| Although the survival rate of five years for | | | | required for the PSA to double demonstrates |
| men with prostate cancer has increased from | | | | the rate of growth of the cancer. So in |
| 67% in the 1970s to 90% in recent years, | | | | general, PSA rises slowly as it matches the |
| prostate cancer is still the United State's | | | | fact that prostate cancer is a slow-growing |
| most common cancer, aside from skin cancer, | | | | cancer. In this study, each patient had a |
| and the second leading cause of | | | | minimum of three pretreatment PSA values |
| cancer-related death in men. The primary | | | | measured over a minimum of six months before |
| method of management for this disease is | | | | they entered the study. Each patient was |
| either radical surgery or radiation therapy. | | | | treated with eight ounces of pomegranate |
| In this study, researchers sought to | | | | juice, by mouth, daily until the disease |
| determine whether pomegranate juice | | | | progressed. The patients showed a fifteen |
| consumption would have an effect on PSA | | | | percent reduction in resistance of their |
| (prostate-specific antigen) progression in | | | | serum samples, a twelve percent decrease in |
| patients who have undergone primary | | | | cell proliferation, a seventeen percent |
| management to cure the disease, as those | | | | increase in apoptosis reduction in oxidative |
| patients who have had primary management to | | | | state, and a twenty-three percent increase in |
| cure the disease and no documented evidence | | | | serum nitric oxide was also reported. No |
| of metastatic disease have limited treatment | | | | serious side-effects were reported and the |
| options. The pomegranate fruit, which has | | | | treatment was well tolerated by its patients. |
| been used for centuries for its medicinal | | | | The researches concluded that this study |
| purposes, shows potent antioxidant and | | | | showed significant results that pomegranate |
| anti-artherosclerotic properties which are | | | | juice had many positive effects on those men |
| accredited to its high content of | | | | dealing with prostate cancer. However, the |
| polyphenols. To study the possible effects of | | | | researchers feel that further research is |
| pomegranate juice, researchers conducted a | | | | needed to prove the validity of the tests. |
| 2-year clinical trial at the Clark Urologic | | | | The results are being further tested in |
| Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at | | | | another study which began in April of 2006. |
| the University of California in Los Angeles. | | | | The ability of pomegranate juices doses to |
| Those patients who were eligible has a | | | | produce predefined alteration in PSA kinetics |
| detectable PSA between 0.2 and 5 ng/mL, no | | | | is being compared to the change observed in |
| hormonal therapy before entering the study, | | | | the control group in this new study. The |
| no evidence of metastatic disease, and a | | | | results demonstrated from this study are |
| Gleason score less than or equal to seven. | | | | positive and there will be further research |
| The Gleason test is used to grade the | | | | into other plant polyphenols which could |
| severity of prostate cancer based on the five | | | | possibly mediate similar effects. So don't |
| patterns that prostate tumor cells go through | | | | forget to have your pomegranate or herbal tea |
| as they change from normal cells. PSA, which | | | | high in polyphenols. |
| is an antigen in the blood that is measured | | | | |
| to track the progression of prostate cancer, | | | | Please visit VitaNet health foods where a |
| usually signifies presence or growth of | | | | large selection of Pomegranate can be found |
| cancer when it is elevated. The time that is | | | | in extracts and concentrates. |