Research - Plums / Prunes
No Bones About It: Eating Dried Plums Helps Prevent Fractures and Osteoporosis, Study Suggests
When it comes to improving bone health in postmenopausal women -- and people of all ages, actually -- a Florida State University researcher has found a simple, proactive solution to help prevent fractures and osteoporosis: eating dried plums.
"Over my career, I have tested numerous fruits, including figs, dates, strawberries and raisins, and none of them come anywhere close to having the effect on bone density that dried plums, or prunes, have," said Bahram H. Arjmandi, Florida State's Margaret A. Sitton Professor and chairman of the Department of Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences in the College of Human Sciences. "All fruits and vegetables have a positive effect on nutrition, but in terms of bone health, this particular food is exceptional."
Arjmandi and a group of researchers from Florida State and Oklahoma State University tested two groups of postmenopausal women. Over a 12-month period, the first group, consisting of 55 women, was instructed to consume 100 grams of dried plums (about 10 prunes) each day, while the second -- a comparative control group of 45 women -- was told to consume 100 grams of dried apples. All of the study's participants also received daily doses of calcium (500 milligrams) and vitamin D (400 international units).
The group that consumed dried plums had significantly higher bone mineral density in the ulna (one of two long bones in the forearm) and spine, in comparison with the group that ate dried apples. This, according to Arjmandi, was due in part to the ability of dried plums to suppress the rate of bone resorption, or the breakdown of bone, which tends to exceed the rate of new bone growth as people age.
The group's research, was published in the British Journal of Nutrition. Arjmandi conducted the research with his graduate students Shirin Hooshmand, Sheau C. Chai and Raz L. Saadat of the College of Human Sciences; Dr. Kenneth Brummel-Smith, Florida State's Charlotte Edwards Maguire Professor and chairman of the Department of Geriatrics in the College of Medicine; and Oklahoma State University statistics Professor Mark E. Payton.
In the United States, about 8 million women have osteoporosis because of the sudden cessation of ovarian hormone production at the onset of menopause. What's more, about 2 million men also have osteoporosis.
"In the first five to seven postmenopausal years, women are at risk of losing bone at a rate of 3 to 5 percent per year," Arjmandi said. "However, osteoporosis is not exclusive to women and, indeed, around the age of 65, men start losing bone with the same rapidity as women."
Arjmandi encourages people who are interested in maintaining or improving their bone health to take note of the extraordinarily positive effect that dried plums have on bone density.
"Don't wait until you get a fracture or you are diagnosed with osteoporosis and have to have prescribed medicine," Arjmandi said. "Do something meaningful and practical beforehand. People could start eating two to three dried plums per day and increase gradually to perhaps six to 10 per day. Prunes can be eaten in all forms and can be included in a variety of recipes."
Source : Science Daily
Link to Source
Daily Apple versus Dried Plum: Impact on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Postmenopausal Women.
Chai SC, Hooshmand S, Saadat RL, Payton ME, Brummel-Smith K, Arjmandi BH.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that consumption of apple or its bioactive components modulate lipid metabolism and reduce the production of proinflammatory molecules. However, there is a paucity of such research in human beings.
OBJECTIVE: Women experience a lower rate of cardiovascular disease before menopause compared with men. However, after the onset of menopause, the risk of cardiovascular disease increases drastically due to ovarian hormone deficiency. Hence, we conducted a 1-year clinical trial to evaluate the effect of dried apple vs dried plum consumption in reducing cardiovascular disease risk factors in postmenopausal women.
DESIGN: One-hundred sixty qualified postmenopausal women were recruited from the greater Tallahassee, FL, area during 2007-2009 and were randomly assigned to one of two groups: dried apple (75 g/day) or dried plum (comparative control). Fasting blood samples were collected at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months to measure various parameters. Physical activity recall and 7-day dietary recall were also obtained.
RESULTS: Neither of the dried fruit regimens significantly affected the participants' reported total energy intake throughout the study period. On the contrary, women who consumed dried apple lost 1.5 kg body weight by the end of the study, albeit not significantly different from the dried plum group. In terms of cholesterol, serum total cholesterol levels were significantly lower in the dried apple group compared with the dried plum group only at 6 months. Although dried plum consumption did not significantly reduce serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, it lowered their levels numerically by 3.5% and 8%, respectively, at 12 months compared with baseline. This may explain the lack of significance observed between the groups. However, within the group, women who consumed dried apple had significantly lower serum levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 9% and 16%, respectively, at 3 months compared with baseline. These serum values were further decreased to 13% and 24%, respectively, after 6 months but stayed constant thereafter. The within-group analysis also reported that daily apple consumption profoundly improved atherogenic risk ratios, whereas there were no significant changes in lipid profile or atherogenic risk ratios as a result of dried plum consumption. Both dried fruits were able to lower serum levels of lipid hydroperoxide and C-reactive protein. However, serum C-reactive protein levels were significantly lower in the dried plum group compared with the dried apple group at 3 months.
CONCLUSIONS: There were no significant differences between the dried apple and dried plum groups in altering serum levels of atherogenic cholesterols except total cholesterol at 6 months. However, when within treatment group comparisons are made, consumption of 75 g dried apple (about two medium-sized apples) can significantly lower atherogenic cholesterol levels as early as 3 months. Furthermore, consumption of dried apple and dried plum are beneficial to human health in terms of anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties.
Source : J Acad Nutr Diet. 2012 Aug;112(8):1158-68.
Link to Abstract
Prunes Vs Psyllium for Constipation
Fifty grams of prunes, providing a daily fiber dose of 6 grams, outperformed an equal fiber dose from psyllium for constipation relief over three weeks, with the fruit’s laxative effects linked to its sorbitol, fiber, and polyphenol contents, according to findings of a study supported by the California Dried Plum Board.
“Given their palatability, tolerability and availability, dried plums should be considered in the initial approach to the management of mild to moderate constipation in the general population,” write the authors, led by Satish Rao, MD, PhD., from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics.
The stats
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK), over four million Americans suffer from constipation every year. As a result, approximately $725 million is spent on laxatives in the US.
Constipation, considered a symptom and not a disease, is defined as fewer than three bowel movements per week.
Dietary approaches to alleviate constipation are well known, with prunes ranking high on the list of foods to help maintain regularity. However, while traditional use is well known, the University of Iowa researchers state that efficacy of this approach is not currently known.
Indeed, the European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA) Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) rejected an article 13.1 health claim in October 2010 of the long-standing association between prunes and bowel function due to insufficient evidence. The new study appears to fill some of the scientific gaps.
Study details
Dr Rao and his co-workers recruited 40 people with constipation to participate in their randomized control crossover trial. The average age of the participants was 38. Volunteers were randomly assigned to consume 50 grams per day of prunes, or 11 grams per day of psyllium (Metamucil, Proctor and Gamble Pharmaceuticals) for three weeks. One week of ‘washout’ separated the interventions.
Results showed that daily prune consumption significantly improved spontaneous bowel movements per week, compared with psyllium. The prune intervention increased spontaneous bowel movements per week from an average of 1.8 at the start of the study to 3.5, while psyllium was associated with an increase from an initial average of 1.6 to 2.8.
In addition, stool consistency measures also improved more in the prune group, compared with psyllium.
In terms of tolerability and palatability, there were no reported differences between prunes and psyllium, said the researchers.
“These findings confirm the general notion that dried plums that are widely consumed can be useful for the treatment of constipation,” wrote the authors.
Active ingredients
Commenting on the potential benefits of prunes, the authors note that prunes contain about 15 grams of sorbitol per 100 grams, and this is known to act as an “osmotic laxative and holds on to water”, while there is also 184 milligrams of polyphenols per 100 grams, and six grams of fiber per 100 grams.
“Since we tested an equivalent dose of dietary fiber, it is likely that the clinical improvement observed with dried plums is most likely due to the other beneficial components of plums over and above its fiber content and ⁄ or the blend of soluble and insoluble fiber in this compound,” they added.
Source: Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics
Volume 33, Issue 7, April 2011, Pages: 822–828, DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2011.04594.x
“Randomised clinical trial: dried plums (prunes) vs. psyllium for constipation”
Authors: A. Attaluri, R. Donahoe, J. Valestin, K. Brown and S. S. C. Rao
Source : Nutraingredients (07/03/2011)
Link to Source
When it comes to improving bone health in postmenopausal women -- and people of all ages, actually -- a Florida State University researcher has found a simple, proactive solution to help prevent fractures and osteoporosis: eating dried plums.
