Since I was diagnosed with osteoporosis last October, I read about prunes then. I added 10 daily. I don’t eat hardly any carbs ( no white stuff or processed food) and I started concentrating on adding badly needed protein and the recommended supplements. I also cut sugar and alcohol..I keep my “serving “ of prunes on the counter and eat a few with each meal or as a snack. I LOVE them and always sad when done😂. I get them at Costco snd they are very cost effective there and super delicious. I add one other fruit, usually an apple, daily..sometimes watermelon. I have zero problems from the prunes.. I think they have really helped my gut. I feel amazing and I just know they are helping. If I can maintain/ improve and stop more loss, it’s what I strive for. Thanks for addressing this timely subject. I wish people would be less judgmental of this amazing little fruit. It is a great addition to your healthy lifestyle. We all need more fiber too!!
@@Dr_DougLucas forgot to add all the exercises I do.. but it is a process and I’m not afraid to do the work. Thanks for your videos. Very helpful channel!
@@charlenetaub1701 It all depends on your own carb tolerance. If a patient struggles with diabetes or metabolic syndrome we don't recommend this option.
I heard about the benefits of prunes for osteoporosis about six months ago and have been eating 5-6 a day since then. I like prunes and figured it wouldn’t hurt. But I feel better about it since you’ve put your ‘stamp of approval’ on it. Thank you for reviewing the research and giving us the straight information
I read that the high boron content of prunes was also a factor. I don’t like prunes that much but there are other foods that I do like such as avocado, celery and apples with good boron content. It can’t hurt to eat these foods regularly and they may just help in a ‘covering all your bases’ way!
I started the prune regiment of five prunes a day a couple years ago and about three months in I woke up in the middle of the night in extreme pain with my knee the size of a cantaloupe. To my surprise my doctor diagnosed me with my first ever case of gout and told me to stop the prunes. I haven’t had gout since. I’m extremely disappointed that I can’t use prunes as part of my Osteoperosis diet.
Hi Ralph, Sorry to hear that. I treated a lot of gout in orthopedic practice and when treating patients coached them on the diet that worsens gout. The traditional recommendations of avoiding purines is misguided and doesn't seem to help. Avoiding meat and seafood is not necessary for most of my patients. Avoiding fructose (sugar) and alcohol is. If one of my patients wanted to include prunes in their diet I would encourage them to look at all the other sources of fructose and eliminate them hopefully leaving room for the prunes in their daily carbohydrate intake. I hope that helps.
Not heard of this before. I have 5/6 prunes every day with my breakfast as a way of keeping my IBS stable, along with other fresh in season fruits, all mixed in with my porridge, some chopped nuts (almonds or walnuts) and a good quality unsweetened Greek style yoghurt. This breakfast really sets me up for the day. I am pleased to know that my daily gut dose of prunes is also protecting my bones. Thanks for sharing.
@@debbimorgon2988 Hi there. Walnuts are better for what? Osteoporosis? Do you have any data to support that claim? Also, yogurt is a fantastic source of dietary fat, protein and calcium for those that tolerate it. Additionally, the fermentation adds additional benefit for gut health and if raw contains high amounts of lactoferrin which is shown to improve BMD.
At 76, I was just diagnosed with osteoporosis and CKD and prunes are a definitive NO for me. I’ve had Hypertension and gout You should mentioned a caveat on your recommendations because prunes are not recommended for CKD patients. I’ve been educated on RU-vid by these medical podcasts or channels and grateful, rarely do I hear about multiple diseases and the side effects of food choices. I googles my food choices with each diseases and became plant based, no process foods, no desserts just biscuits, no four legged animals, cutting out the salt and sugar. I hike, stair climb and other exercises with my Fitbit. I used to eat cherries which was good for Gout, but a concern for CKD patients. Unfortunately, you have to juggle your food choices.
Hello, CKD is always a challenge and that's why we insist that anyone discuss additional tools and foods with their health care team. The potassium level in prunes is high and CKD patients may not tolerate it. Patients without CKD likely benefit from it. CKD is tough and comes with many restrictions to help balance electrolytes. Protecting kidney's is important for optimized healthspan.
