Malik, et al., state that pomegranate (Punica granatum) juice inhibited prostate cancer growth in this study on animals and decreased prostate specific antigen (PSA) in the blood. They believe that pomegranate juice could have chemopreventive and therapeutic benefits against prostate cancer in humans. Pomegranate contains anthocyanins and hydrolyzable tannins, such as ellagic acid.
Pomegranate juice is both antiproliferative (growth prevention) and proapoptotic (causing a somewhat natural cell death from within) to cancer cells. Apoptosis is considered to be the best way to eliminate abnormal cells from tissues and is a normal process of cell homeostasis or balance.
CONCLUSION: The authors call for pomegranate juice to be studied in humans with prostate cancer to see if there are clinical benefits, in vivo. Pomegranate juice shows anti-cancer effects in animals.
PMID: 16192356.
Summary #027.
