Pomegranate Protects Against Prostate Cancer

tidbits that tantalizeProstate Protection Produce?

218,000 - the number of American men who will be told they have prostate cancer this year.

27,000 - the number of American men who will die from prostate cancer this year.

It's estimated that over 2 million men are currently living with prostate cancer. In fact, men are 35% more likely to develop prostate cancer than women are to develop breast cancer. Sadly, the risk increases with age. Instead of enjoying the golden years, many men find themselves in a struggle to survive.

But, unlike some cancers, there is some quite positive news in the fight against prostate cancer. When detected in its early stages, before it has spread to other areas of the body, prostate cancer is extremely treatable. Close to 100% of men diagnosed at this early stage will be disease free after five years - that's a phenomenal record.

Now, researchers from California have added an additional weapon to the arsenal: pomegranate juice.

The research is especially important for men whose prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels are rising. The PSA is the standard marker by which the spread of prostate cancer is measured. Of particular interest is what's known as PSA "Doubling Time." This is the length of time it takes for the PSA level to double - an indication of the aggressive level of the cancer.

The recent study shows that pomegranate juice significantly slows the doubling time - from 15 to 54 months. This is fabulous news, especially for the elderly, who are at greatest risk for developing prostate cancer. In the elderly, management of prostate cancer is at times as important as eradication.

So, while you may have no idea what a pomegranate looks like, an ounce or two of this unusual fruit juice each day may do your body good. Rumor, and preliminary research, says it may also help lower cholesterol. Hmm... May be worth a pomegranate exploratory trip after all.

To read more about the study, see this from ScienceDaily. To learn more about prostate cancer, including risk factors and treatment options, see this from the Prostate Cancer Foundation. To learn more about the odd pomegranate, see this from Pom Wonderful.