New research published in Nutrients provides evidence that prunes are a prebiotic food that reverses bone loss in mice. The researchers in the study found that carbohydrates and polyphenols from prunes act as prebiotics and help restore bone health.
“Both the carbohydrate component and the polyphenols in prunes altered the intestinal microbiota and were associated with positive effects on bone, i.e. bone restoration. By definition, prebiotics are substrates that alter the composition or activity of the microbiota and bring benefits to the health of the individual, ”explained lead researcher Brenda Smith, PhD, a professor in the University of Indiana School of Medicine. In this case the benefit conferred was the restoration of bone loss.
In previous studies, prunes have been found to stimulate favorable changes in the intestinal microbiota and protect bone health. These effects have been largely attributed to their polyphenolic compounds; however, the exact mechanisms and contribution of other important nutrients, such as carbohydrates, have not been clear.
In this study, the researchers isolated polyphenol (PP) and carbohydrate (CHO) compounds from prunes and fed them to two separate groups of estrogen-deficient female mice with substantial bone loss for 5 to 10 years. weeks. For comparison, three additional groups of mice were assigned to diets containing whole plums, a raw plum extract with PP and CHO components, or a diet consisting of no plums or plum components, which served as the control group. All diets were comparable in macronutrients.
Compared to mice that did not consume any plum or plum component, those that consumed CHO isolated, PP isolated, raw whole plum extract, or whole plums experienced previously restored bone loss. These mice also showed a significant increase in the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) in their intestines, as well as favorable changes in their intestinal microbiota. In particular, the researchers saw increases in n-butyrate and SCFA propionate, which are believed to be most effective in preventing bone loss by suppressing biomarkers associated with bone degradation. These observations suggest that plums and the components of plums can affect the gut in a way that helps to improve mineral absorption, immune system processes, and the integrity of the intestinal barrier, all of which can affect hormones. , metabolites and immune cells that play a role in bone. Health.
The researchers also reported that CHO independently showed the ability to restore bone at the beginning of the study, while the effect of PP on bone became evident and more important later.
“While we think both have prebiotic activity, these prebiotics are probably produced by different mechanisms,” Smith said. He added that his findings favor the consumption of whole plums “so that you get part of the short-term benefits of carbohydrates and the long-term benefit of polyphenols.”
Smith noted that the vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds in prunes can also contribute to the benefits of bones and the gut. This research brings us closer to understanding the unique attributes of prunes while emphasizing the importance of eating the fruit in its entirety.
This study is one of several recent or current studies that are further exploring the benefits of prunes and their specific components in different health conditions. Additional studies to be presented or published in the short term will investigate the relationship between plum consumption and inflammation in postmenopausal women, glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in mice, and colon cancer suppression in rats. These studies are expected to be based on the set of existing evidence pointing to prunes as a food that supports bones and intestines.
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Magazine reference:
Smith BJ, Hatter B, Washburn K, Graef-Downard J, Ojo BA, El-Rassi GD, Cichewicz RH, Payton M, Lucas EA. Nutrients. Polyphenolic compounds and carbohydrates from prunes contribute to their osteoprotective effects and show prebiotic activity in C57BL / 6 mice with estrogen deficiency