Four to six is the sweet spot, say researchers.

Most people think of milk and cheese when it comes to foods that support good bone health. But new research suggests that prunes may do you a solid, too.

That’s the main takeaway from a study published in Osteoporosis International. For the study, researchers followed 235 postmenopausal women for a year who were randomly assigned to have 50 grams of prunes (which translates to four to six prunes), 100 grams of prunes (10 to 12), or their usual diet. Each group was subjected to several bone geometry and bone density scans during the study period.

What Did The Study Find?

At the end of the study, the researchers found that the people who had at least four to six prunes a day maintained their bone density and bone strength, and preserved their bone structure, especially in the cortical bone, which is the hard, dense outer layer of most bones. Women who ate prunes also maintained their hip bone mineral density.

On the flip side, those in the control group had more than a 1% loss of bone density and bone strength.

Worth noting: Women in both prune groups saw a benefit, but those in the 10 to 12 prune group were more likely to drop out since…that’s a lot of prunes.

Mary Jane De Souza, PhD, senior author and professor of kinesiology and physiology at Penn State, says the results are “pretty exciting.”

It’s important to point out that the study was funded by the California Prune Board, but De Souza says the findings are legit. While the organization represents prune growers and handlers, it had no role in how the study was designed, analyzed, or interpreted.

Why Might Prunes Boost Bone Health?

It’s not entirely clear, but De Souza says it may be due to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect of eating prunes. Prunes also may impact bacteria in the gut microbiome, which could impact bone health, she says.

Prunes are rich in vitamin K, which helps shuttle calcium to bones, while potassium and magnesium in the fruit can help with bone density, she points out.

Overall, De Souza says the findings suggest that adding prunes to your daily diet could do your bone health a solid.

“We saw preservation of bone, especially around the hip,” she says. “This can be considered a strategy to help preserve bone at the hip.”

Important Notice: This article was originally published at www.womenshealthmag.com by Korin Miller where all credits are due.

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