Pomegranate May Reduce Breast Cancer Risk

(pictured: goji berry green tea with pomegranate juice)

Scientists have been reporting that pomegranate juice may reduce prostate cancer. Now it appears the same may be true for breast cancer. Since both cancers are estrogen dependent this finding is not at all surprising.

Apparently the ellagic acid found in pomegranates inhibits the development of oestrogen, which promotes breast cancer. Other foods that contain ellagic acid include: red grapes, walnuts, red raspberries, strawberries and blueberries.

It has been reported elsewhere that ellagic acid inhibits DNA mutation as well as causing apoptosis (cancer cell death). Since scientists now believe that 42% of the US population will get cancer in their lifetime I think it make sense to add known cancer fighting foods wherever and whenever possible.

Here are some of the quotes from the scientists on this study that I found interesting:

“The ingestion of pomegranate juice can lead to concentrations of circulating urolithins reaching up to 18 micromoles per litre in blood,” said the researchers. “Taken together with the results of current studies and reports of the presence of urolithin A and urolithin B in the blood and urine of human subjects following pomegranate ingestion, the results of these analyses suggest that pomegranate intake may be a viable strategy for the chemoprevention of breast cancer.”

“might consider consuming more pomegranates to protect against cancer development in the breast and perhaps in other tissues and organs”.

Both of those quotes sound as though consuming pomegranate makes good nutritional sense. I will be continuing to add a little pomegranate concentrate to our daily mugs of green tea.

My basic approach to nutrition is to add as many healthy foods to our diet as I can every day. I am operating under the assumption that by having many different healthy foods in our day this increases our probability that we are consuming the food or foods that are right for us. The food choices I make everyday revolve around what is healthy first, and what tastes good second. With each meal I am working to maximize our nutrition. I hope this helps you to understand more about why I cook as I do.