Got Prunes? Fruit Linked to Better Bone Health

Eating prunes every day can help keep bones strong and may help prevent osteoporosis in post-menopausal women, according to a small study published in Osteoporosis International.

Bones are living tissue that are continually making new bone and breaking down old bone. As you age, your body breaks down bone faster than it can rebuild bone. Too much bone loss too quickly leads to osteoporosis, a condition marked by low bone density and weak and brittle bones.

The study lasted a year. Women who ate no prunes during the study lost bone strength and density, while women who ate either four to six prunes a day or 10 to 12 prunes a day maintained bone density, strength, and structure. The researchers said that while both amounts of daily prunes offered benefits, eating four to six prunes a day was more feasible because women (understandably) got bored with eating 10 to 12 prunes a day.

How do prunes help bones? Prunes contain bioactive compounds called polyphenols, which help protect plum trees from insects and disease. In people, these beneficial compounds seem to reduce the inflammation processes that lead to bone loss. Prunes also contain vitamin K, and low vitamin K levels have been linked to low bone density.

“It’s pretty exciting data for a 12-month study,” lead author Mary Jane De Souza, distinguished professor of kinesiology and physiology at Penn State, said in a statement. “We were able to maintain and preserve bone at the weight-bearing, cortical bone of the tibia and the maintenance of cortical bone and bone strength is key to avoiding fracture.”