Natural Remedies for Osteoporosis - Are Prunes Your Best Friend?

Osteoporosis and prunes are rarely thought of together. But this lowly fruit is an excellent source of boron which is believed to assist with the absorption of calcium and magnesium. It may also improve the conversion of vitamin D to the active form necessary for calcium absorption.

Many people would prefer diet and lifestyle changes over pharmaceuticals when dealing with the threat of osteoporosis. With this in mind, researchers at Florida State University (Department of Nutrition, Food & Exercise Sciences) have conducted clinical trials on animals and humans and discovered that prunes may be the most effective fruit in both preventing and reversing bone loss.

"Animal studies and a 3-month clinical trial conducted in our laboratories have shown that dried plum has positive effects on bone indices. The animal data indicate that dried plum not only protects against but more importantly reverses bone loss in two separate models of osteopenia"... (Aging Research Review, April 2009)

A three month trial on 58 post menopausal women is not the same as a double-blind, placebo controlled drug trial...but how much encouragement does a person need to eat yummy prunes?!

Prunes are a great addition to most diets as they have: 

• approximately 6.1 g of dietary fiber per 100 g (which is great for regularity)
• a high potassium content (which may be beneficial for cardiovascular health), and
• boron which is believed to help prevent osteoporosis.

A half cup of prunes (about 100 grams) fulfills the daily requirement for 2 to 3 mg of boron. They may be purchased at most grocery stores and are easy to store. They are also relatively inexpensive.

For more information on foods and inexpensive vitamins that help to restore bone health, visit http://www.osteoporosis-vitamins.com/osteoporosis-treatment-guidelines.html

About this Author

Darlene Varaleau is a lawyer and business person by profession. After being diagnosed with osteopenia, she developed http://osteoporosis-vitamins.com to explore natural osteoporosis treatment options. The site provides information on affordable calcium and vitamin supplements, strontium, progesterone cream and exercise. She loves getting suggestions for improving the site, so please drop by for a visit.

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