"Over my career, I have tested numerous fruits, including figs, dates, strawberries and raisins, and none of them come anywhere close to having the effect on bone density that dried plums, or prunes, have," said Bahram H. Arjmandi, Florida State's Margaret A. Sitton Professor and chairman of the Department of Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences in the College of Human Sciences. "All fruits and vegetables have a positive effect on nutrition, but in terms of bone health, this particular food is exceptional."
Arjmandi and a group of researchers from Florida State and Oklahoma State University tested two groups of postmenopausal women. Over a 12-month period, the first group, consisting of 55 women, was instructed to consume 100 grams of dried plums (about 10 prunes) each day, while the second -- a comparative control group of 45 women -- was told to consume 100 grams of dried apples. All of the study's participants also received daily doses of calcium (500 milligrams) and vitamin D (400 international units).
The group that consumed dried plums had significantly higher bone mineral density in the ulna (one of two long bones in the forearm) and spine, in comparison with the group that ate dried apples. This, according to Arjmandi, was due in part to the ability of dried plums to suppress the rate of bone resorption, or the breakdown of bone, which tends to exceed the rate of new bone growth as people age.
The group's research, was published in the British Journal of Nutrition. Arjmandi conducted the research with his graduate students Shirin Hooshmand, Sheau C. Chai and Raz L. Saadat of the College of Human Sciences; Dr. Kenneth Brummel-Smith, Florida State's Charlotte Edwards Maguire Professor and chairman of the Department of Geriatrics in the College of Medicine; and Oklahoma State University statistics Professor Mark E. Payton.
In the United States, about 8 million women have osteoporosis because of the sudden cessation of ovarian hormone production at the onset of menopause. What's more, about 2 million men also have osteoporosis.
"In the first five to seven postmenopausal years, women are at risk of losing bone at a rate of 3 to 5 percent per year," Arjmandi said. "However, osteoporosis is not exclusive to women and, indeed, around the age of 65, men start losing bone with the same rapidity as women."
Arjmandi encourages people who are interested in maintaining or improving their bone health to take note of the extraordinarily positive effect that dried plums have on bone density.
"Don't wait until you get a fracture or you are diagnosed with osteoporosis and have to have prescribed medicine," Arjmandi said. "Do something meaningful and practical beforehand. People could start eating two to three dried plums per day and increase gradually to perhaps six to 10 per day. Prunes can be eaten in all forms and can be included in a variety of recipes."
Source : Science Daily
Link to Source
Daily Apple versus Dried Plum: Impact on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Postmenopausal Women.
Chai SC, Hooshmand S, Saadat RL, Payton ME, Brummel-Smith K, Arjmandi BH.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that consumption of apple or its bioactive components modulate lipid metabolism and reduce the production of proinflammatory molecules. However, there is a paucity of such research in human beings.
OBJECTIVE: Women experience a lower rate of cardiovascular disease before menopause compared with men. However, after the onset of menopause, the risk of cardiovascular disease increases drastically due to ovarian hormone deficiency. Hence, we conducted a 1-year clinical trial to evaluate the effect of dried apple vs dried plum consumption in reducing cardiovascular disease risk factors in postmenopausal women.
DESIGN: One-hundred sixty qualified postmenopausal women were recruited from the greater Tallahassee, FL, area during 2007-2009 and were randomly assigned to one of two groups: dried apple (75 g/day) or dried plum (comparative control). Fasting blood samples were collected at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months to measure various parameters. Physical activity recall and 7-day dietary recall were also obtained.
