Study shows diet of prunes prevents bone loss associated with spinal cord injury

Appeal Staff Report, Appeal-Democrat, Marysville, Calif.
·2 min read

Apr. 1—A new, peer-reviewed animal study shows a diet high in California prunes prevents bone loss associated with spinal cord injury, while also restoring a fraction of the bone loss sustained due to the injury, according to the California Prune Board.

"Healthy bones come from the right exercise and diet," said Leslie Bonci, registered dietitian and consultant for the California Prune Board. "California prunes are particularly rich in bone-building minerals. Not only does the fruit provide boron and manganese, but also Vitamin K — another nutrient that is fundamental for bone mineralization."

The study — conducted by San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and published in the Journal of the Orthopedic Research Society — finds that prunes, in the dried plum form, mitigated spinal cord injury-induced bone loss in mice.

In a prevention experiment, researchers first looked at dietary supplementation with dried plum for mitigating the loss of bone induced by spinal cord injuries. Then, in a recovery experiment, they examined if a dried plum diet could restore bone loss after a spinal cord injury.

"We are seeing an exciting 'prune effect' on bones," said Bernard Halloran, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus at the University of California, San Francisco. "In a variety of unique research scenarios, prunes are consistently associated with a favorable bone response."

According to a release issued by the prune board, the new study findings build on a growing body of research that shows a link between positive bone health response and California prunes in post-menopausal women, along with research that shows a similar favorable bone response among those exposed to radiation, such as astronauts in space.

"Additional nutrition research studies are now underway adding to the investment in scientifically-sound evidence about the health benefits of prunes," according to a release. "The research pipeline includes the largest clinical trial ever undertaken by the California Prune industry that is looking at how California prunes influence the microbiota and inflammation reduction, as well as a first-of-its-kind study that is evaluating the impact of California prunes on the bone health of men."

Additional studies are examining how California prunes affect the fracture-healing process as well as the fruit's impact on the bone health of younger women who are taking oral contraceptives.