Scientists from The Pennsylvania State University found that eating nutrient-rich prunes every day may be beneficial to bone health, reducing inflammatory factors that contribute to osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis increases the risk of fracture, especially in older adults.
People who experience menopause have lower levels of estrogen, which trigger an increase in inflammation in the body, which can also contribute to bone loss.
The research was presented at the American Physiological Society’s (APS) annual meeting at Experimental Biology 2022 and was conducted by Janhavi Damani et al.
Previous research has shown that polyphenol extracts—plant compounds that act as antioxidants and reduce inflammation—in prunes promote lower levels of oxidative stress and inflammation in a type of bone cell called osteoclasts.
In the study, researchers explored the effects of prunes on bone health after menopause.
Older women with a bone mineral density score that was defined as low—a marker of osteoporosis—were divided into three groups:
- One group ate 50 grams (g) of prunes (about six prunes) daily for 12 months.
- A second group ate 100 g of prunes (about 12 prunes) daily for 12 months.
- A control group ate no prunes.
The research team looked at blood samples taken from all volunteers before and after the trial and found significant reductions in inflammatory markers in both of the prune-eating groups compared to the control group.
These findings suggest that consumption of six to 12 prunes per day may reduce pro-inflammatory mediators that may contribute to bone loss in older women.
The team suggests prunes might be a promising nutritional intervention to prevent the rise in inflammatory mediators often observed as part of the aging process.
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