Dried plum seems to reduce symptoms of inflammatory arthritis

dried plum, inflammation, arthritis diet, arthritis magazineSupplementing the diet with dried plum may lead to decreased erosion of bone, cartilage and synovitis, a research group reveals in The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry.

Dried plums are rich in polyphenols and have been shown to have bone-preserving properties in lab studies of osteoporosis. So a team looked at if dried plum alleviated the destruction of joints in mice with rheumatoid arthritis.

A four-week treatment of 20% dried plum diet slowed the onset of arthritis and reduced bone erosions in the joints compared to the mice on a regular diet. There were reduced markers of bone erosion, protection of articular cartilage and reduction of synovitis. The group concludes:

“Our data suggested that dietary supplementation with dried plum inhibited TNF singling; leading to decreased erosions of bone and articular cartilage as well as synovitis.

Click here to read the original research.

For more in-depth features, interviews and information, subscribe to Arthritis Digest magazine, a popular title that’s published six times a year. Click here for the digital version or tel 0845 643 8470 to order your had copy. You’ll know what your doctor is talking about, what new drugs are in the pipeline and be up to date on helpful products.