Pomegranate contains potent antioxidants and drinking pomegranate juice might slow the progress of some cancers. To prevent or delay the development of chronic diseases, make pomegranate a part of your healthy diet, along with other fruits and vegetables. No single dietary substance is proven to fight cancer, and increasing the intake of pomegranate should not be a substitute for regular medical care. Inform your doctor before beginning a pomegranate regimen.
History
Pomegranate has been in use as a traditional medicine in many cultures since ancient times. Medline Plus reports that recorded treatments date from around 1500 BC. The American Cancer Society states that a component of pomegranate, ellagic acid, was studied as a cancer remedy in the 1970s and 1980s. Several small laboratory studies were published in the mid-1990s, and ellagic acid gained a reputation as a cancer-fighting substance. Although ellagic acid may inhibit tumor growth in animals and kill cancer cells in laboratory studies, randomized, placebo controlled clinical trials are needed to prove the effectiveness of pomegranate against cancer in humans.
Estrogen-Dependent Malignancies
The benefits of pomegranate's antioxidant properties are due to it's many plant chemicals, such as tannins, flavonols, anthocyanins and ellagic acid. Aantioxidants protect the body's cells against damage. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center reports that pomegranate extract can inhibit aromatase, an enzyme necessary for the production of estrogen. Aromatase inhibiting medication, such as the drug letrozole, are prescribed to treat estrogen-dependent breast and endometrial cancers. As of 2010, pomegranate extract is not an approved cancer treatment.
Prostate Cancer
Prostate-specific antigen is a protein produced by the prostate gland. Levels increase in the blood in response to inflammation, and elevated PSA can be a sign of cancer. Drinking 8 oz. of pomegranate juice daily, following primary treatment for prostate cancer, prolonged the time it took to double PSA from 15 months to 54 months, according to a study conducted at UCLA by A. J. Pantuck and colleagues. The study was published in the July 2006 "Clinical Cancer Research." The following year, a research team led by N. P. Seeram, at the Los Angeles Veterans Administration Medical Center, determined that ellagitannins, chemicals found in the fruit rinds of pomegranates, can suppress prostate tumor formation in mice. The findings were published in the July 2007 "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry."
Warnings
With the exception those with an allergy to pomegranate, the fruit is well-tolerated and safe for most people. The root and stems of the plant may, however, be toxic. Pomegranate is thought to lower blood pressure, and to prolong or increase the effects of some medications. Similar warnings have been issued for grapefruit juice. Taking cholesterol-lowering medications, such as statins, with pomegranate juice may increase the risk of side effects from those drugs; tell your doctor if you experience muscle aches, as this could be a sign of a serious problem.
References
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Pomegranate
- American Cancer Society: Ellagic Acid
- PubMed: Phase II Study of Pomegranate Juice for Men With Rising Prostate-Specific Antigen Following Surgery or Radiation for Prostate Cancer
- PubMed: Pomegranate Ellagitannin-Derived Metabolites Inhibit Prostate Cancer Growth and Localize to the Mouse Prostate Gland
- Medline Plus: Pomegranate
- FDA: Avoiding Drug Interactions
