Pomegranates fight prostate cancer

The fact that pomegranates fight cancer is not new, but I was still surprised to see how powerful the effect is. A new study showed that while the average PSA doubling time (a measure about how fast the cancer progresses) is about 15 months, in patients who drank pomegranate juice this increased to an average of 54 months. "In older men 65 to 70 who have been treated for prostate cancer, we can give them pomegranate juice and it may be possible for them to outlive their risk of dying from their cancer" lead researcher Dr Allan Pantuck said.

Of course, like every other fruit, pomegranates are not just anti-prostate-cancer medicine. They are exceptionally rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals that help prevent heart disease and other diseases. Also: they taste great.

Fresh pomegranates are delicious, but if they are not available, pomegranate juice seems like a healthy choice. Try to find 100% pomegranate juice, which I have not been able to find in the Netherlands. [update: I now found 100% pomegranate juice (from concentrate) in a Turkish supermarket for only EUR 1.89/liter. The brand is Ersu, it also comes in 250 ml bottles]. I found only one brand that did not have added sugar: Pomegreat, which is a blend of pomegranate juice and other juice. If you cannot find it in a supermarket, a whole foods market or an asian market may have it. Asian markets also usually sell pomegranates when they are in season, from about September through December. In case you have no idea how to eat them: here is an explanation.

July 2, 2006