Pomegranates are recommended for breast cancer in moderation

Pomegranates are a good source of important polyphenols, including ellagic acid, and various tannins, flavonols and anthocyanins. Pomegranates are also a good dietary source of the lignan enterolactone. Pomegranates have been shown to suppress inflammation and joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis, improve hypertension and heart disease, reduce cholesterol, protect against UVB-induced damage to human skin, protect the brain, and improve sperm quality in rats. In addition, pomegranates have been shown to inhibit prostate cancer growth in mice, retard pancreatic cancer cell growth, and inhibit the proliferation of human oral, colon and lung cancer cells.

Breast cancer-related effects of eating pomegranates

Pomegranates and pomegranate extracts have been shown to inhibit breast cancer cell proliferation and invasion and promote cell apoptosis in both estrogen receptor positive (ER+) and ER- breast cancer cells in a dose dependent manner, as well as preventing mammary tumor formation in HER2/neu transgenic mice. In addition, pomegranates have been shown to inhibit aromatase activity.

Pomegranates would appear to be an ideal chemopreventative agent against breast cancer were it not for the fact that pomegranates (and especially pomegranate seeds) are a significant source of a wide variety of phytoestrogens (plant estrogens). While pomegranate juice is beneficial, its estrogenic components may make pomegranate harmful at concentrated dosages (even for ER- cancer) and we do not know the levels or conditions under which this might be true. The safety and efficacy of consumption of large amounts of pomegranate juice, pomegranate seed oil and pomegranate extract needs to be confirmed in large scale clinical trials. Therefore, we conclude that breast cancer patients, survivors and those at high risk can enjoy pomegranates and pomegranate juice in moderation, but should avoid "enhanced" pomegranate juice, pomegranate seed oil and pomegranate extracts.

Additional comments

Earlier studies suggested that, like grapefruit juice, pomegranate juice could affect the metabolism of certain drugs. However, it has since been demonstrated that pomegranate juice does not generally interfere with oral or intravenous medication.

Tags: , , Her2Overexpressing, angiogenesis, anthocyanin, aromataseActivity, aromataseInhibitors, cardiovascular, ellagicAcid, enterolactone, estradiol, flavonoids, lignan, phytoestrogens, pomegranates, proliferation, tamoxifen

Selected breast cancer studies
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Ellagic acid, a phenolic compound, exerts anti-angiogenesis effects via VEGFR-2 signaling pathway in breast cancer Modulation of angiogenesis by dietary phytoconstituents in the prevention and intervention of breast cancer Chemoprevention of mammary carcinogenesis by sustained systemic delivery of ellagic acid Serum enterolactone levels and mortality outcome in women with early breast cancer: a retrospective cohort study Pomegranate extract demonstrate a selective estrogen receptor modulator profile in human tumor cell lines and in vivo models of estrogen deprivation Induction of apoptotic cell death by ursolic acid through mitochondrial death pathway and extrinsic death receptor pathway in MDA-MB-231 cells Pomegranate sensitizes Tamoxifen action in ER-α positive breast cancer cells Serum enterolactone and postmenopausal breast cancer risk by estrogen, progesterone and HER2 receptor status Cardioprotective effect of whole fruit extract of pomegranate on doxorubicon-induced toxicity in rat Anticancer Activities of an Anthocyanin-Rich Extract From Black Rice Against Breast Cancer Cells In Vitro and In Vivo Pomegranate Ellagitannin-Derived Compounds Exhibit Antiproliferative and Antiaromatase Activity in Breast Cancer Cells In vitro Punicic acid is an omega-5 fatty acid capable of inhibiting breast cancer proliferation Cell proliferation of feline and human breast cancer cell types is inhibited by pomegranate juice Comparison of Antioxidant Potency of Commonly Consumed Polyphenol-Rich Beverages in the United States Prevention of mammary tumorigenesis by aqueous and lipid pomegranate fruit extracts (PFE's): In vitro and in vivo studies Beware of pomegranates bearing 40% ellagic acid Anticancer activities of pomegranate extracts and genistein in human breast cancer cells Breast cancer chemopreventive properties of pomegranate (Punica granatum) fruit extracts in a mouse mammary organ culture Pomegranate extract improves a depressive state and bone properties in menopausal syndrome model ovariectomized mice Preliminary studies on the anti-angiogenic potential of pomegranate fractions in vitro and in vivo Chemopreventive and adjuvant therapeutic potential of pomegranate (Punica granatum) for human breast cancer