Popular dried fruit stops bone loss

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The results of a new study in mice show that a diet high in prunes completely prevents bone loss associated with spinal cord injury (SCI) and also restores some of the bone tissue lost after SCI. These findings support previous findings that suggested a positive association between prunes and bone health.

Previous clinical studies have shown a beneficial bone response to prunes in postmenopausal women, along with animal studies showing a similar positive response in those exposed to radiation, such as astronauts in space.

“We’re seeing a fascinating effect of prunes on bone,” says Dr. Bernard Halloran, professor emeritus at the University of California, San Francisco. “Prunes have been consistently associated with a beneficial bone response in a number of unique studies. No other compound seems to have the same positive effect.”