Prunes may help reduce belly fat and the risk
for cardiovascular disease while improving gut health, among other
health benefits, according to new research
ROSEVILLE, Calif., May 9, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Two newly published studies add to an already
robust body of clinical research on prunes' myriad health benefits.
This tasty pantry staple is a nutritional powerhouse that may
benefit gut microbiome health, bone health, heart health
and more.
Prunes are a nutritional powerhouse
that may benefit gut microbiome health, bone health, heart health
and more.
The latest discoveries come from The Prune Study, a 12-month
randomized controlled trial conducted with 183 postmenopausal women
aged 55 to 75, who were divided into three groups instructed to
either consume 50 grams or 100 grams of prunes daily, or none at
all.
Prunes, Belly Fat & Heart Health
A new study
published in the Journal of Nutrition showed that eating 100
grams of prunes daily may help prevent changes in fat distribution
around the central region of the body, especially belly fat. The
increase of belly fat is common in postmenopausal women and when
excessive, can be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Not
only is this good news for the waistline; it's good news for the
heart as well.1
"While changes in body fat distribution and body mass index
(BMI) are related generally to aging, a growing body of research
shows that where the body holds its fat mass is strongly associated
with menopause transition," said principal investigator
Mary Jane De Souza, PhD, professor,
Department of Kinesiology, Pennsylvania State
University. "Increased belly fat matters when it comes to
disease risk, and dietary patterns can help impact fat
distribution. Findings from this research show a daily diet that
includes prunes may help reduce that belly fat."
Prunes & the Gut-Bone Health Connection
Published
in Frontiers in Nutrition, a second study delved deeper to
uncover differences in the gut bacteria of the women who
experienced a positive change in their bone density compared with
those who saw no change after eating 50 to 100 grams of prunes
daily over a 12-month period.2 Interestingly, those who
had an increase in bone density after eating prunes had a higher
abundance of a certain type of "good" gut bacteria that is
associated with more efficiently breaking down nutrients and
bioactive parts of prunes for the body's use. This same group also
experienced a drop in inflammation throughout the
body.3
"As a nutrient-rich fruit, prunes have a combination of
minerals, vitamin K, phenolic compounds and fiber that is unique
among foods and is important for bone integrity," De Souza said.
"These study findings add to the growing body of precision
nutrition research and highlight a greater potential for prunes to
positively impact health outcomes through a personalized dietary
recommendation approach."
Exploring the Full Spectrum of Prunes' Health
Benefits
Prunes pack a powerful punch of important vitamins,
minerals, antioxidants and fiber, and the scientific evidence of
their nutritional power continues to build.
Gut Health Guardians
Studies have indicated that
prunes are superior to psyllium, the primary component in numerous
over-the-counter laxatives, for relieving constipation.4
A 2022 study found that consumption of prunes is linked to an
increase in a particular gut bacteria associated with lowering
inflammatory markers in the body.5
Bone Protectors
Numerous studies have demonstrated the
bone-protective effects that prunes may provide, particularly for
women with an increased risk for osteoporosis. Findings from a
review study show post-menopausal women who consumed 100 grams of
prunes daily for one year better retained bone mineral density
compared to those in the control group over the next five
years.6
Heart Health Heroes
A 2021 study showed that
postmenopausal women who ate 50 to 100 grams of prunes daily over a
six-month period reduced their levels of total cholesterol,
oxidative stress and inflammatory markers—risk factors for
cardiovascular disease—when compared to a group that did not
include prunes in their diet.7
"Collectively, the studies conducted on prunes show that the
body is a synergistic machine—it's highly interconnected when it
comes to health outcomes and risks for chronic diseases," said
Leslie Bonci, MPH, RDN, CSSD, LDN.
"The key takeaway across all of these studies is that incorporating
prunes daily into a healthy dietary pattern can be a simple and
delicious way to help women reduce their risk of chronic diseases
and age more healthfully."
