• Prunes are plums — To put it simply, prunes are dried plums, and while not all plums can be turned into prunes, all prunes used to be plums. In particular, a variety called "French" or "d’Agen" is used to make prunes, due to their large size and high natural sugar content.¹

• Majority of prunes come from California — In the U.S., 99% of the prunes are grown in this state. California prunes also make up 70% of the global production, according to the University of California’s Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. France, Chile, and Argentina are other major producers of this product.²

• Prunes are versatile — They are used as a sugar or fat substitute, enjoyed as a snack or dessert, or added to savory dishes, such as in Mediterranean cuisine. They also have a longer shelf life than plums.

• Their dark color says a lot about their nutrient profile — Prunes are high in antioxidants called polyphenols, which give fruits and vegetables their vibrant color. The dark color of prunes is a testament to their high polyphenol content. Other nutrients in this fruit include fiber, vitamin K, potassium, copper, and magnesium³ — all of which may contribute to its many benefits, such as for bone health.

• Postmenopausal women were the main focus of the study — The researchers followed 235 postmenopausal women around 62 years old, who were split into three randomized groups — one group didn’t eat any prunes, another group ate about four to six prunes (around 50 grams) a day, and the last group ate about 10 to 12 prunes (around 100 grams) a day.

• They used advanced 3D imaging to track bone changes — For a year, they tracked the women who participated, evaluating their bone health status every six months. "[T]hey were assessed using a peripheral quantitative computed tomography, or pQCT, scan, which allows for cross-sectional imaging to measure 3D bone mass density, bone geometry, and bone strength," SciTechDaily reported.

• Here’s what they found — The women who didn’t eat prunes lost bone strength and bone density in their tibia (shinbone) during the observation period. Meanwhile, those who ate at least four to six prunes per day maintained both, particularly in the cortical bone (the stronger and denser outer shell of the bone).

While both prune-eating groups saw benefits, many of those who were consuming 100 grams per day dropped out of the study, mainly because they became tired of incorporating so many prunes into their daily diet.

"This is the first randomized controlled trial to look at three-dimensional bone outcomes with respect to bone structure, geometry and estimated strength," Mary Jane De Souza, a professor of kinesiology and physiology at Penn State and one of the study authors, said.

"In our study we saw that daily prune consumption impacted factors related to fracture risk. That’s clinically invaluable."⁵

• One of the most important details here is what part of the bone was preserved — The tibia has two layers — an outer hard layer called cortical bone and an inner spongier layer called trabecular bone. The cortical layer is especially important because it carries the load of your body weight, so when it starts to thin, your bones are more likely to crack or break.

In the prune-eating groups, cortical bone strength and thickness stayed intact. But in the women who skipped prunes, those outer walls started to erode. That puts them at greater risk for fractures.

• Your bones are constantly changing — Your bone undergoes remodeling through specialized cells called osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Osteoclasts break old bones while osteoblasts replace them with new material. However, as you grow older, your osteoblasts cells no longer work as fast as they used to; osteoclasts take over, causing an imbalance. As a result, bone breaks faster as the rebuilding process slows down.

This puts you at risk of osteoporosis, increasing your chances of falls, fractures, and other bone injuries.

• Half of all women over 50 will experience a bone fracture — According to the National Institutes of Health, 50% of postmenopausal women will have a fracture, whether in their hip, wrist, or spine, during their lifetime. And among those who get a hip fracture, only one-third will be able to resume their normal life.⁶

• Low estrogen during your postmenopausal years speeds up osteoporosis — Estrogen is crucial for bone health, but after menopause, your estrogen production declines. This causes you to lose more bone density, which is why postmenopausal women have a higher osteoporosis risk.

• The compounds in prunes interfere with this destructive cycle — The researchers believe that the polyphenols in prunes help lower levels of inflammation, which accelerates bone breakdown, in the body. Chronic low-grade inflammation is a quiet but steady driver of many aging-related diseases, including osteoporosis. By calming this inflammation, prunes help tip the balance back in favor of bone-building cells.

• Studies also point to prunes’ effects on the gut microbiome — The researchers have published a follow-up study looking at how prunes influence the gut microbiome, which in turn impacts bone metabolism. They found that participants with certain gut microbiome reap the bone health benefits of prunes.

"We identified several microbiome and human health variables associated with responders to prune supplementation. These factors may be involved in the mechanisms underlying the bone-protective effects of prune supplementation in postmenopausal women," the researchers reported.

• Prunes help protect you from cardiovascular diseases — A study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food found that consuming 50 to 100 grams of prunes daily helped lower heart disease risk factors among postmenopausal women.⁷ These include cholesterol, oxidative stress, and inflammation. The potassium in prunes also helps maintain healthy blood pressure levels.⁸

• They also help give your brain a boost — Prunes promote good circulation, meaning that they also support brain health. Registered dietitian Serena Ball comments, "Good circulation to the heart means good circulation to the brain, which can decrease the risk of brain degeneration." In turn, this can protect against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

And because your gut and brain are closely intertwined, anything that helps promote optimal gut health helps support brain health, too, affecting your mood, behavior, and even your immune function.

• Prunes promote healthy weight management — The sweetness of prunes comes from sorbitol, a complex carbohydrate that is metabolized slowly in your body. But just because they are sweet doesn’t mean they add inches to your waist. In fact, a study conducted by De Souza and her team found that women who consumed moderate amounts of prunes for a year did not develop any negative metabolic effects, like increased waist circumference.

• Dried fruits like prunes may help reduce your risk of Type 2 diabetes — Diabetics are often advised to avoid prunes, dried apricots, and raisins because of their sugar content; however, a 2024 study provided surprising insights. The researchers found that a higher consumption of dried fruits was associated with a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes.⁹

• Address your nutrient deficiencies — You need to get enough calcium, since almost 98% of this mineral present in your body is found in your bones. However, along with boosting your calcium, you also need to have optimal levels of vitamin D, magnesium, and vitamin K2 (MK-7).

This combination of nutrients allows calcium to be better absorbed and distributed throughout your body, so it reaches your bones and teeth instead of being deposited in your arteries, where it increases your risk of heart disease.

• Get enough protein, particularly collagen — About 30% of your bone is collagen, making it an essential dietary component to prevent bone loss. As a general guideline, you want approximately 15% of your daily calories to be protein, with collagen making up one-third of it (5%).

The best way to get more collagen into your diet is by making bone broth from organic grass fed animal bones. Slow-cooking or pressure cooking more gelatinous cuts of meat is another option, as are collagen and gelatin supplements.

• Get enough exercise — Weight bearing exercises and strength training will improve both muscle and bone strength. One study also notes that resistance training, as well as aerobic training, positively benefits bone density.¹⁰

• Make healthy lifestyle choices — Choices that negatively affect bone health include smoking, drinking alcohol, and consuming soft drinks (as well as other ultraprocessed foods and beverages). Being constantly sedentary also harms your bone health.