California Prunes are Bone Health Approved

13th October 2022

California Prune Board and Royal Osteoporosis Society highlight link between diet and healthy bones

According to statistics from the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS), more than three million people in the UK are living with osteoporosis, which weakens bones and can increase the risk of fractures.

With prunes high in bone-friendly vitamin K, the California Prune Board has joined forces with the ROS to highlight how eating a healthy and balanced diet, rich in a range of vitamins and minerals, can contribute to strong bones.

The partnership between the CPB and the ROS builds on decades of research funded by the Board, which highlights the link between eating prunes and the maintenance of healthy bones. It also follows the publication in full of the latest research from the United States.

The Pennsylvania State University[1] study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition is the largest clinical trial to date. it reveals that researchers found just 5-6 prunes a day prevented bone loss at the hip in postmenopausal women and protected against increased fracture risk.

California Prune Board’s health ambassador and nutritionist, Jo Travers explains: “The research shows that prunes were found to protect bone mineral density and mitigate fracture risk at the hip in postmenopausal women, at a time in life when women tend to lose bone density rapidly.  This underlines the importance of eating a balanced and healthy diet to support good bone health.”

It’s a sentiment shared by the ROS, which has awarded California Prunes the coveted ‘Bone Health Approved’ status following evidence showing the positive effects prunes can have on skeletal health.

Henry Mace, Head of Partnerships for the ROS says: “Eating foods that contain bone-friendly nutrients is key to maintaining healthy bones. California Prunes are high in vitamin K and a source of other nutrients such as manganese, which is why we awarded them our ‘Bone Health Approved’ accreditation mark. Looking after your bones is important at every age. Key to maintaining good bone health is regular weight bearing exercise and a healthy balanced diet.”

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Editor’s Notes

The California Prune Board was established in 1952 to represent growers and handlers under the authority of the California Secretary of Food and Agriculture. California is the world’s largest producer of prunes with orchards across 14 counties in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys. Promoting a lifetime of wellness through the enjoyment of California Prunes, the organisation leads the premium prune category with generations of craftsmanship supported by California’s leading food safety and sustainability standards. California Prunes. Prunes. For life.  www.californiaprunes.net

FOR CALIFORNIA PRUNE BOARD MEDIA ENQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT:
Kathryn Swinglehurst, Apple Tree Communications (ATC) Ltd /  E:  kath@appletreecomms.co.uk / T: +44 (0) 7775 814156

 

About the ROS

We’re the Royal Osteoporosis Society – the UK’s largest national charity dedicated to improving bone health and beating osteoporosis. And we’re here for everyone. We equip people with practical information and support to take action on their bone health. Working with healthcare professionals and policy-makers, we’re influencing and shaping policy and practice at every level. We’re driving the research and development of new treatments, to beat osteoporosis together.

 

Visit our media centre for more information on osteoporosis and bone health at: https://theros.org.uk/what-we-do/media-centre/

Bone Health Accreditation Scheme

The Bone Health Accreditation Scheme was developed by the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS) to help people to make good choices for their bones when it comes to diet and lifestyle. Whenever consumers see the ‘Bone Health Approved’ logo on a product or service, they can feel confident that the charity’s experts agree that the product is good for bones.

 

To find out more about partners, you can visit https://theros.org.uk/what-we-do/who-we-are/our-partners/

[1] De Souza MJ, Strock N, Williams NI, Lee H, Koltun KJ, Rogers C, Ferruzzi MG, Nakatsu CH, & Weaver C. (2022). Prunes preserve hip bone mineral density in a 12-month randomized controlled trial in postmenopausal women: the Prune Study. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, nqac189, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqac189