California Prunes and Royal Osteoporosis Society renew ‘bone-friendly’ partnership for fourth year

Leading bone health charity, the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS), has teamed up with California Prunes for a fourth successive year. The partnership will continue to highlight the positive effects prunes can have on maintaining healthy bones thanks to their nutritional profile. 

California Prunes are high in vitamin K and a source of manganese, both of which contribute to the maintenance of normal bones. They became the first natural food to be awarded ‘Bone Health Approved’ status by the ROS in 2022.

A series of recent studies have revealed the impact a daily serving of prunes can have on bone health at every age, including research among 18- to 25-year-old women published last year by the American Society of Nutrition[1]. It showed that a handful of prunes per day may reduce the risk of bone loss associated with oral contraceptive use, with bone mineral density at the ultradistal radius increasing significantly among women taking oral contraceptives plus 50 grams of prunes daily over 12 months. 

The bone-protective effects of prunes on post-menopausal women have also been highlighted, with a study published in Osteoporosis International showing that postmenopausal women who ate prunes daily for a year preserved certain measures of bone structure and estimated bone strength as compared to women who didn’t eat prunes[2]. 

The Bone Health Accreditation scheme was set up by the ROS to signpost people to food and drink, supplements and living aid choices that can aid better bone health as part of its mission to beat osteoporosis. Statistics from the charity, which recently announced it is scaling up its work to get early diagnosis services set up across the UK, reveal that 2,500 people die from hip fractures each year.

Ruth Wakeman, Director of Services, Influencing and Innovation says: “We are delighted to partner again with California Prunes for 2025. A healthy, balanced diet including vitamins and nutrients from foods like prunes is important to help your bones stay healthy and strong.”

Esther Ritson-Elliott, Director of International Marketing and Communications for CPB concludes: “California Prunes are a nutrient-rich source of bone-friendly vitamin K and minerals like manganese, copper and potassium. We’re delighted to have partnered with the Royal Osteoporosis Society again for 2025 to highlight how consuming nutritious and natural foods like California Prunes can play a part in improving skeletal health.” 

For information on the benefits of California Prunes, visit www.californiaprunes.net

[1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2475299124023515

[2] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00198-024-07031-6

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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