Dried plum and bone density

• 出 处: 中华物理医学与康复杂志
• 发表日期: 2016年38期

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

It is estimated that nearly half of women over the age of 50 years will suffer an osteoporosis related fracture. In addition to medications and lifestyle factors, evidence suggests that some foods may improve bone growth and development, thus reducing diseases such as osteoporosis. Among the foods that have been found to have bone protective effects, dried plum has been shown to prevent and reverse bone loss in rat models of osteoporosis. This study was designed to determine the extent to which dried plum assists in the prevention of bone mineral density (BMD) loss and improves biomarkers in post-menopausal women.

METHODS

This study included 48, osteopenic, postmenopausal women, 65 to 79 years of age, randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups; daily intake of 50 g of dried plum, 100 g of dried plum or a placebo (control group). BMD was evaluated at baseline and at six months using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. In addition, venous blood samples were obtained for serum bone marker measurements at baseline, and at three and six months.

RESULTS

Both the 50 g and the 100 g per day groups experienced no change from baseline in total BMD, while the control group continued to lose bone (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the two treatment groups. Laboratory tests revealed that a marker of bone resorption, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP-5b) decreased at three months, with that decrease sustained at six months in both treatment groups (P<0.01 and P<0.04 respectively). In addition, the bone- specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP)/ TRAP-5b ratio was greater in both treatment groups, with no change in the control group.

CONCLUSION

This study of elderly, postmenopausal women found that the daily consumption of 50 g of dried plum (approximately five prunes) may be effective in preventing bone loss, with no added benefits noted with higher doses.