Pomegranite juice helps keep cancer at bay

07-01-2006, 06:37 AM

Juice 'can slow prostate cancer'

Pomegranates have been linked to many health benefits
Drinking a daily eight ounce glass of pomegranate juice can significantly
slow the progress of prostate cancer, a study suggests.
Researchers say the effect may be so large that it may help older men
outlive the disease.

Pomegranates contain a cocktail of chemicals which minimise cell damage, and
potentially kill off cancer cells.

The study, by the University of California in Los Angeles, appears in the
journal Clinical Cancer Research.

There are many substances in pomegranate juice that may be prompting this
response

Previous research had indicated that pomegranate juice could have a
beneficial effect on prostate cancer in tests on mice.

But the latest study has shown that humans can potentially benefit too.

The UCLA team focused on 50 men who had undergone surgery or radiation
treatment for prostate cancer - but had shown signs that the disease was
rapidly returning.

The presence of prostate cancer cells is monitored by measuring levels of a
chemical they produce called prostate-specific antigen (PSA).

The researchers measured how long it took for PSA levels to double in
individual patients - a short doubling time indicates that the cancer is
progressing quickly.

The average doubling time is about 15 months, but in patients who drank
pomegranate juice this increased to an average of 54 months.

Some men on the study continue to show suppressed PSA levels after more than
three years, even though they are receiving no treatment apart from drinking
pomegranate juice.

Combination effect

Lead researcher Dr Allan Pantuck said: "I was surprised when I saw such an
improvement in PSA numbers.

"In older men 65 to 70 who have been treated for prostate cancer, we can
give them pomegranate juice and it may be possible for them to outlive their
risk of dying from their cancer.

"We are hoping we may be able to prevent or delay the need for other
therapies usually used in this population such as hormone treatment or
chemotherapy, both of which bring with them harmful side effects."

Pomegranate juice is known to have anti-inflammatory effects and high levels
of anti-oxidants, which are believed to protect the body from damage by
particles called free radicals.

It also contains isoflavones which are believed to play a role in cancer
cell death.

Dr Pantuck said: "There are many substances in pomegranate juice that may be
prompting this response.

"We don't know if it's one magic bullet or the combination of everything we
know is in this juice.

"My guess is that it's probably a combination of elements, rather than a
single component."

Chris Hiley, of the Prostate Cancer Charity, said more work was needed to
firm up the findings.

She said: "It may well turn out that pomegranate juice has a wider
application than just delaying disease progression in men with prostate
cancer who have already been treated.

"It might also help as a reassuring low-key intervention for men whose
cancer is being monitored rather than treated."

Dr Laura-Jane Armstrong, of the charity Cancer Research UK, said: "If the
results of this study can be confirmed, it could have important implications
for prostate cancer patients, especially by delaying the use of other more
aggressive treatments that can have debilitating side effects."