As we noted in last month's article on pomegranate's anti-inflammatory mechanism, pomegranate has become a very popular supplement during the last few years. As their bright color suggests, the seed coatings of the pomegranate are packed with antioxidant compounds. The two primary groups of antioxidant compounds found in pomegranates are tannins and anthocyanins.
A new study presented at 104th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association and subsequently published in the Journal of Urology has found that daily consumption of pomegranate juice may slow prostate cancer recurrence.1
The study involved 48 patients who had been unsuccessfully treated for prostate cancer. All the participants had either surgery or radiotherapy, and prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels that were increasing and in the range of 0.2-5ng/ml at the beginning of the study. PSA is used as an indicator of prostate cancer presence and progression; a higher number is bad. All the participants were assigned to drink 8 ounces (237 ml) of pomegranate juice daily. The participants increased the time it took for PSA levels to double from 15.4 months at the beginning of the study to 60 months at the end.
More rigorous research will need to be conducted to confirm these results. However, this is not the first study to suggest benefits to prostate health from pomegranates. Should these findings hold, it would indicate that pomegranate juice may slow the progression of unsuccessfully treated prostate cancer.
Learn more about the pomegranate and its potential health benefits at our PomeHealth™ page.
1. Pantuck, A., N Zomorodian, M Rettig, WJ Aronson, D Heber, AS Belldegrun (2009). "Long term follow up of phase 2 study of pomegranate juice for men with prostate cancer shows durable prolongation of PSA doubling tim." J Urol 181(4 Supplement): 295.
Back
