Pomegranate Juice
One Juice May Prevent or Slow Cancer
If lab results translate to real-world benefits, it appears that pomegranate juice will be the next big health drink. Pomegranate extract shows major promise in preventing prostate cancer or slowing its growth, according to researchers at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Prostate cancer is the most common invasive cancer and the second-leading cause of cancer death in American men. Why pomegranates? This fruit that is native to the Middle East is packed with polyphenolic compounds, which makes its juice higher in antioxidant activity than both red wine and green tea.
The Wisconsin research team wanted to find out if the extract from pomegranates would not only kill existing cancer, but also help prevent cancer from starting or progressing. Using human prostate cancer cells, the team first evaluated the fruit extract's effect at various doses on those cells cultured in laboratory dishes. They found a "dose-dependent" effect. That is, the higher the dose of pomegranate extract the cells received, the more cells that died.
The research team then progressed to tests in mice that had been injected with prostate cancer cells from humans and developed malignancies. The 24 mice were randomly divided into three groups. The control group received normal drinking water, while the animals in the second and third groups had their drinking water supplemented with 0.1 percent and 0.2 percent pomegranate extract respectively. The doses for the mice were chosen to parallel how much pomegranate juice a typically healthy human might be willing to eat or drink daily.
The results were dramatic: The mice receiving the higher concentration of pomegranate extract showed significant slowing of their cancer progression and a decrease in the levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a marker used to indicate the presence of prostate cancer in humans. The animals that received only water had tumors that grew much faster than those in the animals treated with pomegranate extract.
"Our study--while early--adds to growing evidence that pomegranates contain very powerful agents against cancer, particularly prostate cancer," lead author Dr. Hasan Mukhtar, professor of dermatology in the UW Medical School, said in a news release. "There is good reason now to test this fruit in humans both for cancer prevention and for treatment." And that is the next step these researchers will undertake. The study findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. [source]
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Resist to urge to rush out and buy this by the gallon folks 
Like all things, I think drinking pomegranate juice in moderation when added to an overall healthy routine, including eating right and exercising, as well as maintaining stress and getting rest, may make a difference.
I heard about the health benefits of pomegranate juice earlier this year, but it was hard to find and quite expensive. Reading this article makes me think the investment now may be worth it later.
For the imbibers in the house, here's a recipe for ya:
Pomegranate Martini recipe
Ingredients
2 oz citrus vodka
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1/4 oz fresh pomegranate juice
1 oz simple syrup
Directions
Shake all ingredients well with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Add a dash of rose water if available. Garnish with flamed orange peel, and serve.
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3 Comments
10.27.05 | K commented: I have recently become addicted to the Pomegreat brand juice - either the plain pomegranate, or pomegranate and blueberry. They're really nice and only 47 cals a bottle. (I love the taste of pomegranate, but can't often be bothered to attack a whole one, as they are hard work and you end up covered in juice...)
10.27.05 | jj commented: Lately I've become hooked on the actual pomegranate. Not the juice, the fruit. They're in season at my local farmers market and they're sooooo good. Plus they're one of those things like sunflower seeds that takes some work to eat... I can throw back a glass of juice like nothing, but it takes a good hour to pick apart a whole pomegranate.
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I was going to mention a Pomegranate Cosmopolitan...I had it recently it was great!