Osteoporosis is a common bone disease that weakens the bones so much that they become brittle. The bones become so fragile that a slight fall or a cough can cause a fracture. It’s reported that two million men in the world have osteoporosis.
However, this might come as a surprise, but experts also claim that prunes protect the bones against osteoporosis in men above fifty. It’s suggested that men should add prunes to their daily diets if they want to improve the condition of their bones.
Prunes are said to positively affect weak bones in men, especially if they’re going through osteoporosis. Experts are now studying the “prunes effect” on men in much more detail as prunes provide numerous positive benefits.
The Clinical Study
A focus group, including fifty-seven men aged 50-79, was asked to consume 100g of prunes daily for the next twelve months. Another batch was asked not to consume prunes at all. The former group was reported to show improvement in their bone geometry and bone mass, while the latter didn’t have any positive changes.
This indicated that prunes indeed positively impact men with osteoporosis. Similar research on women was also conducted before testing prunes’ effect on men. That research concluded that postmenopausal women benefit plenty from consuming 100g of prunes daily. Prunes are said to increase bone strength and decrease bone breakdown.
Proinflammatory Cytokine Levels
An inflammatory cytokine is a signaling molecule secreted from immune cells such as T helper cells that promote inflammation. Inflammatory cytokines are necessary to initiate the accurate inflammatory response for regulating the host’s defense against pathogens.
Some of these cytokines also act as growth factors. The idea was to explain to you what proinflammatory cytokines are, so you’ll better understand the effect of prunes on them.
A trial took blood samples before and after prune consumption in men with osteoporosis. Participants who consumed 100g of prunes showed a reduced proinflammatory cytokine level. It was proved that consuming a specific portion of prunes daily undoubtedly impacts the body positively, especially the bones.
So, if you’re a man with osteoporosis, we recommend you start consuming at least 100g daily to improve your bone mass and strength. Bones generally get weaker with age; if you have osteoporosis, you must consume prunes before your bones turn to dust.
Prunes And Bone Density
Many clinical studies have been conducted to study the effect of prunes on bone health. The results have so far been positive, indicating favorable effects of prunes on the bones.
This is because prunes probably come with sufficient amounts of vitamin K, which plays an integral role in good bone health. Vitamin K is known to reduce lower bone density risk and fracture. Another reason why prunes are good for bone density is that it’s an excellent source of potassium.
Potassium is said to reduce the acid load in bones, which helps to reduce calcium loss. This has a highly positive effect on bone density. Prunes contribute plenty to managing osteoporosis, whether a man or a woman. So, we suggest adding them to your diet if you want to improve your bone strength and density.