Arjmandi Bahram H, Johnson Sarah A, Pourafshar Shirin, Navaei Negin, George Kelli S, Hooshmand Shirin, Chai Sheau C, Akhavan Neda S
Department of Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences, College of Human Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA.
Center for Advancing Exercise and Nutrition Research on Aging (CAENRA), College of Human Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA.
Nutrients. 2017 May 14;9(5):496. doi: 10.3390/nu9050496.
Osteoporosis is an age-related chronic disease characterized by a loss of bone mass and quality, and is associated with an increased risk of fragility fractures. Postmenopausal women are at the greatest risk of developing osteoporosis due to the cessation in ovarian hormone production, which causes accelerated bone loss. As the demographic shifts to a more aged population, a growing number of postmenopausal women will be afflicted with osteoporosis. Certain lifestyle factors, including nutrition and exercise, are known to reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis and therefore play an important role in bone health. In terms of nutrition, accumulating evidence suggests that dried plum ( L.) is potentially an efficacious intervention for preventing and reversing bone mass and structural loss in an ovariectomized rat model of osteoporosis, as well as in osteopenic postmenopausal women. Here, we provide evidence supporting the efficacy of dried plum in preventing and reversing bone loss associated with ovarian hormone deficiency in rodent models and in humans. We end with the results of a recent follow-up study demonstrating that postmenopausal women who previously consumed 100 g dried plum per day during our one-year clinical trial conducted five years earlier retained bone mineral density to a greater extent than those receiving a comparative control. Additionally, we highlight the possible mechanisms of action by which bioactive compounds in dried plum exert bone-protective effects. Overall, the findings of our studies and others strongly suggest that dried plum in its whole form is a promising and efficacious functional food therapy for preventing bone loss in postmenopausal women, with the potential for long-lasting bone-protective effects.
骨质疏松症是一种与年龄相关的慢性疾病,其特征是骨量和骨质流失,并与脆性骨折风险增加相关。绝经后女性由于卵巢激素分泌停止而面临患骨质疏松症的最大风险,这会导致骨质加速流失。随着人口结构向老龄化转变,越来越多的绝经后女性将患上骨质疏松症。某些生活方式因素,包括营养和运动,已知可降低患骨质疏松症的风险,因此在骨骼健康中起着重要作用。在营养方面,越来越多的证据表明,李属(Prunus)的西梅干可能是一种有效的干预措施,可预防和逆转骨质疏松症去卵巢大鼠模型以及骨质减少的绝经后女性的骨量和结构损失。在此,我们提供证据支持西梅干在预防和逆转啮齿动物模型和人类中与卵巢激素缺乏相关的骨质流失方面的功效。我们最后给出了一项近期随访研究的结果,该研究表明,在我们五年前进行的为期一年的临床试验中,每天食用100克西梅干的绝经后女性,其骨矿物质密度的保留程度比接受对照的女性更高。此外,我们强调了西梅干中的生物活性化合物发挥骨骼保护作用的可能作用机制。总体而言,我们和其他研究的结果强烈表明,完整形态的西梅干是预防绝经后女性骨质流失的一种有前景且有效的功能性食品疗法,具有长期骨骼保护作用的潜力。