Pomegranate juice may be beneficial in men who have undergone standard treatment for localized prostate cancer, according to a long-term study presented at the 104th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association.

The study, which began in 2003, included 48 men older than age 60 who underwent surgery or radiation therapy to treat localized prostate cancer. All of the men had rising prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels after treatment. PSA is an enzyme that helps break down proteins in the seminal fluid and plays an important role in fertility. Prostate cancer patients often have increased PSA levels, although cancer may occur with any PSA level.

Participants drank eight ounces of pomegranate juice daily. During the six-year follow-up, men who continued drinking pomegranate juice had lower PSA levels than those who stopped drinking the juice and were no longer active in the trial. By the end of the study, it took about four times longer for active participants’ PSA levels to double than it had at the beginning of the study.

Source: Natural Standard