RESULTS: Neither of the dried fruit regimens significantly affected the participants' reported total energy intake throughout the study period. On the contrary, women who consumed dried apple lost 1.5 kg body weight by the end of the study, albeit not significantly different from the dried plum group. In terms of cholesterol, serum total cholesterol levels were significantly lower in the dried apple group compared with the dried plum group only at 6 months. Although dried plum consumption did not significantly reduce serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, it lowered their levels numerically by 3.5% and 8%, respectively, at 12 months compared with baseline. This may explain the lack of significance observed between the groups. However, within the group, women who consumed dried apple had significantly lower serum levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 9% and 16%, respectively, at 3 months compared with baseline. These serum values were further decreased to 13% and 24%, respectively, after 6 months but stayed constant thereafter. The within-group analysis also reported that daily apple consumption profoundly improved atherogenic risk ratios, whereas there were no significant changes in lipid profile or atherogenic risk ratios as a result of dried plum consumption. Both dried fruits were able to lower serum levels of lipid hydroperoxide and C-reactive protein. However, serum C-reactive protein levels were significantly lower in the dried plum group compared with the dried apple group at 3 months.
CONCLUSIONS: There were no significant differences between the dried apple and dried plum groups in altering serum levels of atherogenic cholesterols except total cholesterol at 6 months. However, when within treatment group comparisons are made, consumption of 75 g dried apple (about two medium-sized apples) can significantly lower atherogenic cholesterol levels as early as 3 months. Furthermore, consumption of dried apple and dried plum are beneficial to human health in terms of anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties.
Source : J Acad Nutr Diet. 2012 Aug;112(8):1158-68.
Link to Abstract
Prunes Vs Psyllium for Constipation
Fifty grams of prunes, providing a daily fiber dose of 6 grams, outperformed an equal fiber dose from psyllium for constipation relief over three weeks, with the fruit’s laxative effects linked to its sorbitol, fiber, and polyphenol contents, according to findings of a study supported by the California Dried Plum Board.
“Given their palatability, tolerability and availability, dried plums should be considered in the initial approach to the management of mild to moderate constipation in the general population,” write the authors, led by Satish Rao, MD, PhD., from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics.
The stats
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK), over four million Americans suffer from constipation every year. As a result, approximately $725 million is spent on laxatives in the US.
Constipation, considered a symptom and not a disease, is defined as fewer than three bowel movements per week.
Dietary approaches to alleviate constipation are well known, with prunes ranking high on the list of foods to help maintain regularity. However, while traditional use is well known, the University of Iowa researchers state that efficacy of this approach is not currently known.
Indeed, the European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA) Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) rejected an article 13.1 health claim in October 2010 of the long-standing association between prunes and bowel function due to insufficient evidence. The new study appears to fill some of the scientific gaps.
Study details
Dr Rao and his co-workers recruited 40 people with constipation to participate in their randomized control crossover trial. The average age of the participants was 38. Volunteers were randomly assigned to consume 50 grams per day of prunes, or 11 grams per day of psyllium (Metamucil, Proctor and Gamble Pharmaceuticals) for three weeks. One week of ‘washout’ separated the interventions.
Results showed that daily prune consumption significantly improved spontaneous bowel movements per week, compared with psyllium. The prune intervention increased spontaneous bowel movements per week from an average of 1.8 at the start of the study to 3.5, while psyllium was associated with an increase from an initial average of 1.6 to 2.8.
In addition, stool consistency measures also improved more in the prune group, compared with psyllium.
In terms of tolerability and palatability, there were no reported differences between prunes and psyllium, said the researchers.
“These findings confirm the general notion that dried plums that are widely consumed can be useful for the treatment of constipation,” wrote the authors.
Active ingredients
Commenting on the potential benefits of prunes, the authors note that prunes contain about 15 grams of sorbitol per 100 grams, and this is known to act as an “osmotic laxative and holds on to water”, while there is also 184 milligrams of polyphenols per 100 grams, and six grams of fiber per 100 grams.
“Since we tested an equivalent dose of dietary fiber, it is likely that the clinical improvement observed with dried plums is most likely due to the other beneficial components of plums over and above its fiber content and ⁄ or the blend of soluble and insoluble fiber in this compound,” they added.
Source: Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics
Volume 33, Issue 7, April 2011, Pages: 822–828, DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2011.04594.x
“Randomised clinical trial: dried plums (prunes) vs. psyllium for constipation”
Authors: A. Attaluri, R. Donahoe, J. Valestin, K. Brown and S. S. C. Rao
Source : Nutraingredients (07/03/2011)
Link to Source