Pomegranate, a rich source of antioxidants and phytochemicals, has been linked to protection against prostate cancer. Men diagnosed with prostate cancer can benefit from drinking pomegranate juice, according to findings of a new study published in the Journal of Urology from the University of California at Los Angeles.
The Results
By using PSA blood test, prostate cancer patient had much longer doubling time when drinking 1 glass of 8 oz of pomegranate juice per day. The results showed the doubling time pass from 1 year to 5 years on average. Since PSA is used to monitor the progression of prostate cancer, a decline in the progression would represent a breath of fresh air in that gruesome disease.
The study was on a small number of cancer patients (48), however, this study is a follow-up of another study from UCLA in the journal Clinical Cancer Research on 46 patients who showed similar results.
The bottom line is drinking this functional food on a daily base would be a great habit to do.
Reference
1-Phase II study of pomegranate juice for men with rising prostate-specific antigen following surgery or radiation for prostate cancer. Pantuck AJ, Leppert JT, Zomorodian N, Aronson W, Hong J, Barnard RJ, Seeram N, Liker H, Wang H, Elashoff R, Heber D, Aviram M, Ignarro L, Belldegrun A. Clin Cancer Res. 2006 Jul 1;12(13):4018-26
2-Pomegranate ellagitannin-derived metabolites inhibit prostate cancer growth and localize to the mouse prostate gland.Seeram NP, Aronson WJ, Zhang Y, Henning SM, Moro A, Lee RP, Sartippour M, Harris DM, Rettig M, Suchard MA, Pantuck AJ, Belldegrun A, Heber D. J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Sep 19;55(19):7732-7.
3-Long term follow up of phase 2 study of pomegranate juice for men with prostate cancer shows durable prolongation of PSA doubling time A.J. Pantuck, N. Zomorodian, M. Rettig, W.J. Aronson, D. Heber, A.S. Belldegrun Journal of Urology 2009, Volume 181, issue 4, Page 295.