A Prevention Strategy for the Indication of Prune Consumption in Perimenopausal Females: Can Prunes Attenuate Bone Loss?
Penn State University
Summary
Dietary interventions of prune consumption during the transmenopausal period are innovative methods to prevent bone loss. Modern medicine does not intervene to prevent or attenuate this highly vulnerable period of bone loss which, if successfully attenuated, can potentially prevent/delay osteoporosis in women. The transmenopausal period represents an opportunistic window for the study because bone loss is at its greatest at this time, with females losing as much as 6-7% of bone. If this project is successful at attenuating bone loss, it can immediately be disseminated to the public to promote prune consumption to slow down and attenuate perimenopausal bone loss. As such, this project could improve the long-term bone health of females and avoid or delay osteoporosis and improve quality of life. The long-term goal of this study is to test the novel hypothesis that prune consumption for 18 months during the 3-year transmenopausal period prevents the dramatic rate of bone loss in perimenopausal females during a window of heightened physiological vulnerability. At Penn State University, the study will compare the effects of 18 months of daily dietary consumption of 50 g of prunes (5-6) versus a no-prune control group on bone outcomes (bone mineral density, bone geometry), mechanistic factors (bone and inflammatory markers, inflammatory response of ex vivo cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells, monocytes), and gut microbiome.
Description
Females spend at least one-third of their lifespan after menopause, therefore strategies that improve the long-term health of women and engage a prevention strategy to improve health are warranted and represent opportunities for high impact and high return on investment. After menopause, one in two females will suffer a fragility fracture in their lifetime, and the mortality rate after a hip fracture is as high as 25%. Moreover, since osteoporosis-related treatment costs more than $100 billion worldwide, strategies that focus on the prevention of osteoporosis-related fragility fractures are wa…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 44–55 years
- Sex
- Female
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 44 to 55 years * Not severely obese (BMI \<35 kg/m\^2) * Healthy (determined by a screening questionnaire, physical and medical history by a certified nurse practitioner, complete metabolic panel, and complete blood count) * Willing to include prunes in their daily diet * Not taking any natural dietary supplement containing phenolics, i.e.,\< 1 cup/day of blueberries or apples for at least 2 months prior to study entry * Non-smoking * Ambulatory * No menses for ≥60 days but not more than 18 months post final menstrual period * Only participants who have a determinabl…
Interventions
- Dietary SupplementPrunes
Participants randomized to the 50g prune group will consume 6 prunes per day for the duration of the 18-month intervention.
- Dietary SupplementCalcium supplement
All participants will consume calcium supplements daily for a baseline period and for the duration of the 18-month intervention.
- Dietary SupplementVitamin D Supplement
All participants will consume Vitamin D supplements daily for a baseline period and for the duration of the 18-month intervention.
Location
- Women's Health and Exercise Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park, Pennsylvania