For Your Prostate Health: Pomegranates Pack a Punch

We all know that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is good for us. Historically, these foods have always been known to have health benefits because of their low fat content, and their richness in fiber and vitamins – and these things are still true. However, continuing research is being done about the effect of foods with high anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and the additional health benefit this may afford.

Pomegranate juice, which is very high in phytochemicals, with strong anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, has shown some interesting potential in the fight against prostate cancer.

A small initial study following 48 men published in Clinical Cancer Research reported that drinking 6-8 ounces of pomegranate juice a day showed a significant reduction in a measure called PSA doubling time. PSA doubling time, or PSADT, is exactly what it sounds like; it is the time it takes for a PSA to double (from 5 to 10 for instance). The results showed an increase in PSADT, for men included in the study group, from an average of 15 months to 54 months.

The study also showed a possible connection between the juice and cancer cell death in lab tests. Although this study was small, the results are encouraging, and more studies will be needed to confirm the positive effects of pomegranate juice in people recovering from prostate cancer, I do, however want to be very clear that although drinking pomegranate juice may be beneficial in your recovery process and continued good health, it is not a substitute for surgery, radiation, or other prostate cancer treatments.

There are no known side-effects from a glass of pomegranate juice each day, so adding it can certainly do no harm – and may provide some additional anti-oxidant punch to your diet.

Dr Randy Fagin has one of the nation’s largest experiences in daVinci robotic prostate cancer surgery. He has lectured around the world and continues to be a leader in developing new and advanced techniques for sparing the nerves that allow men to regain sexual function after prostate cancer surgery. For more information about prostate cancer treatment go to www.prostatecenterofaustin.com

This entry was posted on Monday, January 21st, 2008 at 12:56 pm and is filed under Health, Vox Populi. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. | 222 views | Trackback | Print this page |

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