Dried plum and bone loss in postmenopausal women
What it found
In postmenopausal women, eating dried plum daily improved bone density at some sites and slowed bone turnover.
Rat studies also found it prevented and reversed bone loss.
What they found
Studies in people
Bone density in women
In a one-year trial of 100 women with low bone mass, those who ate 100 g of dried plum daily had better bone density in the ulna and lumbar spine than those who ate dried apple. A six-month trial found that 50 g of dried plum may work as well as 100 g.
Bone turnover markers
A three-month trial found that 100 g of dried plum daily raised blood markers of bone formation. In a one-year trial, dried plum lowered a marker of bone breakdown called TRAP-5b.
Lasting effects
Five years after a one-year trial, 20 women came back for a follow-up. The 8 who had taken dried plum retained more bone density in the ulna and lumbar spine than the 12 who had taken dried apple, even though none regularly ate dried plums anymore.
Animal and lab studies
Bone loss in rats
In rats whose ovaries were removed, dried plum in the diet prevented bone loss at some doses and restored bone density and structure at others. It also increased markers of bone formation.
Other findings
Possible mechanisms
The authors suggest that compounds in dried plum, such as chlorogenic acids, boron, potassium, copper, vitamin K and fiber, may work together to protect bone. They also note that dried plum may affect gut bacteria, but say this is still speculative.
What the authors conclude
“Overall, the findings of our studies and others strongly suggest that dried plum in its whole form is a promising and efficacious functional food therapy for preventing bone loss in postmenopausal women, with the potential for long-lasting bone-protective effects.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say the bone-protective effects of dried plum in postmenopausal women have been supported by animal studies and confirmed in randomized controlled trials.
- They note that the exact mechanisms and the specific compounds responsible remain unknown.
- They call for larger trials and for research into the lowest effective dose and the long-term maintenance of effects, including fracture prevention.
How it was done
Postmenopausal women lose bone quickly because their ovaries stop making estrogen, raising the risk of weak bones and fractures. The authors wanted to see if dried plum could help prevent or reverse this bone loss.
They reviewed their own and other researchers' studies in rats whose ovaries had been removed and in postmenopausal women. The women's trials lasted from three months to one year and used daily doses of 50 g, 90 g or 100 g of dried plum, mostly compared with dried apple.
What it can’t tell you
- The follow-up study had only 20 women and did not account for other factors like diet, physical activity or medications.
- The authors say that the exact compounds in dried plum responsible for the effects are not known.
- The authors note that many of the clinical trials had small sample sizes, which may have led to null findings.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflict of interest.
- Authors work at
- Florida State University, USA; Colorado State University, USA; Life University, USA
The paper
- Title
- Bone-Protective Effects of Dried Plum in Postmenopausal Women: Efficacy and Possible Mechanisms
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Arjmandi BH, Johnson SA, Pourafshar S, et al (2017). Bone-Protective Effects of Dried Plum in Postmenopausal Women: Efficacy and Possible Mechanisms. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu9050496Free full textPubMed 28505102DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error