Pomegranate kills colon & prostate cancers

If you've been diagnosed with either colon or prostate cancer (or they're in your family history), pomegranates may be able to stop these dreaded diseases in their tracks.

Is ellagitannin the ultimate cancer killer?
Antioxidants help your immune system stand up to invaders such as germs, viruses, cancers and other microbes. Your body produces some of its own antioxidants (e.g., melatonin and superoxide dismutase), but Mother Nature is a vast storehouse of them.

Ellagitannin is one of the more powerful antioxidants, and it's found in a number of fruits, including raspberries and pomegranates. Research shows that it's able to decrease and even eliminate some deadly forms of cancer.

Is ellagitannin the ultimate cancer killer?
In animal tests, researchers at the University of Wisconsin in Madison discovered that pomegranate fruit extract (which contains ellagitannin) inhibited cell growth and promoted apoptosis (cell death) of "highly aggressive human prostate carcinoma PC3 cells." Besides reducing the deadly prostate cancer cells, pomegranate fruit extract also reduced the "secretion of prostate-specific antigen (PSA)."

Pomegranate juice is also a powerhouse when it comes to fighting colon cancer. The Center for Human Nutrition at UCLA conducted laboratory tests on HT-29 human colon cancer cells to determine if ellagitannins from pomegranates could inhibit the growth or promote the death of the cells. The test results are nothing short of astounding. They found that NF-KappaB cells (read "Curcumin: a delicious spice that kills cancer cells" for more about these cancer cells) were suppressed from binding (which prevents growth and spread) by a factor of 10 when exposed to pomegranate tannin extract! Furthermore, ellagitannin "abolished TNFalpha-induced AKT activation, needed for NF-KappaB activity." That means the cancer cells were stopped in their tracks by pomegranate ellagitannins, making it difficult for them to get a foothold.

Other benefits of pomegranate ellagitannins
UCLA scientists found that pomegranate juice also helps protect nitric oxide (NO), a gas produced by your body. NO helps relax blood vessels, which is essential for lowering blood pressure levels. Blueberries and Concord grape juice also protect nitric oxide, but not nearly as well as promegranate juice. Protecting NO from oxidation also helps men get and maintain erections, as nitric oxide allows the blood vessels of the penis to more readily accept blood.

Pills or juice - your choice
Personally, I can't stand the taste of pomegranates. If you like the taste, you can easily juice the fruit. Remember to use organic pomegranates! If you can tolerate the taste a little bit, then you might try Jarrow Formulas Pomegranate Juice concentrate. It's inexpensive, and you take only a tablespoon or two daily. Click on the link below if you want to try a liquid formula.



If juicing or taking a liquid supplement is inconvenient, try NOW brand's Pomeratrol. It's standardized to guarantee that a certain amount of the antioxidant is in each pill. Click on the Amazon link below to buy this brand.



Additional sources:
Nitric Oxide. 2006 Apr 18; [Epub ahead of print]
Nitric Oxide. 2006 Jan 11; [Epub ahead of print]
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 Oct 11;102(41):14813-8. Epub 2005 Sep 28
Cell Cycle. 2006 Feb;5(4):371-3. Epub 2006 Feb 15
J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Feb 8;54(3):980-5

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I am not a doctor and have no medical training.
The information in this blog is not intended
to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Statements made on this blog
have not been evaluated by the FDA.
Consult a healthcare professional before using any products,
treatments or exercises mentioned on this blog.

"Let food be thy medicine and
medicine be thy food" - Hippocrates