Eat prunes for strong bones

UF Health Podcasts

Grandpa isn’t the only one who can benefit from eating prunes. A new study found that eating prunes improved bone health and lowered the risk of bone disease in postmenopausal women.

Researchers from U.S. universities found that those who routinely ate prunes maintained better bone density and strength than those who didn’t.

The scientists separated 235 postmenopausal women into three groups and followed them for one year. One group ate four to six prunes daily, another group ate 10 to 12 prunes daily, and the last group ate no prunes.

The study focused on postmenopausal women because they are at a higher risk for osteoporosis, a bone loss condition.

Bone density, bone strength, and bone geometry — which is the measurement of a bone’s dimensions, used to predict fracture risk — were assessed twice during the study.

The findings showed that long-term consumption of prunes protected the women against age-related declines in shin bone geometry and strength.

After a year, those who ate at least four to six prunes per day had maintained bone density, strength, and structure. That was especially true in cortical bone [kor-ti-kuhl], which forms the outer layer of long bones like the shin and makes up 80% of the skeleton.

Those who did not eat prunes saw a reduction in bone mass density and strength in the shin bone.

The researchers said prunes might be used as a treatment strategy to preserve bone strength and lower fracture risk. They recommended eating four to six a day to avoid prune burnout.

In a nutshell: Adding prunes to your daily menu can help your bones stay strong, so don’t write them off as just a nursing home snack.