Fruits That Build Bones (Preventing Osteoporosis Naturally)
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I bet you think prunes are just for grandmothers, don’t you?
Nutrients found in prunes—a family of plant chemicals called polyphenols, offer a wide variety of health benefits like decreasing cell damage and inflammation—both promoters of aging and diseases like cancer. Well, It turns out that polyphenols also protect your bones.
According to studies on estrogen-deprived animals, there are two specific polyphenols in prunes: coumaric acid, and hydroxycinnamic acid, which have the potential to increase bone mineral mass and actually restore bone loss. But that’s in rats.
Planta Med, Dec 2009 and Mol Cell Biochem, Apr 2008
Now, it appears that prune polyphenols offer promise to humans highest at risk for osteoporosis—postmenopausal women. A new study found that eating a daily dose of prunes may influence a pro-inflammatory pathway that contributes to bone loss.
Exper Bio, Apr 2022
The inflammatory protein called interleukin-6 is THE most critical predictor of bone loss. Prune polyphenols can decrease inflammation driven by IL-6, potentially preventing bone erosion and decreasing susceptibility to fracture.
J Clin Endocrin Metab, May 2001
While researchers suggest a dose of 6-12 prunes daily, the undesirable laxative effect caused by natural sugar alcohols found in prunes could deter most of us from this daily habit. Fortunately, other polyphenol-rich plants like blueberries and blackberries also contain coumaric acid and hydroxycinnamic acid. So perhaps adding prunes along with eating berries could be your first step to better bones.
In fact, if you’re looking for a way to really boost your polyphenol intake, the dietitians at CNIQ recommend the most science-based berry powders that make it easy to flood your body with daily polyphenols.
But…don’t give up on prunes yet because in addition to bone-building polyphenols, prunes contain other bioactive nutrients that support bone health.
Prunes are a great source of boron, an essential nutrient that balances bone metabolism by reducing calcium loss and increasing magnesium uptake. These minerals are among the nearly 20 nutrients that support bones. Six prunes fulfill more than half the daily requirement for boron (2 to 3 mg).
FASEB J, Nov 1987
Another powerhouse in prunes…are Lignans, a prebiotic fiber food for beneficial gut bacteria that encourage bone-building cells to develop and mature.
Nutrients, Jan 2022 and Nutrients, Feb 2022
Prunes are a healthy alternative to cranberries or other dried fruits used in recipes for breakfast bars or muffins and can contribute a deep sweetness to smoothies, cooked oatmeal, and overnight oats. If you’re a fan of smoothies, be sure to check out my YouTube video called: The UltimateSuper Smoothie – for a delicious recipe that contains prunes!
The ultimate cancer-fighting diet takes your whole body into consideration – bones and more.
At CNIQ, our personalized nutrition plans teach you how much and what kinds of foods you should eat based on your health goals—whether you desire anti-aging, cancer prevention, or want to actively fight cancer. Click here to order your plan and gain immediate access to your personalized plan and a bunch of bonuses. All of that for only a $14.95 one-time fee.