Pomegranates could help in the fight against breast cancer

A new study shows that eating pomegranates or drinking its juice may help to prevent or even slow the growth of breast cancer.

The study, led by the Breast Cancer Research Program at City of Hope, shows that ellagitannins found in the fruit has a growth preventing effect on esrogen-responsive breast cancer in controlled tests.

Co-lead in the study Shiuan Chen said in a release, “Phytochemicals suppress estrogen production that prevents the proliferation of breast cancer cells and the growth of estrogen-responsive tumors.”

Pomegranate juices and extracts have been recently been marketed in health food stores as a so called “super food”, with claims to increase heart healthiness and possibly prevent cancer.  Yesterday’s study helps to solidify at least half of those claims.

“We were surprised by our findings,” Chen says. “We previously found other fruits, such as grapes, to be capable of the inhibition of aromatase. But phytochemicals in pomegranates and in grapes are different.”

Future studies are planned to find out whether drinking pomegranate juice will have the exact effect as eating the fruit.  Also, research is underway to test the benefits of possible pomegranate pills.