How to Add Prunes to Your Diet
Incorporating prunes
into your diet doesn't have to be boring or mundane. Aside from
eating a few as a snack, there are plenty of tasty ways to add
prunes to recipes:
- Breakfast offers many opportunities for prunes such as
these Overnight Oats with Prunes, Pecans & Bananas.
- Try blending them into creamy smoothies like this Purple
Power Smoothie.
- Toss them into vibrant salads like a Citrus, Kiwi and
Walnut salad for lunch.
- Prunes for dinner? Yes, please, in this Beef Stew with
Red Wine.
- Bake them into delectable desserts like these Peanut
Butter Swirl Brownies.
For further details on prune nutrition research and ways to
incorporate prunes into your diet, visit californiaprunes.org.
ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA PRUNE
BOARD
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
organization leads the premium prune category with generations of
craftsmanship supported by California's leading food safety and
sustainability standards. California Prunes. Prunes. For life.
For more information, contact:
Amber Gray
amber.gray@wildhive.com
407-948-1560
1Damani JJ, Rogers CJ, Lee H, Strock NC, Koltun KJ,
Williams NI, Weaver C, Ferruzzi MG, Nakatsu CH, De Souza MJ.
"Effects of prune (dried plum) supplementation on Cardiometabolic
Health in postmenopausal women: An ancillary analysis of a 12-month
randomized controlled trial, the prune study." J Nutr. 2024
Mar 13:S0022-3166(24)00161-5.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.03.012.
2Simpson AMR, De Souza MJ, Damani J, Rogers CJ,
Williams NI, Weaver CM, Ferruzzi MG, Nakatsu CH. Gut microbes
differ in postmenopausal women responding to prunes to maintain hip
bone mineral density. Front Nutr. 2024 Apr 18;11:1389638. doi:
10.3389/fnut.2024.1389638.
3Damani JJ, Oh ES, De Souza MJ, Strock NC, Williams
NI, Nakatsu CH, Lee H, Weaver C, Rogers CJ. Prune consumption
attenuates proinflammatory cytokine secretion and alters monocyte
activation in postmenopausal women: Secondary outcome analysis of a
12-mo randomized controlled trial: The Prune Study. J Nutr.
2023 Nov 19:S0022-3166(23)72732-6. doi:
10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.11.014. Epub ahead of print. PMID:
37984741.
4Attaluri A, Donahoe R, Valestin J, Brown K, Rao SS.
Randomized clinical trial: Dried plums (prunes) vs. psyllium for
constipation. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2011 Apr;33(7):822-8.
doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2011.04594.x. Epub 2011 Feb 15. PMID:
21323688.
5Simpson, AMR, De Souza, MJ, Damani, J, Rogers, C,
Williams, NI, Weaver, C, Ferruzzi, MG, Chadwick-Corbin, S, Nakatsu,
CH. Prune supplementation for 12 months alters the gut microbiome
in postmenopausal women. Food Funct. 2022 Nov
28;13(23):12316-12329. doi: 10.3390/horticulturae9050584
6Arjmandi BH, Johnson SA, Pourafshar S, Navaei N,
George KS, Hooshmand S, Chai SC, Akhavan NS. Bone-protective
effects of dried plums (prunes) in postmenopausal women: Efficacy
and possible mechanisms. Nutrients. 2017 May 14;9(5):496.
doi: 10.3390/nu9050496. PMID: 28505102; PMCID: PMC5452226.
7Hong MY, Kern M, Nakamichi-Lee M, Abbaspour N,
Ahouraei Far A, Hooshmand S. Dried plum consumption improves total
cholesterol and antioxidant capacity and reduces inflammation in
healthy postmenopausal women. J Med Food. 2021
Nov;24(11):1161-1168. doi: 10.1089/jmf.2020.0142. Epub 2021 May 11.
PMID: 33978491.
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SOURCE California Prune Board