Im 71 and just got diagnosed with osteoporosis in lower spine. Osteoarthritis in upper spine. I lost use of my right kidney in 2017 from a renal embolism. ( blood clot) I got to nephrologist Thursday but my internal medicine dr ran labs 2 weeks ago ants said my kidney function. Has worsened. But i was dehydrated and praying it looks okay Thursday. My GFR is 39. So this news with having more protein and cks is scary. What does your fault neal planning consist if if i may ask.? I've cut processed. If i open a can of something i rinse eel to grey did of phosphates before heating and flavor with organic bone broth. A salad every day for sure. But now i just read how oxalates harm the kidney. Le what do we live off of anymore?
I am tolerating 6 prunes a day and am thinking of increasing the number. I also take 400 mg magnesium and 90 mcg of K2-MK7 daily. I was diagnosed with osteopenia at 2.1 in the arm and leg and 0.3 in the lumbar spine. The proof will be next February when I get the dexa scan.
Maybe prunes stop bone loss, but snacking on high carb, high fructose snacks throughout the day will most likely ruin your health otherwise. I would only trust a study that also checked for metabolic health outcomes as well (like hba1c, blood pressure, waist to height ratio, etc). Also watch out for preservatives.
Agree. I'm generally an advocate for carbohydrate restriction and we test these numbers on all our patients regularly so would catch rising levels. The literature does discuss this elsewhere and while they are high in carbohydrates they are also high in fiber which blunts the glucose spike after consumption. Most of my bone health patients tolerate carbohydrates pretty well but anyone with metabolic dysfunction should use cautiously. I believe. Said that in the video.
Great question! Checkout our health span nation if you have not yet, you get exclusive access to me and a community of people pursuing health and longevity. These are things that we discuss in there and it allows us to go into detail rather than doing short chats through this platform. You can find more information here --> www.drdouglucas.com/healthspan
I did read earthing can help too.I stay low carb but my bone health right now is hit’s on my health journey, so the extra carbs is fine with me,I read the runes can help sleep.Which is so important too for all round health…….
Indeed. Added sugar is inflammatory. Natural occurring sugars are less so and tolerated variably. I mention this in the video. Many people do not see an inflammatory response to natural sources of sugar but many should avoid it due to the carbohydrate content.
I tried doing the prune supplementation for a few months. I could only tolerate about 5 or 6 a day. But I had to stop because my blood potassium became abnormally high. After I stopped eating so many prunes the next test came out normal.
Since I am diabetic and must watch my carbs like a hawk, one prune ( 6 carbs ) will be all that I can safely eat. I don’t think one prune will be of any benefit, so I think I will bypass this particular health benefit.
Thank you Dr for the information iwill try it because i suffer so much since i was diagnosed with Osteoporosis itis a terrible disease thanks again God bless you bg
Good question. I’ve heard that before and I agree it seems logical however I’ve not seen studies on plums and there is evidence for prunes. It’s possible that something in the drying process, density etc may make prunes beneficial and plums not. Hard to say.
It's Wednesday 4pm here in Bangalore india. I've a question for Dr Lucas. Is it safe to use Oteofos 70 weekly for the treatment of Osteoporosis? I've been diagnosed with Osteoporosis and I'm 70 yrs old. I've been following your videos on this subject, I'm taking calcium, D3, cod liver pills, vit C, B complex, Apricots and prunes too. Is it safe to take Osteofos 70 to strengthen my bones. I've also started doing weight bearing exercises. What else should I do? Thanks in advance
Hello in India, Osteofos is a bisphosphonate drug which is commonly prescribed. I try to avoid these drugs as they significantly impact bone metabolism. They do reliably increase BMD but do so at a cost. Consider joining out masterclass to learn more tools you can consider.
@@Dr_DougLucas thank you for taking the trouble to answer. How do I go about joining your master class? My names Mariam Thomas and I think I'll discontinue the medication trusting you.
