The Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation (BHOF) and Sunsweet Growers, Inc., Create New Resource Highlighting the Importance of Good Nutrition for Building and Maintaining Healthy Bones
October 20, 2022 (Arlington, VA) – The Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation (BHOF) is pleased to partner with Sunsweet to commemorate World Osteoporosis Day today by sharing a new resource on the essential role of a healthy diet in building and maintaining bone health throughout the lifespan.
Approximately 10 million Americans have osteoporosis and another 44 million have low bone mass1, increasing their risk of broken bones due to the disease. A healthy, well-balanced diet including fruits and vegetables, leafy greens, lean proteins, and important nutrients including calcium and vitamin D are critical for building strong bones while we’re young and maintaining strong bones as we age.
Fortunately, research shows that there are many important nutrients that we can get in our daily diet that will help to keep our bones strong and help to prevent fractures, which can be debilitating and often life-threatening.
“Prunes contain dietary fiber, vitamin K, boron, copper, magnesium, manganese and polyphenols, all of which work together as nutrient matrix to positivity impact bone health2,” explains Dr. Shirin Hooshmand, PhD, RD, Professor of Nutrition at San Diego State University and Sunsweet Growers partner. “New research supports that eating 5-6 prunes a day is a realistic whole-food strategy with clinically meaningful impacts for postmenopausal women at risk for bone fractures3.”
New educational resources can help put this research into action.
“We’re pleased to provide a simple and helpful new resource for the public and healthcare professionals to use to inspire better bone health and better overall health,” said Claire Gill, CEO, BHOF. “We’re grateful to Sunsweet for supporting our mission and helping to raise awareness about the role of good nutrition for bone health this World Osteoporosis Day.”
The Nutrition and Bone Health Fact Sheet highlights how vitamins and minerals work together to improve overall bone health and offers simple tips for adding these vitamins and minerals into your diet.
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Media Contacts:
For BHOF, Carina May
cmay@bonehealthandosteoporosis.org
703-740-1764
For Sunsweet, Audrey Klackner
audrey.klackner@ketchum.com
About BHOF (formerly the NOF)
Established in 1984, the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation (formerly the National Osteoporosis Foundation) is the nation’s leading health organization dedicated to promoting strong bones for life, preventing osteoporosis and broken bones, and reducing human suffering through programs of awareness, education, advocacy, and research. For more information on the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation, visit https://www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org.
About Sunsweet Growers, Inc.
Sunsweet Growers Inc., established in 1917, has over 100 years of experience and heritage in producing the highest quality dried fruits and juices. The Yuba City, Calif.-based cooperative of 200+ grower/members is the worldwide leader in prunes and related products. The product portfolio includes a full line of dried fruit snacks and beverages, that help people achieve their wellness goals with healthy and convenient food choices. For more on Sunsweet products, visit http://www.Sunsweet.com.
1Wright NC, et al. JBMR doi:10.1002/jbmr2269 | Lindsay et al. Osteoporosis Int. 2005;16:78-85. Wright et al. J Bone Miner Res. 2014;29(11):2520-6.Burge et al. J Bone Miner Res. 2007;22(3):465-75.
2Arjmandi, et al. Nutrients. Bone-Protective Effects of Dried Plum in Postmenopausal Women: Efficacy and Possible Mechanisms. 2017, 9, 496; doi:10.3390/nu9050496
3De Souza, et al. Am J Clin Nutr. Prunes preserve hip bone mineral density in a 12-month randomized controlled trial in postmenopausal women: the Prune Study. 2022, doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqac189.