Prunes (Dried Plums) and bone density
What 7 graded rows on prunes (dried plums) agree on for bone density, and where they differ. Counted side by side, never averaged.
Consensus finder Rows from the Prunes (Dried Plums) page, reviewed Oct 21, 2026 How it decides
What the rows agree on
Each block and row is one graded row from the Prunes (Dried Plums) page, with its PubMed record.
Your question
Prunes (Dried Plums) and bone density
7 rows · 1,550 peopleSplit. 4 rows found an improvement, 2 found no difference and 1 had mixed results.
- CGrade C× 5
- ∅No effect× 2
- Rows
- 7
- Trials
- 17
- People
- 1,550
- Pooled reviews may count some twice
Where they differ
From the rowsThe best-graded row, grade C, is a meta-analysis of 747 people (2026) and reported mixed results. 2 rows are graded No effect, our grade for adequately powered trials that found no effect.
The 4 rows that found an improvement were larger: a median of 198 people, against a median of 63 people for the 2 rows that found no difference.
Only the 4 rows that found an improvement name women and older adults in their population. Only the 2 rows that found no difference name men in their population.
1 row with mixed results is left out of this comparison.
The rows
4 improved · 2 no difference · 1 mixed- CGrade CTibia cortical density and estimated bone strength · Improved
RCT · n 235 · 2024 · The same postmenopausal women as the Prune Study
50 g or 100 g a day (pooled) · 12 months
Cortical density (p = 0.012) and estimated strength (p = 0.024) of the tibia fell in controls but did not change in the pooled prune groups.
Row on the Prunes (Dried Plums) page · PubMed 38349471 (opens PubMed)
- CGrade CTotal hip bone density in postmenopausal women · Improved
RCT · n 235 · 2022 · Postmenopausal women (mean age 62) in the US
50 g or 100 g a day · 12 months
Total hip bone density fell 1.1% in controls but only 0.3% with 50 g a day (P < 0.05); the 100 g group did not differ from control and had 41% dropout.
Row on the Prunes (Dried Plums) page · PubMed 35798020 (opens PubMed)
- CGrade CSpine and forearm bone density vs dried apple · Improved
RCT · n 160 · 2011 · Osteopenic women 1 to 10 years past menopause, all given calcium and vitamin D
100 g a day · 12 months
Dried plum raised ulna and spine bone density compared with dried apple, and lowered bone-turnover markers vs baseline.
Row on the Prunes (Dried Plums) page · PubMed 21736808 (opens PubMed)
- CGrade CWhole-body bone density in older osteopenic women · Improved
RCT · n 48 · 2016 · Osteopenic postmenopausal women aged 65 to 79
50 g or 100 g a day · 6 months
Both doses kept whole-body bone density from falling compared with control (P < 0.05), and the bone-breakdown marker TRAP-5b fell.
Row on the Prunes (Dried Plums) page · PubMed 26902092 (opens PubMed)
- ∅No effectBone density and strength in men · No difference
RCT · n 66 · 2022 · Adult men (age range not given in the abstract)
100 g a day · 12 months
Bone density of the total body, spine, hip and ulna did not change in either group; bone-breakdown markers TRAP5b and CTX fell with dried plum vs baseline.
Row on the Prunes (Dried Plums) page · PubMed 34714130 (opens PubMed)
- ∅No effectBone density in older men with low bone mass · No difference
RCT · n 59 · 2026 · Men aged 55 to 80 with or at risk of osteopenia, all given calcium and vitamin D3
50 g or 100 g a day · 12 months
Total and lumbar bone density did not change beyond what calcium and vitamin D3 achieved; the authors call marker differences exploratory.
Row on the Prunes (Dried Plums) page · PubMed 42356242 (opens PubMed)
- CGrade CBone density, pooled trials · Mixed
Meta-analysis, 11 studies · n 747 · 2026 · Participants in 11 randomised trial reports; the spine result is for postmenopausal women
50–100 g a day · Varied
Lumbar spine density was borderline higher with prunes in postmenopausal women (SMD 1.30, 95% CI −0.03 to 2.63; I² = 98%). No other bone site and no bone-turnover marker differed from control.
Row on the Prunes (Dried Plums) page · PubMed 42123941 (opens PubMed)