@@user-df8ii8yx9e HI Mariam, The link for the masterclass is in the video description. Let me know if you can't find it. Please discuss your medication with your team. There is a time and place for drugs and I cannot give medical advice through this platform.
@@user-df8ii8yx9ePlease don’t take any of these drugs that end in ‘fos’ the doctors who prescribe them don’t tell us the harm it can do. I was given an injection for bone density which required me to stay at hospital for few hours…it was thru IV infusion. Only after 2 days did I read about the horrible side effects of this injection. By grace of God I was spared sceptical that I had massive muscular pulls! Later I was asked to take one of those fos drugs but I stopped bcs I read that these fos drugs makes the bone brittle and there could be breakage of bone! Now am not taking any Calcium just trying out other food items to help. I have had thyroid nodules removed thus procedure bcs there was calcification. Here Doctors should give Calciumplus D3 plus K2 Mk7 but they are not. I am constantly worried about my bones bcs I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and now Thyroid too. Drugs for both are leeching away the calcium from bones! Why don’t they tell us the full truth the doctors! Now I do these toe heel exercise for few weeks now! ! I am furious that I didn’t have access to You tube or You tube came a bit too late in my life
Thank you Dr. I heard of this before and also saw a reel on prunes being eaten by astronauts. I grew up with the notion that prunes are what we eat only when we are constipated lol, because that is what our parents taught us. If it really helps with better bone health, why not. But 5-6 prunes seemed like a lot of condensed sugar, even I don't eat 5-6 fresh prunes a day. Will it be bad in relation to diabetes as people grow older and become less active? Hope to hear your thoughts on this. Btw, the stock footage at 0.56 is dates, not prunes. Your editor made a mistake there.
Thank you for pointing that out. 5-6 prunes per day is a fair amount of carbohydrate and would not be tolerated by those with metabolic disease. I believe we point that out in the video.
@@Dr_DougLucas Thanks Dr, that is definitely what was said in the video. But what I am asking is not about people who already have metabolic disease. it's about people who are healthy with adequate exercise but later on in life as we get older, our body may not be as healthy/optimal as before. Say we are healthy at age 50 and we eat 5-6 prunes a day without issues. If we want good bone health, we should be then eating this daily (amongst other things like exercise, etc) till age 60, 70, 80, 90...but if we can tolerate 5-6pcs at age 50 - 60 with no issues, can our body still tolerate the same pieces at age 70 and above? Thank u so much!
@@lebooshdiaries understood. It depends on the individual. I'm a big fan of regular biomarkers to catch insulin resistance early. If that is done someone could back down from their intake or eliminate it completely.
All great info! THANK YOU!! I’ve been searching for an imaging center which does REMS, which I learned from you. I am stuck after checking with hospital systems & private imaging centers. Can you help? I live in Central New Jersey. I have been diagnosed with Osteoporosis, have no physical limitations at 63 years young. Healthy habits etc. Was on Fosamax for 7 months but decided to quit the meds. Can you suggest where to look for REMS?
Great! I have some prunes in my cabinet that I haven’t touched? Thank you! I will bring them back out and start eating them. I just thought they had a lot of sugar, but if it helps my bones then bring on the prunes!
Darn, I like prunes but too high in carbs for me. I’ve looked at nutrition of pumpkin seeds, seems similar with calcium, potassium, magnesium …. Low carbs. Do you think this would be helpful Doctor?
Hi, what about people with high A1C, pre-diabetic... you mentioned that you're concerned with those that have to watch their carbohydrates. Are there other alternatives, like Psyllium Husk, that would give me the fiber benefit? Thanks for any insight you can provide.
Hello, Prunes are higher in carbohydrate and if someone has metabolic disease they would need to take this into consideration. They may stimulate too large a glucose spike.
