Pomegranate Juice May Slow Prostate Cancer Recurrence
Lee Swanson Research Update
Men who have undergone treatment for prostate cancer could benefit from drinking pomegranate juice. That’s what those attending the 104th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA) were told.
Discussion centered on the results of a study, published in the Journal of Urology, that showed men drinking a glass of pomegranate juice daily experienced slower doubling times of prostate specific antigen (PSA). PSA is a marker commonly used to screen for prostate cancer and for tracking the disease after its diagnosis.
"This study suggests that pomegranate juice may effectively slow the progression of prostate cancer after unsuccessful treatment," said Christopher Amling, M.D., spokesperson for the AUA. "This finding and other ongoing research might one day reveal that pomegranate juice is an effective prostate cancer preventative agent as well."
Pomegranate, a rich source of antioxidants, has been linked to improved heart health, but a growing body of science indicates that the fruit protects against prostate cancer. Studies have also reported a role in joint health by slowing cartilage loss in arthritis.
Forty-eight participants with rising PSA after surgery or radiotherapy, and PSA levels between 0.2 and 5 ng/ml were assigned to drink 237 ml (eight ounces) of pomegranate juice daily.
During 56 months of follow-up, the participants continued to experience a significant increase in PSA doubling time, from an average of 15.4 months at the start to 60 months after treatment. When the researchers compared patients who remained on the study with ex-study participants, they found that the PSA doubling time prolongation and the decline in median PSA slope were greater in the active, pomegranate-receiving participants.
The study follows similarly positive results from UCLA published in 2006 in the journal Clinical Cancer Research (Vol. 12:4018-4026). In that instance, 46 men were given eight ounces (227 g) of pomegranate juice every day, and followed in three-month intervals.
The researchers found that the average doubling time increased from an average of 15 months to 54 months for the men drinking the pomegranate juice.
Journal of Urology 181(4):295, 2009
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