Many people think that prunes are a safe remedy for constipation, but they have several other important benefits, especially for postmenopausal women. How many prunes should you eat every day?
The Amazing Thing That Eating 10 Prunes A Day Does For Your Body.
Prunes, which are dried plums, sound like something you'd eat when constipated, but researchers at Penn State University suggest that older postmenopausal women should consider eating several prunes per day. Their study found that prunes may help prevent or delay bone loss in older women.
The authors of the study published in the journal Advances in Nutrition say that prunes can reduce physical inflammation and oxidative damage, both of which contribute to bone loss. “In postmenopausal women, lower levels of estrogen can trigger increased oxidative stress and inflammation, increasing the risk of weakening bones that can lead to fractures,” said Dr. Connie Rogers, professor of nutritional sciences and physiologist who led the study. “Incorporating prunes into the diet may help protect bones by slowing or reversing this process. »
Osteoporosis, a disease in which bones become brittle and weak, is quite common in women over 50. Estimates show that around 200 million women worldwide live with osteoporosis, with the disease causing nearly 9,000,000 bone fractures each year. Several medications for osteoporosis are now available, but researchers believe more women are looking for holistic ways to treat or avoid the condition altogether, including through diet.
Prunes Contain Essential Nutrients
The human body works to maintain bone health through an ongoing process that constantly builds new bone cells while removing old bone cells. However, around age 40, the breakdown of old bone cells begins to outpace the production of new bone cells in the aging body. This imbalance can result from a variety of factors, including inflammation and oxidative stress.
It is important to clarify that oxidative stress is not linked to feelings of stress or pressure. Oxidative stress refers to the imbalance between the levels of free radicals and antioxidants in cells. Prunes are packed with minerals, dietary fiber, vitamin K and phenolic compounds and all of these nutritional benefits can help combat the damaging effects of inflammation and oxidative damage.
Ten Prunes a Day Can Strengthen Bones
The team analyzed data from 16 preclinical studies conducted in rodents – for this study, ten preclinical studies and two human clinical trials. In all of these studies, the results remained almost the same. Eating prunes resulted in two positive benefits: less oxidative stress/inflammation and stronger bones.
Specifically, clinical trials showed that eating about ten prunes (100 grams) per day for an entire year improved bone mineral density in the forearms and lower spine.
Similarly, eating 50 to 100 grams of prunes daily for six months prevented significant loss of bone density and significantly reduced inflammation levels compared to other older women who did not eat prunes.
The research team hypothesizes that prunes cause healthier changes within the gut microbiome and subsequently reduce inflammation in the colon. Such developments likely reduce levels of pro inflammatory cytokines as well as markers of oxidative damage. Further research is already planned to further study how constant consumption of prunes over the course of a year affects bone health, inflammation and gut function.
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