Pomegranate for Prostate Cancer

Pomegranate juice may be beneficial in men who have undergone standard treatment for localized prostate cancer, according to a long-term study presented at the 104th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association.

The study, which began in 2003, included 48 men older than age 60 who underwent surgery or radiation therapy to treat localized prostate cancer. All of the men had rising prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels after treatment. PSA is an enzyme that helps break down proteins in the seminal fluid and plays an important role in fertility. Prostate cancer patients often have increased PSA levels, although cancer may occur with any PSA level.

Participants drank eight ounces of pomegranate juice daily. During the six-year follow-up, men who continued drinking pomegranate juice had lower PSA levels than those who stopped drinking the juice and were no longer active in the trial. By the end of the study, it took about four times longer for active participants' PSA levels to double than it had at the beginning of the study.

For more information about prostate cancer, please visit Natural Standard's Medical Conditions database.

 

Comments

[mary]

Was there a control group in this study who did not drink pomegranate juice? If not, I think the validity of this information might come into question.

I've also read that pomegranate juice may help improve the condition of hardened arteries, prevent heart disease and even act like Viagra, due to its high concentration of antioxidants. One source I looked up said that pomegranate juice contains three times as many antioxidants as green tea. It's also high in vitamin C.

I'm also curious if the seeds would be as effective as the juice seems to be for helping prostate cancer patients.

[Nick M]

This study has a very small sample size, and I’d like to see a larger study done in this population of patients. We must not forget, also, that this is a surrogate marker trial, since lowering PSA levels does not necessarily equate to decreasing the risk of prostate cancer and cancer progression. Further research is necessary on this topic before any conclusions can be reached. A study that finds that pomegranate juice can demonstrate higher survival rates among prostate cancer patients would be more significant evidence than the results of this trial.

[WC]

It is interesting to see the positive benefit of pomegranate juice consumption on decreasing PSA levels in men who have had treatments for localized prostate cancer. I wonder if men with decreased PSA levels also experienced a decrease in prostate cancer recurrence.

The effects appear to have lasted only as long as they were drinking the juice. A control group would be helpful to show if men who stopped drinking the pomegranate juice had continued benefit despite the fact that they stopped drinking the juice.

[Bobby]

Have you ever noticed when there is a new “Health Kick” that all of a sudden studies pop-up that show and say, “Ah, look pomegranate tastes good and is full of antioxidants, and look at what else it does.” Following what Mary stated, I am always skeptical until I see what and how the study was done. Was there a control group? Was there internal validity? How similar were the two groups? What was there confidence interval? I could keep going, but it would be just rambling. Anyone else feel like when there is a new health kick, then studies to support other uses come out of the woodwork?

[Kara]

I agree. More studies are needed to prove the validity of these claims about pomegranate juice. Based on the claims already out there, it has certainly been flying off the shelves. And sales are so good that some Afghans are considering planting pomegranates instead of poppies. It is high in vitamin C and antioxidants, and I would think the acidity alone would help in bladder and prostate health.

[Leslie]

It seems like pomegranate is the new cure-all. It's been featured in so many news articles lately, primarily for it's potent antioxidant properties.

[Paulie Pomegarianish]

According to the Natural Standard bottom line monograph, one pomegranate delivers approximately 40% of an adult's daily vitamin C requirement and is high in polyphenol compounds, which are thought to reduce inflammation at the root of diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease. For the many uses that it is purported to be helpful in, it receives an evidence grade of C (for all) from Natural Standard. So sure, one study with a small effect size and questionable methods can find that it is helpful in prostate cancer. And tomorrow there might be another poorly conducted study showing the opposite and finding no positive effects of pomegranate use for cancer. My point being, until a large RCT is conducted with solid methodology, all these studies don’t prove or disprove anything.

[michael]

Lycopene, which is found in tomatoes, can significantly reduce the risk of prostate cancer in men. Lycopene, which incidentally is richer in tomato sauce than fresh tomatoes, is also used as a coloring (E160d) in the food industry.

[Allan]

Pomegranate has been more commonly used as a food and medicine in Asia and South America. Pomegranate is thought to be high in polyphenol compounds and delivers approximately 40% of an adult’s daily vitamin C requirement. Pomegranate helps to reduce silent inflammation, and thus minimizes the risk of fatal disease like heart attack, stroke and cancers.

According to a Natural Standard monograph, pomegranate gets a grade C for prostate cancer, which means it has unclear scientific evidence for this use. More research is needed in the use of pomegranate in reduction of prostate cancer, before more solid recommendation can be made.

[Ben]

It is interesting to see how one food/herb can be implicated in the therapy of many different medical conditions. This is very different from the world of conventional medicine, which usually focuses on treating or preventing a specific illness or disease with one medication. In the case of pomegranate, it has been implicated for use as an antifungal, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and now prostate cancer. It will be will interesting to follow this topic and see the next new condition that researchers will find that pomegranate treats.