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Health News Archive 288 - Prostate Cancer
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Pomegranate Stops Progression of Prostate Cancer

Researchers have found that pomegranate fruit extract (PFE) inhibited prostate cancer cell growth and triggered cell death in a highly aggressive human prostate cancer cell line and caused similar effects when administered orally to rodents.

Because prostate cancer is typically diagnosed in men over 50 years of age, it is an ideal candidate for chemoprevention because even a modest delay in disease progression achieved through pharmacological or nutritional intervention could significantly impact the quality of life of prostate cancer patients. Consequently, the researchers of the current study as well as other scientists have proposed the use of dietary antioxidants as possible chemopreventive agents.

Pomegranate fruit has been shown to possess strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In a recent study, researchers showed that pomegranate fruit extract inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis (programmed cell death) in a highly aggressive human prostate cancer cell line.

The same researchers followed up their cell culture experiment with a study that tested the oral administration of a human acceptable dose of pomegranate fruit extract on mice implanted with prostate cancer cells. In mice treated with pomegranate fruit extract there was a significant inhibition of tumor growth. In addition, pomegranate fruit also reduced secretion of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the serum of the animals.

According to the researchers, “The outcome of this study could have a direct practical implication and translational relevance to prostate cancer patients, because it suggests that pomegranate consumption may retard prostate cancer progression, which may prolong the survival and quality of life of prostate cancer patients.”

Source: Malik A, Mukhtar H. Prostate Cancer Prevention Through Pomegranate Fruit. Cell Cycle. 2006 Feb 15;5(4) [Epub ahead of print]