National Cholesterol Month: California Prune Board champions role prunes can play in supporting heart health

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death and disability, which costs the NHS more than £7 billion a year. With elevated LDL (low-density lipoprotein) or ‘bad’ cholesterol one of the most significant risk factors for CVD, tackling it with a balanced diet could help make a difference to cholesterol levels. 

This week marks the start of National Cholesterol Month, with charity Heart UK highlighting the importance of a healthy diet alongside keeping active, stopping smoking and accessing medical treatment to lower cholesterol. Boosting fibre intake by eating more fruit and vegetables such as prunes can play a key role, with the California Prune Board highlighting recent studies showing the beneficial effects prunes can have on heart health:

·      A 2024 study revealed how prunes may help reduce belly fat and the risk for cardiovascular disease. The research, published in the Journal of Nutrition showed that eating 100 grams of prunes daily may help prevent changes in fat distribution around the central region of the body, especially belly fat. The increase of belly fat is common in postmenopausal women and when excessive, can be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease

·      Research published in the Journal of Medicinal Food in 2021 revealed that postmenopausal women who ate 50 to 100 grams of prunes daily over a six-month period reduced their levels of total cholesterol, oxidative stress, and inflammatory markers - risk factors for cardiovascular disease - when compared to a group that did not include prunes in their diet

·      In 2023, a research abstract presented at the American Society for Nutrition’s annual conference showed how, in a small group of older men, long-term prune consumption improved HDL (good) cholesterol and the total cholesterol to HDL ratio, while decreasing oxidative stress and the inflammatory biomarker C-reactive protein

Esther Ritson-Elliott, Director of International Marketing and Communications for the California Prune Board explains: “According to Heart UK, cutting down on saturated fat and boosting fibre can help lower cholesterol. As a simple and portable snack and versatile ingredient, the nutritious benefits of California Prunes can play a key role in supporting that.

“With research showing the positive effects prunes can have on heart health as well as gut and bone health, we want to showcase California Prunes as a naturally sweet and juicy alternative to processed foods, with the added benefit of being high in fibre, free from fat and a source of other important nutrients.”

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Editors notes

The California Prune Board was established in 1952 to represent growers and handlers under the authority of the California Secretary of Food and Agriculture. California is the world’s largest producer of prunes with orchards across 14 counties in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys. Promoting a lifetime of wellness through the enjoyment of California Prunes, the organisation leads the premium prune category with generations of craftsmanship supported by California’s leading food safety and sustainability standards. California Prunes. Prunes. For life.

www.californiaprunes.net