In my quest for foods that fight cancer, I was able to discover two unlikely plant foods, though worlds apart but highly effective against prostate cancer, namely, the pomegranate and the soy based tofu.

Pomegranate is a native of Iran and found in the Mediterranean while tofu is an Asian delicacy common to Chinese, Korean and Japanese cuisine.

Pomegranate

Numerous studies and researches conducted on the anti-carcinogenic properties of the pomegranate have convinced me that there is a wealth of knowledge here that would highly benefit prostate cancer patients. In one study, cancer cells were exposed to pomegranate extract and these cells failed to thrive but were killed. The more concentrated the pomegranate extract was, the more potent it was in killing the cancer cells.

The same results were observed in a study done at University of California Los Angeles, where cancer cells were exposed to pomegranate juice. It showed that pomegranate extract minimized the growth of these cancer cells. Yet, another revealed that when elligitannins, chemicals present in pomegranate seeds were mixed with a cancer enzyme known as CYP1B1, pomegranate juice was highly effective in minimizing its activity. It was found out that it hampers cancer cell initiation and sustenance. In addition, pomegranate affected the cancer cells activities and proclivity to growth and replicate. These effects were attributed to the chemical substances found in the pomegranate.

Pomegranate had been analyzed to be rich in antioxidants specifically polyphenols such as tannins. Apart from its effect on cancer cells, pomegranate juice has anti-sclerotic, anti-inflammatory and chemo-preventive properties. Its anti-inflammatory properties prevent inflammation from occurring which is initiate prostate cancer cells to abnormally mutate. These are the beginnings of the evolution of prostate cancer.

The seeds, saturated with 75 percent oils whose chemicals are polyphenols, are the precious asset the pomegranate.

Additionally, pomegranate has female hormone properties similar to estrogen. If this news is surprising, it may be one reason why it slows the growth of those prostate cancer cells. phyto estrogen contradicts the effect of the male hormone, testosterone, which as everyone knows is implicated in the causation of prostate cancer.

Soy products

On the other hand, tofu is derived from the soy bean. Soy beans are processed to yield the silky yummy delicacy. Tofu’s content is high in polyunsaturated fat, calcium, fiber, vitamins and minerals but low in saturated fat content, cholesterol and calories.
In some Asian countries particularly China, Korea and Japan, soy in varied forms are consumed daily. It may also be the reason why Japanese men have a lower incidence of prostate cancer. Further, it proves that Asians with higher intake of soy products have lesser incidence of cancers including prostate cancer. This is attributed to soy consumption in its varied forms such as tempeh, tokwa and tofu. The secret is a chemical in the soy bean, phyto estrogen like substances or compounds known as phytoestrogens. These estrogen-like-substances slow the evolution of tumors in animal and human studies of prostate cancer. Thus, it would benefit you to incorporate soy in your diet. Drink soy milk instead of cow’s milk, use the soy bean, tempeh, tokwa and the silky delicious tofu in your daily diet.

Ongoing clinical cancer research

It is of great interest to know that to date there are 20 ongoing clinical trials on pomegranate with half specifically on prostate cancer. On the other hand, there are 27 clinical trials on soy based products including tofu.
I’d like to share with you a recipe from Ms. Samia Mounts, a Korean nutritionist and gourmet aficionado who concocted a yummy recipe of pomegranate and tofu.

Winning recipe

Create a vinaigrette mixture by combining pomegranate seeds from 1 pomegranates, add 1 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 tablespoons of soy, 1 once of olive oil, 1 tablespoon red bell pepper flakes. Set aside. Then cut half of the tofu. Add the vinaigrette.
Enjoy to your heart’s content. Good for your palate and prostate too.