Posts Tagged “osteoporosis”
The United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA) and the California Prune Board are leading large clinical trials at Penn State and San Diego State universities to evaluate the impact of prune consumption on bone density and strength in women during the mid-life hormonal transition.
New research is putting prunes under scientific scrutiny to determine whether eating as little as one to two ounces daily can slow osteoporosis development during menopause.
“This is the time when women are losing bone most rapidly,” says Mary Jane De Souza, main investigator at Penn State. “If we can show that a simple food like prunes can help slow that loss, it could change how we prevent osteoporosis.”
The research is funded through USDA NIFA’s Commodity Board Co-funding Topics program, part of the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative’s Foundational and Applied Sciences grants. Created under the 2014 Farm Bill, the program allows commodity boards to co-invest in federally supported research.
De Souza’s research centers on a three-year window around a woman’s final menstrual period. Bone loss at the hip and spine can reach six to seven percent during this period. Her team will study how a daily intake of about 1.8 ounces of prunes affects bone density, strength, inflammation, and gut health over 18 months.
At San Diego State University, Shirin Hooshmand is leading a separate long-term trial focused on women in late perimenopause. That study will also test whether a smaller, more practical daily intake of about 1.1 ounces provides comparable bone health benefits.
Earlier research led by Hooshmand beginning in the mid-2000s found that a daily intake of about 3.5 ounces of prunes preserved bone in postmenopausal women. Subsequent studies showed similar effects on bone density in men aged 50 and older, and that about 1.8 ounces per day prevented bone loss in postmenopausal women while improving bone density in younger women using hormonal contraceptives.
“Prunes are nutrient-rich, shelf-stable, affordable, and safe to eat every day,” Hooshmand explains. “We believe they could be a powerful tool to help women maintain strong bones through midlife.”
Osteoporosis affects about 10 million Americans, with an additional 44 million estimated to have low bone density, according to the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation. The condition contributes to more than two million fractures annually, particularly among women over age 50.
The foundation estimates that one in two women and up to one in four men will experience an osteoporosis-related fracture during their lifetime. Osteoporosis-related fractures cost the US healthcare system about $19 billion each year, with costs projected to rise to $25.3 billion by 2025.
“Preventing just one hip fracture can save tens of thousands of dollars in medical costs,” De Souza says. “If prunes prove effective, the return on investment for public health will be massive.”
The Penn State study will run through 2029, while the San Diego State trial is scheduled to conclude in 2030. Both studies will track changes in bone density, inflammation, and gut health, with Hooshmand’s research also evaluating calcium metabolism.
“Women want non-medication options for osteoporosis prevention,” Hooshmand stressed. “We’re excited to continue to test one that’s as simple as eating a few prunes a day.”
The California Prune Board submitted prune consumption and bone health as a research topic for the fiscal year 2024 AFRI funding cycle. Following peer review, both university proposals received funding.
“We’ve long believed in the potential of prunes to support healthy aging, and we’re proud to partner on research that puts real science behind that promise,” said Donn Zea, executive director of the California Prune Board. “These studies could be game-changers, not just for our growers, but for millions of women seeking simple ways to protect their health.”
The US prune crop is valued at roughly $173 million annually and is grown on more than 40,000 acres. California accounts for virtually all domestic production and remains the world’s leading supplier of premium prunes.
Consuming grapes may help protect bone health, according to research presented recently at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research annual meeting in Baltimore, Maryland. Natural components found in grapes are thought to be responsible for these beneficial effects.
The eight week feeding study, undertaken by Purdue University, was designed to investigate the long term benefits of grape consumption on bone health using an animal model for menopause. An earlier study had demonstrated short term benefits with grape intake in these animals.
The study results, presented by Emily Hohman of Purdue University, showed that animals consuming a grape-enriched diet had improved bone calcium retention compared to those fed the control diet without grapes. Additionally, the grape-fed group had greater femur cortical thickness and strength.
Approximately 57 million Americans are affected by osteoporosis or low bone mass, the effects of which can be debilitating. Until the age of thirty, our bones naturally rebuild themselves on a daily basis, but as we age, we begin to lose bone density. For women, this loss is accelerated during the transition to menopause. Bone mineral density loss during menopause – once attributed solely to the loss of estrogen – actually depends on a combination of factors.
“These results suggest that grapes can improve yet another important aspect of health – our bones,” said Dr. Connie Weaver, lead investigator of the study. “This is an exciting new area of grape research that merits additional focus and study.”
The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research is a professional, scientific and medical society established to bring together clinical and experimental scientists involved in the study of bone and mineral metabolism.
Source: California Table Grape Commission