As we all get older, bones become more fragile and susceptible to fractures. Osteoporosis, a condition that renders bones weak and porous, becomes more common after 50. Hence, experts highly recommend that older adults incorporate more exercise and bone-strengthening foods to preserve bone mass and halt the progression of osteoporosis.
If you asked us to name one food capable of supporting bone health, we’d say, consider adding prunes to your daily diet. According to a 2022 study from Penn State, eating just 5-6 prunes a day preserves bone density and prevents osteoporosis development.
When the bones become so porous that the risk of fractures is high, a person is said to have osteoporosis, a condition that affects 10 million people in the United States alone. Osteoporosis affects all bones, but fractures of the hips, spine, and wrists are the most common.
It needs to be added that the risk of osteoporosis progresses even faster with menopause. Nearly 20% of all women over age 50 have osteoporosis. To put this into perspective, this is a higher percentage than the number of women with breast cancer, stroke, and heart attack combined. This occurs because estrogen plays a key role in bone renewal, so a drop in estrogen production seen in menopause also affects bone density and strength.
An additional cause of osteoporosis is plain old inflammation. According to the study we reviewed in this article, osteoporosis is linked to inflammatory processes. Here’s when lifestyle changes like diet and exercise can step in and make a significant difference.
Related article: A Complete Visual Guide to Osteoporosis
A team of researchers from Penn State University examined the effectiveness of eating prunes against the advance of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Prunes, which are just dried plums, are a well-known folk remedy for arthritis and joint pain, so testing the dried fruit’s potential as a remedy for osteoporosis makes perfect sense.
The study in question involved 200 postmenopausal women, who were divided into 3 groups: controls who ate no prunes and those who took either 5-6 prunes daily or 10-12 prunes daily. Consuming only 5-6 prunes a day brings the progression of osteoporosis to a halt, with no added benefit in eating more.
Compared to the control group, who did not eat any prunes, prune-eaters had a much smaller risk of fractures, a finding that persisted to the 6-month and 1-year mark. Although eating prunes did not reverse osteoporosis, it was able to stop bone loss.
As Dr. Mary Jane De Souza, the lead author of the study pointed out to Medical News Today,
“Our study is the first to reveal that consuming just 5-6 prunes a day prevented a loss of bone mineral density at the hip, the site of most concern for aging men and women as hip fractures commonly lead to hospitalization, diminished quality of life, and loss of independence.”
In addition, prunes contain a group of antioxidants called polyphenols that are also said to play a role in bone renewal. Hence, including these antioxidants can promote bone health while also reducing the levels of inflammation in the body.
The great news is that it doesn’t matter how you eat the prunes. Some people enjoy the taste, but others may find prunes bitter and not sufficiently sweet. If you belong to the last camp, we suggest that you experiment with ways to add prunes to foods you already love. I enjoy prunes chopped up with some dark chocolate in a bowl of oatmeal or whizzed together with other fruit until I can’t taste them in a smoothie.
We say start with prunes, and see where that gets you. But if you feel really determined to maximize your bone health through diet and lifestyle changes, read this great guide - 10 Mighty Tips to Ensure Your Bones Stay in Top Condition.
Generally, nutrition experts and doctors recommend upping your intake of vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin K. Foods like dairy, sardines, leafy greens, and edamame are all great for those seeking to use food to maintain bone health.
H/T: Medical News Today
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