Pomegranate Juice For Cancer

No juice can cure cancer. However, some juice, such as pomegranate juice, contains substances that may help slow or prevent some types of cancer. Though the juice is generally without any side effects, speak with your doctor before taking pomegranate juice if you have cancer. The juice may not suit your situation and may even interact with certain medications.

Pomegranate Juice

Pomegranates come stuffed with seeds in little red capsules. Despite their small size, each seed capsule packs a juicy punch. Pomegranates contain a high concentration of minerals and vitamins, particularly vitamin C. However, polyphenols may provide the pomegranate's most significant health benefits, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. These powerful antioxidants stop harmful free radicals from destroying cells in the body. They may also help in slowing the onset of particular forms of cancer.

Cancer

Cancer involves an uncontrollable growth of cells which eventually interfere with body functions and may cause death if left untreated. As of June 2011, there is no cure. Several studies show a link between pomegranate juice and the slowing and even destruction of cancerous cells. Some studies either use animal subjects or experiments with tissue grown in a test tube. However, others feature human subjects. These tests offer a more reliable view of how pomegranate juice affects cancer in humans.

Prostate Cancer

A 2006 study published in "Clinical Cancer Research: An Official Journal of the American Association for Cancer Research" shows that pomegranate juice may inhibit and even kill prostate cancer cells. The study measured men with rising levels of prostate-specific antigens following radiotherapy. PSA levels usually indicate the presence of prostate cancer cells. While PSA levels continued to rise in men who drank 8 oz. of pomegranate juice every day, the levels took much longer to double--over three and a half times longer than the mean. This suggests that pomegranate may at least slow the progression of cancer cells.

Lung Cancer

Pomegranate juice may also inhibit the spread of lung cancer cells. A 2007 study published in the "Cancer Research" journal showed that drinking pomegranate juice daily reduced lung tumors in mice by 53.9 percent after 84 days and by an average of 61.6 percent following 140 days of drinking pomegranate juice. Again, this test involved rodents, not humans. However, as cancer cells work in a similar way in the bodies of all mammals, pomegranate juice shows some promise as an extra aid for cancer patients.

Pomegranate Juice for Cancer