To test the bone protective properties of dried plum, 66 men (50 to 79 years of age) will receive either 100 g dried plum/day or a control regimen for 12 months. Both groups will receive 500 mg calcium and 400 IU vitamin D daily.~Evaluation will be based on analyses of bone mineral density at baseline, 6 and 12-months and serum and urine markers of bone formation and resorption at baseline and 3, 6, and 12-months.
The principal objective of this study is to examine whether the addition of 100 g dried plum to the diets of men, regardless of their bone status, positively influences their indices of bone turnover in comparison with their corresponding baseline values and the control regimen.