The prostate is a small gland that surrounds part of a man's urethra and produces some of the fluid in semen. Prostatectomy is a surgical procedure that removes some or all of the prostate gland, generally to improve either benign prostatic hyperplasia, BPH, or prostate cancer. Pomegranate juice is a natural remedy with medicinal properties that may help prevent regrowth of the prostate and recurrence of either condition after surgery. Talk to your doctor to decide if pomegranate might be helpful for your situation.
Prostate Enlargement
The prostate gland may enlarge in older men because of BPH, a non-cancerous condition, or because cancer has developed in the gland. In BPH, the prostate grows and squeezes the portion of the urethra that it surrounds, causing difficulty urinating, a frequent need to urinate, leakage of urine or a slow urine stream. BPH may also lead to frequent urinary infections and, in rare cases, kidney damage. Prostate cancer produces prostate enlargement because cancerous prostate cells grow out of control and form tumors that enlarge the gland. Although early stages may be symptom-free, later stages often produce symptoms similar to those of BPH, and might also include blood in urine or semen, pain or burning during urination and back or hip pain. Prostatectomy is often performed to relieve both BPH and early stage prostate cancer.
Pomegranate
The fruit of the pomegranate tree, or Punica granatum, has been part of traditional medicine for thousands of years. It produces a red juice when the pulp surrounding its many seeds is pressed. Pomegranate juice is rich in vitamin C and contains many biologically active compounds, including polyphenols, tannins and ellagic acid, all potent antioxidants that help remove damaging free radicals and toxins from your body, protecting your cells from damage to membranes, DNA and other cellular components.
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The antioxidant qualities of pomegranate may help prevent regrowth of the prostate after its removal in cases of BPH. In 2006, the National Institutes of Health initiated a clinical trial of pomegranate extract as a potential treatment to slow or prevent BPH. In addition, the results of a clinical trial of pomegranate juice for men recovering from prostatectomy for prostate cancer, published in "Clinical Cancer Research" in 2006, indicated that subjects who consumed 8 oz. of pomegranate juice daily had reduced production of prostate-specific antigen, a marker of cancer, as well as other indications that regrowth of their cancer had slowed. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center summarizes results of other clinical studies of pomegranate and prostate cancer supporting its usefulness in treating or preventing recurrence of the disease after prostatectomy.
Recommendations
Pomegranate juice and pomegranate extract in capsules are available from health food or specialty stores. Although generally considered safe, pomegranate may worsen diarrhea and interact with some medications, including blood pressure medicines and cholesterol-lowering statin drugs. Discuss pomegranate with your doctor before adding it to your regimen.
References
- National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse: What I Need to Know About Prostate Problems
- National Cancer Institute: What You Need to Know About Prostate Cancer
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Pomegranate
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Pomegranate
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Study of the Effects of Pomegranate Tablets on Enlarged Prostates
- "Clinical Cancer Research"; Phase II Study of Pomegranate Juice for Men with Rising Prostate-Specific Antigen Following Surgery or Radiaton for Prostate Cancer; A. Pantuck et al.; July 2006
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