Doctors discovered unexpected benefits of popular treats

The useful properties of prunes have been known since ancient Egypt, where they learned how to properly dry plums. This dried fruit contains many vitamins, is famous for its antioxidant properties, strengthens the walls of blood vessels and normalizes digestion.

Doctors from the Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of California in San Francisco discovered an unexpected application of these delicacies for the treatment of patients after severe injuries . As News-Medical reports, prunes can help restore bones after a spinal cord injury.

Scientists conducted a number of experiments on mice. Prune diet has been shown to help animals prevent bone loss after spinal cord injury and quickly recover from it. “In various unique research scenarios, prunes were consistently associated with a favorable bone response. No other product has such a positive effect,” said Bernard Halloran, professor emeritus of the University of California.

It remains unclear which biologically active compounds in prunes are responsible for the beneficial effect on bones. However, researchers suggest that the content of polyphenols in prunes may be important. Nonphenolic compounds in prunes, such as vitamin K and manganese, may also be involved in this process. Both substances are believed to help maintain bone health.

Scientists have yet to study in detail the mechanism by which plums affect bone health. However, California doctors are already confident that adding prunes to the diet will help people improve their bone health. “The bone response to prunes is remarkable, particularly as prunes are an important part of a healthy diet and are readily available, economical and safe,” said Professor Halloran.