Are you worried about the health of your bones?

We all know that milk and all its products are great sources of calcium, but what if you are not a big fun of yogurt or cheese. There is an alternative! It may come as a big surprise to many but prunes are emerging as a new superfruit. Modern research continues to confirm their cancer fighting properties, cholesterol and blood pressure lowering abilities which decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease and an amazing source of soluble and insoluble fibre which is essential for regularity and good gut health.

But did you know that prunes help to built strong bones?

In a surpising new study conducted at Florida State University, researchers discovered that eating 10 to 12 prunes per day can actually reverse bone loss in postmenopausal women.

According to lead researcher Dr. B. Arjmandi, prunes work by stimulating osteoblasts, enabling them to promote new bone formation. The researches believe this may be due to prune’s high boron content.

Boron helps regulate mineral metobolism and optimizes estrogen levels, which in turn increases calcium absorption. Additionially, boron helps convert vitamin D to its active form, which helps the osteoblasts utilize calcium for bone formation.

Impressed? Consider this: the unheralded prune also contains other nutrients essential for bone health, such as potassium, magnesium, and vitamin K.

So, next time you are in the grocery store include prunes in your basket to promote strong bones in your children or restore their strength in adult family members. Prunes are not your “grandma’s fruit”, they are the original superfruit.

Adopted from “Alive” magazine, April 2011