This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Eating dried plums may help prevent fractures, osteoporosis
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
A researcher at Florida State University has found that eating dried plums can help improve bone health in postmenopausal women, according to a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition.
“I have tested numerous fruits — including figs, dates, strawberries and raisins — and none of them come anywhere close to having the effect on bone density that dried plums have,” study author Bahram H. Arjmandi, PhD, stated in a Florida State University press release. “All fruits and vegetables have a positive effect on nutrition, but in terms of bone health, this particular food is exceptional.”
Arjmandi and his fellow researchers tested two groups of postmenopausal women over a 12-month period. The first group, consisting of 55 women, was instructed to consume 100 grams — about 10 prunes — each day. The second group, a comparative control group of 45 women, was told to consume 100 grams of dried apples. All study participants also received daily 500 mg doses of calcium and 400 IUs of vitamin D.
The researchers assessed bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine, forearm, hip and whole body at baseline and at the end of the study, with bone biomarkers being assessed through blood samples collected at baseline, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months.
According to the study results, the group that consumed dried plums was found to have significantly higher BMD in the ulna and spine. In the release, Arjmandi attributed this in part to the ability of dried plums to suppress bone resorption rates.
Reference:
- Hooshmand S, Chai SC, Saadat RL, et al. Comparative effects of dried plum and dried apple on bone in postmenopausal women. Brit J Nutr. 2011. doi: 10.1017/S000711451100119X
Follow
OrthoSuperSite.com on Twitter