The other day, I bought myself a winter-time treat — a gorgeous pomegranate.
As I cut it into eighths and watched the dark, ruby-red juice spread across the cutting board, I thought about all of the health benefits packed into those jewel-like seeds.
Five years ago, the team here was calling it the next superfood superstar. The ancient fruit — that some say could even be found in the Garden of Eden — improves heart health, blood pressure, and cholesterol, not to mention the antioxidants — there’s been a lot of evidence over the past few years pointing to the power of the pomegranate.
This morning, I read about one more reason for the fruit’s superfood status. And, oh boy, it’s a big one.
Pomegranate juice may stop cancer from spreading
Researchers are saying components of pomegranate juice could actually stop cancer from spreading.
This research, conducted at the University of California, Riverside, showed that these components inhibit the movement of cancer cells. They also weaken the cells’ attraction to a chemical signal that promotes the spread of prostate cancer to bone.
Pomegranate juice was applied to testosterone-resistant prostate cancer cells. That’s a critical piece, because the more resistant it is to testosterone, the more likely the cancer is to spread.
Those cells that didn’t die after being treated with the juice showed decreased cell migration and increased cell adhesion (meaning more of the cells stayed in one place rather than breaking away).
The findings aren’t really specific to prostate cancer, because the genes and proteins involved in the way it moves are pretty much the same as those involved in the movement of other cancers.
For those of you interested in the details, the components that brought the movement of cancer cells to a screeching halt were phenylpropanoids, hydrobenzoic acids, flavones and conjugated fatty acids.
The researchers say the next step is to work on modifying those components in the hope of creating new drug therapies.
That’s not so surprising, considering there’s far more money to be made in the drug game than in peddling juices and fruits (though pomegranate juice is pretty darn expensive, isn’t it!).
But I’ll stick with the real thing, thanks.
Ms. O’Brien has written for Nutrition & Healing, Healthier Talk and a variety of other natural and alternative health outlets. She believes in the power of natural medicine and her goal is to open people’s eyes to the benefits of alternative and integrative medicine.
Christine is passionate about helping people help themselves without having to turn to harsh drugs or invasive surgeries.
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