Dried plums are one of the world's healthiest foods. It appears that they are packed with bone-building phenolic compounds, boron and potassium, all of which play important roles in bone health. Following is a human study that looked at bone markers and bone density exams.Comparative effects of dried plum and dried apple on bone in postmenopausal women Journal of Nutrition September 2011 - Hooshmand S, Chai SC, Saadat RL, Payton ME, Brummel-Smith K, Arjmandi BH. Breakdown of the study in a nutshellStudy appeared in the Journal of Nutrition, September 2011236 women were recruited who were 1-10 years postmenopausal. 160 women qualified and they were randomly assigned to: 100 grams/day dried plum (about 12) or dried apple.Participants were not on hormone replacement or any other medication known to influence bone metabolismParticipants received 500 mg calcium plus 400 IU vitamin D dailyBone mineral density (BMD) of lumbar spine, forearm, hip and whole body was assessed at baseline and at the end of the study using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.Blood samples were collected at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months to assess bone bio-markers.Physical activity recall and 1-week FFQ were obtained at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months to examine physical activity and dietary confounders as potential covariatesFindings Dried plum significantly increased BMD of the ulna (forearm bone) and spine in comparison with dried apple.Only dried plum significantly decreased serum levels of bone turnover markers including bone-specific alkaline phosphatase and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b.Conclusion of authorsThe findings of the present study confirmed the ability of dried plum in improving BMD in postmenopausal women in part due to suppressing the rate of bone turnover.Opinion of authorsAmong the nutritional factors, dried plum or prunes (Prunus domestica L.) is the most effective fruit in both preventing and reversing bone loss.
