of 2,662 patients with a positive inhalant skin test reacted to weeping fig, often with reactions to figs and other tropical fruits, a pattern the authors called the Ficus-fruit syndrome.
• Pollen link: a 2003 report described two people with grass and birch pollen allergy who developed oral allergy syndrome to fig; their tests showed the fig skin was much more allergenic than the pulp.
• Mulberry link: a 2003 report described three people allergic to figs who were also sensitized to mulberries, a related plant in the same family.

Fig sap is a separate issue. Fig branches, leaves and fruit skin release a milky sap that contains furocoumarins, compounds that make skin react to sunlight. Dermatology case reports describe phytophotodermatitis: a red, blistering, streaky rash that can look like a worsening sunburn, sometimes leaving dark marks, after picking figs or pruning a fig tree in the sun. A 2023 case report described a 55-year-old man with blisters after both, confirmed by photopatch testing.

• Labels: figs are not among the nine major food allergens that US labels must declare, so check ingredient lists on bars, jams and baked goods if you react.
• What to do: hives, throat swelling or breathing trouble after eating figs needs urgent care. For mouth itching or unclear symptoms, see an allergist; our elimination diet guide explains why testing should be supervised. A blistering rash after handling fig trees should be seen by a clinician.

How to eat figs

• Fresh figs: rinse and eat whole, thin skin included, or halve them for salads and cheese plates. They are soft and perishable.
• Dried figs: chop into oatmeal or yogurt, or eat a few as a snack. Read the label on coated or flavored versions for added sugar.
• Fig jam and fig bars: these are sweetened foods; the Nutrition Facts label shows added sugar and fiber per serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a food allergy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Last reviewed October 2026.

Related guides: Dates Fruit: Benefits, Medjool Dates and USDA Nutrition Facts, Prunes: USDA Nutrition, Sorbitol, Constipation and Bone Research, Fiber for Constipation: What the Evidence Says, How Long It Takes and Natural Laxative Foods.