A 2022 Penn State College research means that prunes not solely maintain our plumbing operational however can also forestall bone loss in postmenopausal girls.
By center age, all of us start to lose extra bone cells than we are able to simply change, however girls are likely to battle greater than males with this course of. When their estrogen ranges dip after menopause, it triggers an inflammatory response that disrupts bone-cell restoration. That’s why girls usually tend to develop osteoporosis.
Prunes might be a game-changer, notes research coauthor Mary Jane De Souza, PhD. “Fruit and veggies which can be wealthy in bioactive compounds reminiscent of phenolic acid, flavonoids, and carotenoids can probably assist shield in opposition to osteoporosis,” she explains.
De Souza’s group reviewed information from 28 preclinical and scientific trials and concluded that the minerals, vitamin Ok, phenolic compounds, and fiber in prunes assist decrease irritation, ease oxidative stress, and scale back bone loss.
The mechanism by which this happens stays a thriller, however researchers imagine the fruit triggers modifications within the intestine microbiome that cool irritation within the colon, thus suppressing ranges of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which has the salutary impact of slowing oxidation all through the physique.
The research was partially funded by the California Prune Board, which can invite some skepticism. After which there’s the matter of simply how a lot of the fruit we’d have to eat every day to achieve the specified bone-preserving impact.
Trial individuals who ate 100 grams (about 10 prunes) daily for a 12 months skilled improved bone mineral density of their decrease spines and forearms in addition to fewer indicators of bone loss general.
This text initially appeared as “In Reward of Prunes” within the November 2022 concern of Expertise Life.