Great question! Checkout our health span nation if you have not yet, you get exclusive access to me and a community of people pursuing health and longevity. These are things that we discuss in there and it allows us to go into detail rather than doing short chats through this platform. You can find more information here --> www.drdouglucas.com/healthspan
I just had my DEXA last WK, I have Osteopenia. My bone problem started 4mos after my completion thyroidectomy, on levothyroxine sodium & I've read this drug has a long-term side effect of boneloss. After thyroidectomy I lost menstruation, developed frozen shoulders bilateral in 6mos apart. My world fell apart, don't have a normal life since then
Thank you for sharing this. I am very sorry to hear that! Our free bone foundations course could be helpful to you if you are looking to jumpstart your bone health journey without the use of drugs. Our masterclass is also packed with great information on this. You can find links for both of those in the video description.
Hi Sheila, Tough topic to do a blanket video on. Gut health recommendations are very individualized and depend on factors derived from testing mixed with symptoms. Making a general gut health video may not serve our community as the recommendations may not apply globally.
These two have not been studies in parallel but boron is the likely beneficial component. I always prefer to get nutrients through Whole Foods when possible BUT if there is a side effect like elevated A1C switching to a targeted supplement would be indicated in my practice.
Hi, I am almost 75 years of age. I have been watching your RU-vid videos for some time now and would like your opinion on my problem. I have osteoporosis in my lumbar spine with a moderate risk of fracture, also in both knees. I also have extensive osteoporosis and bilateral TKR. As well as this I have Paget's disease in my thoracic spine T10. I have had 1 Aclasta Infusion some 18 months ago. Since then, the pain in my Lumbar spine has decreased considerably, but not completely. I am not sure whether I will have another infusion but was wondering what you think my weight bearing exercise regime should entail. No one ever talks about appropriate exercise for Paget's disease and Osteoporosis combined. If you could give me some advice in this matter so that I do not go off doing exercise which is not beneficial to both bone issues and especially not harmful either. Thank you for your time.
Hi there. Challenging topic. It’s hard to make recommendations in complex circumstances because we just don’t know what the risk is. I can’t make recommendations through RU-vid anyway but even in my own patients this would be a tough starting point.
I am a lady in my late 60 and I have a t score of < 2.8 after being on bisphfosnates for along time ,can I build up my bones naturally going forward. I'm very active doing weight bearing exercises every day. I don't drink or smoke I'm Irish
It's possible, yes. The drug effects will wear off and the bone's ability to grow will return. Creating a comprehensive program is critical for success though.
Hi Dr Lucas How are you?!!😃 Yes l ate 5 horrible prunes today 😖.l hate them but read that they are very good for osteoporosis.yuk!!!😄😄😄. Thankyou!!!! Cheers from ltalia.
Thanks for the prune info. I am willing to try it. Is the average weight of participants for the 5-6 prune recommendation important? I am asking because I am only 90 lbs. and wonder if I could do 'well' with only 4 daily maybe? Something more achievable? Elaine
Hi there, I don’t know if the mentioned the average weight of participants in the study but generally a large enough study if participants are recruited appropriately should deviate toward the average. It’s probably safe to assume that they were more average and a smaller person could get similar benefits from less than recommended in this study.
They all have benefits but we would look for the causes of osteoporosis, put a comprehensive plan in place to reverse those causes, stop bone loss and build bone!
The original study was done on rats. 1. Beef protein is by far superior for building muscle and bone. 2. Four prunes a day was the recommendation by the YT bone woman. 3. Another study revealed 50 up on the toes and down on the heels on a hard surface was enough to stimulate bone production. 4. Walking and hiking, not running, is better overall for our health. 5. Diet is extremely important. Alcohol, tobacco, many so-called foods, some sodas and many prescription drugs contribute to bone loss. 6. Keep in mind potassium can cause severe cramps and restless leg syndrome. Bananas, prunes, starches and potatoes just to name a few. Note: We ate prunes for three years every day. Meat was key.
