Eating 5 to 6 prunes a day may prevent bone loss, osteoporosis

• Osteoporosis, or loss of bone mass and density, afflicts many people, especially people over 50, leading to an increased risk of breaks and fractures.
• A new randomized controlled study finds that eating 5-6 prunes a day can preserve bone mass and density, arresting the development of osteoporosis.
• The same researchers, in a second study, found that a loss of bone health is associated with inflammatory processes in the body, and prunes are known to be anti-inflammatory.

Osteoporosis is a condition in which a person’s bones lose density and mass, making bones more likely to break. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, some 10 million Americans have the condition, with another 44 million lacking in bone density, placing them at risk of osteoporosis.

Half of women over the age of 50 are at increased risk of breaking a bone, and one in four men. Loss of bone mass and density can occur at any age. However, osteoporosis is most common among older people.

Osteoporosis occurs most frequently in postmenopausal women. In 2017-2018, 19.6% of women over 50 developed the condition — a higher percentage than the number of women who have heart attacks, strokes, or develop breast cancer, combined.

The bones of the hip, spinal vertebrae, and wrist are the most common sites of bone fractures due to osteoporosis, although they can occur in any bone….