Effects of prune on bone health; a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials.
5 affiliations
- 1Faculty of Life Sciences: Food, Nutrition and Health, University of Bayreuth, Kulmbach, Germany.
- 2Nutrition & Health Innovation Research Institute, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia.
- 3Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
- 4Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
- 5Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. [email protected].
Abstract
Background
Earlier randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effects of prune on bone health provided inconsistent findings. This study aims to summarize the literature and elucidate the effect of prune on bone health.Methods
In February 2025, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched for RCTs. The review was submitted to PROSPERO (CRD420250655812) and conducted according to the PRISMA statement guidelines. RCTs on the effects of prune on bone health markers were included. Weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95% confidence interval was used to calculate the pooled effect size. Random effects model was used to pool data. Risk of bias was assessed with Cochrane RoB 2 and certainty with GRADE.Results
Seven studies were included in the systematic review, of which six studies involving 558 participants contributed data to at least one meta-analysis. Prune consumption had no significant effect on BMD (WMD = 0.001 g/cm²; 95% CI: -0.005 to 0.007; I² = 0.0%) at various skeletal sites but significantly reduced tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b (TRAP-5b) (WMD = -0.365 U/L; 95% CI: -0.636 to -0.095; I² = 65.1%). Prune had no significant effect on bone alkaline phosphatase, insulin-like growth factor-1, and procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide.Conclusion
Prune consumption did not significantly affect BMD or bone formation biomarkers. Although prune intake was associated with reduced TRAP-5b, this biochemical finding did not translate into measurable BMD improvement, and its clinical relevance remains uncertain. Long-term RCTs are required to further clarify the effects of prune on clinically relevant bone outcomes across diverse populations.
Related
- Efficacy and safety of antibody-drug conjugates in advanced small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and single-arm meta-analysis of prospective clinical trials
- 197 Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy in glioblastoma: a systematic review and meta analysis of early phase clinical trials with GRADE assessment
- Demographic Representation in Clinical Trials for Transthyretin-Associated Cardiac Amyloidosis: A Systematic Review
- Clinical Evidence of Orally Administered Herbal Preparations for Supportive Cancer Care: A PRISMA Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Trials (1990–2026)
- Efficacy of nutraceuticals as adjunctive therapies in autoimmune diseases: A systematic review of clinical trials.
BibTeX
@article{kachouei2026effects,
title = {{Effects of prune on bone health; a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials.}},
author = {Amirhossein Ataei Kachouei and Sana Farzam and Farzam Kamrani and Alireza Najimi and Aryan Hajian and Fahimeh Haghighatdoost},
journal = {Nutrition journal},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s12937-026-01377-9},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42958323},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Effects of prune on bone health; a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials.
AU - Amirhossein Ataei Kachouei
AU - Sana Farzam
AU - Farzam Kamrani
AU - Alireza Najimi
AU - Aryan Hajian
AU - Fahimeh Haghighatdoost
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/01
JO - Nutrition journal
DO - 10.1186/s12937-026-01377-9
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42958323
AB - Background Earlier randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effects of prune on bone health provided inconsistent findings. This study aims to summarize the literature and elucidate the effect of prune on bone health.Methods In February 2025, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched for RCTs. The review was submitted to PROSPERO (CRD420250655812) and conducted according to the PRISMA statement guidelines. RCTs on the effects of prune on bone health markers were included. Weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95% confidence interval was used to calculate the pooled effect size. Random effects model was used to pool data. Risk of bias was assessed with Cochrane RoB 2 and certainty with GRADE.Results Seven studies were included in the systematic review, of which six studies involving 558 participants contributed data to at least one meta-analysis. Prune consumption had no significant effect on BMD (WMD = 0.001 g/cm²; 95% CI: -0.005 to 0.007; I² = 0.0%) at various skeletal sites but significantly reduced tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b (TRAP-5b) (WMD = -0.365 U/L; 95% CI: -0.636 to -0.095; I² = 65.1%). Prune had no significant effect on bone alkaline phosphatase, insulin-like growth factor-1, and procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide.Conclusion Prune consumption did not significantly affect BMD or bone formation biomarkers. Although prune intake was associated with reduced TRAP-5b, this biochemical finding did not translate into measurable BMD improvement, and its clinical relevance remains uncertain. Long-term RCTs are required to further clarify the effects of prune on clinically relevant bone outcomes across diverse populations.
SN - 1475-2891
ER -