I also heard about the benefits of the prunes for osteoporosis on one of the podcast last January of 2022. I have been eating 4 prunes every morning ever since. She also mention to soak the prunes with hot water overnight this will take off the sugar of the prunes and easy for digestion. I had my DXA on dec 2022, my t-score lumbar spine from -0.7 to 0.1, and femoral neck stays the same -2.5. I wasn't sure it is from the prunes itself because i am also taking calcium, vit d3 and k2, mg, vit c and hrt. Since watching your video maybe prunes are good for osteoporosis. I will start eating 6 prunes a day maybe it will improve my hip score next time. But, what do you think of soaking the prunes overnight, will it destroy some nutrient in it? Thanks for the video.
Hello, Congratulations on the improvements in your spine! Hopefully your hips will follow suit. As for soaking I'm not sure the impact that would have on the composition of nutrients either good or bad. A good functional nutritionist may be able to tell you.
@@paulineyu4472 Based on the prunes capacity to provoke bowel movements I'd eat them in the morning. Many people eat them throughout the day. Calcium absorption is limited when provided through supplementation so spreading this out and taking it with food if our recommendation to patients.
I would venture to guess that the percentage of people with osteoporosis that also has diabetes is pretty substantial.... I don't know about showing plates crammed full of sugary prunes to this population.
Very useful & healthy food tips fro Osteoporosis! Thanks to Doctor and this channel for shedding light on osteoporosis-a silent threat to bone health! As someone who battled brittle bones, Planet Ayurveda's bone health supplements were a game-changer for me. Now, I'm living life to the fullest, thanks to their natural remedies! 💪
Hello, Fasting is a great tool for metabolic dysfunction. For bone health though I see it reduce protein intake and potential for optimal nutrition. It likely won't provide benefits for bones or muscles if performed regularly.
I Elsa, Castor oil has a long history of use for reducing inflammation. I haven't looked at it explicitly for osteoarthritis but it is reported to be helpful by my patients. Topical application has little risk so even a bit of good could be a good balance. I don't know why it would be beneficial for osteoporosis though.
You need help interpreting them! If you can’t find someone locally we have a program that can help. Either full service or self directed. Links in our descriptions.
I love prunes I also love raisins and dates, can raisins and date also be good for osteoarthritis? What about grains is it ok to eat whole grains and beans with osteoporosis??
Hi Maria, I have not seen evidence on dates and raisins for osteoporosis or arthritis. My concern on these two would be the sugar content and risk of inflammation associated with it. I also am not a fan of grains, whole or processed. Grains, especially in the US, are generally GMO, sprayed with toxins and inflammatory. Outside of the US that seems to be less true but grains here are pretty toxic for most. We often will remove them from our patients diet and occasionally add them back but not often. Beans fall into the same category for me as well.
@@Dr_DougLucas but what about high-quality grains? My local health food store sells high-quality grains the thing about beans is they're so cheap and affordable I know the protein content in beans doesn't compare to beef but it's so much cheaper grocery prices are getting crazy expensive 😞 but I don't mind switching to only eating prunes as much as I enjoy raisins and dates if prunes have more benefits to bones I'll stick with prunes I can't really afford buying meat all the time though dairy is a little more affordable
@@MariaBrinks25 Subsidies make grains and beans cheaper to buy than meat and dairy. We all have to decide where to spend resources and do the best we can.
@@MariaBrinks25 Hi Maria, probably but everyone is going to respond differently. My recommendations are broad when speaking to this audience but individualized when we get more data. Our coaches as spefic questions and we use testing to verify tolerance when able. I put grains and beans in the category of unnecessary because we simply don't need them. I haven't eaten either in years. If you want them it's a question of benefit vs harm. I would argue the benefit side of that equation is "0" and the harm is unknown. That's why I don't recommend them. If you still want them I recommend working with someone that can provide evidence that they aren't harmful. I'm clearly biased on the topic as we all are.
Great question! Checkout our health span nation if you have not yet, you get exclusive access to me and a community of people pursuing health and longevity. These are things that we discuss in there and it allows us to go into detail rather than doing short chats through this platform. You can find more information here --> www.drdouglucas.com/healthspan
