Five prunes a day beat brittle bones

EATING prunes could help to prevent brittle-bone disease in older women, new research suggests.

Osteoporosis, as it is known, occurs when people lose bone density, increasing the risk of breaks. It is more common in postmenopausal women than in any other group. Previous studies suggest this is because low levels of oestrogen can lead to inflammation in the bones.

But scientists at Penn State University in the US found that eating about five prunes a day notably reduced the risk of osteoporosis developing in women over 50.

While researchers are still unsure why this occurs, one argument is that prunes affect bacteria in the gut, which in turn lowers levels of inflammation in the body.