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Pomegranates May Prevent Prostate Cancer
Sept. 27, 2005 -- A pomegranate a day may keep prostate cancer away, according to early results that suggest the antioxidant-rich fruit may both prevent and treat the deadly cancer.
Researchers found pomegranate juice killed human prostate cancer cells in laboratory tests and significantly slowed the progression of prostate cancer in mice.
"Our study -- while early -- adds to growing evidence that pomegranates contain very powerful agents against cancer, particularly prostate cancer," researcher Hasan Mukhtar, PhD, professor of dermatology at the University of Wisconsin Medical School, says in a news release.
"There is good reason now to test this fruit in humans -- both for cancer prevention and for treatment."
Breaking New Ground
Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind lung cancer.
Researchers say the study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first to evaluate the effects of pomegranate extract on human prostate cancer cells.
Previous studies have shown that the ruby-seeded fruit native to the Middle East is rich in antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory effects. In fact, researchers say pomegranate juice has higher levels of antioxidants than red wine and green tea, which have also been investigated as potential cancer treatments.
More Pomegranates, Less Cancer?
In this study, researchers examined whether pomegranate juice would not only kill cancer but also help prevent prostate cancer from starting or progressing.
In the first experiment, researchers treated human prostate cancer cells with various doses of pomegranate juice in the laboratory. The results showed that the higher the pomegranate dose, the more prostate cancer cells that were killed.
In the second test, researchers divided mice injected with human prostate cancer cells into three groups. One group drank water and the other two groups drank either 0.1% pomegranate extract or 0.2% pomegranate extract.
Researchers say the dose of pomegranate juice given to the mice equates to about one or two pomegranates -- or 8 to 16 ounces of pomegranate juice.
The results showed that mice who drank the higher concentration of pomegranate extract experienced a significant slowing in their cancer progression and a decrease in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. PSA is used to indicate the presence of prostate problems, including cancer, in humans.
Now, researchers say the next step in evaluating pomegranates as a potential prostate cancer treatment is to conduct studies in humans.
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