Lycopene, Pomegranate, and Cancer Prevention
“Superfoods” That Support Your Health by Aaron Katz M.D. - Healthy Living Article

The pomegranate has a long tradition of use as a medicinal food, but not many modern Americans have gone to the considerable effort involved in eating this strikingly beautiful fruit. Now the pomegranate is hitting the mainstream due to a sizeable body of research indicating that this food protects against both cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Another fruit—one widely considered to be a vegetable—has been the subject of intensive research for several years, and has particularly interested the urological community, myself included: the tomato. Studies of populations in various countries have demonstrated that diets rich in tomatoes appreciably reduce the risk of cancer of the prostate. Lycopene, a nutrient that belongs to the same class as beta-carotene, appears to be the most potently anti-carcinogenic, heart-protective compound in tomatoes.

Pomegranate: Powerful Antioxidants

Oxidation—where free radicals damage DNA, proteins and fats in the body—is an important underlying factor in the initiation of both cancer (particularly cancer of the prostate) and heart disease. Chronic inflammation, where normal immune activity against injury or infection becomes a sort of irritant in the body instead of resolving, has also been strongly implicated as a causative factor in both cancer and heart disease. Inflammation and oxidation participate in a vicious cycle, each one amplifying the effects of the other. Antioxidant protection is an essential part of reducing the ill effects of chronic inflammation, and controlling inflammation will reduce oxidative stress in the body.

My lab’s research into the anti-inflammatory supplement Zyflamend (New Chapter) has demonstrated that inflammation is a particularly important factor in the development and progression of prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), a pre-cancerous prostate condition.

Research has firmly established the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of pomegranate. Additionally, pomegranate juice has been found to have apoptotic effects in lab studies, which means that it encourages the death of cancerous cells.

In the year 2000, Israeli researchers published a series of studies that demonstrated anti-atherosclerotic (heart disease-fighting) effects of pomegranate. They found that pomegranate juice reduced “bad” LDL cholesterol and increased “good” HDL by 20 percent, with the oxidation of LDL reduced by up to 90 percent. The research was coordinated by Michael Aviram, the same scientist who first demonstrated that red wine reduced the oxidation of cholesterol. (Cholesterol oxidation, where free radicals attack and alter cholesterol in the bloodstream, is believed to be an important factor in the development of clogged arteries that cause heart attack and occlusive stroke.)

In both humans and mice, the equivalent of 8.3 ounces per day of pomegranate juice decreased the thickness of artery walls and reduced the size of plaques. Further studies by Dr. Aviram’s group found that pomegranate juice lowered systolic blood pressure measurements in hypertensive patients in only a two-week period. Most importantly, human subjects with cardiovascular diseases had many subjective improvements and reduced symptoms, leading to improved quality of life.

Many more studies have been performed at research centers all over the world to back up Dr. Aviram’s results. Currently, it is believed that the tannins and polyphenols (especially two called punicalagin and ellagic acid) in pomegranate are responsible for its anti-atherosclerotic effects.

In October of 2005, a study of pomegranate juice for prevention and treatment of prostate cancer was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Investigators from the University of Wisconsin Medical School performed the experiment on a strain of mice that had been “infected” with human prostate cancer cells. They found that giving the mice pomegranate juice caused their tumors to shrink and their PSA (prostate specific antigen, measured in the blood to detect prostate growth and prostate cancer) levels to fall significantly.

Some recent studies show special promise for the application of pomegranate juice in prostate cancer prevention—both primary prevention and prevention of recurrence after a first bout with the disease—and in slowing the progression of PIN to full-blown prostate cancer. In a previous study by Allan J. Pantuck, M.D., an assistant professor of urology at UCLA, 48 men who had been treated for prostate cancer with either surgery or radiation were given pomegranate juice in the months following. Their PSAs were checked every three months. The juice intervention significantly increased the length of time it took for PSAs to double.

At Columbia, we are currently participating in a nationwide trial of POM Wonderful pomegranate juice for men who have had prostate cancer recurrences, defined by increases in PSA measurements. The study will be looking to duplicate Dr. Pantuck’s results in a much larger group of patients, with a placebo group for comparison.

Many of the natural chemopreventive compounds that protect prostate health also show promise in protecting female health—specifically, for prevention of breast cancer and postmenopausal osteoporosis. Pomegranate contains abundant phytoestrogens, compounds that mimic estrogens in the body, but that do not have the growth-promoting (cancer-accelerating) effects of the body’s natural estrogens or estrogen-replacing drugs. Phytoestrogens in the diet are well-established as helpful prostate cancer chemoprevention agents, and for the protection they offer against breast cancer and weakening bones.

Although our arm of the multicenter pomegranate study isn’t yet completed, I recommend pomegranate with confidence. It’s a no-risk, multiple-benefit equation. If you choose a supplement over juice, keep in mind that the research shows conclusively that the whole food is more effective in every aspect than any of its isolated components. So far, POM Wonderful appears to be an excellent choice if you prefer juice.

Lycopene and Related Compounds: Lessons in Cancer Prevention

Mediterranean nations have lower risk of heart disease and cancers of the prostate, colon and breast than most other nations. One reason the Mediterranean diet is believed to be so strongly health-promoting is its abundance of tomatoes (and the fact that they are usually cooked in oil, which aids in the bioavailability of the lycopene they contain). Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that reduces LDL oxidation. Several large-scale population studies have found reduced heart disease risk in people who consume more lycopene.

Past research has demonstrated that the higher a woman’s blood plasma levels of lycopene, the lower her risk of cardiovascular disease. Several other studies back this heart health-lycopene level connection, including the famous Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study, performed in Finland. Lycopene is strongly protective against LDL oxidation.

Lycopene research is at a fever pitch in the urological research community because it has been found to significantly slow the growth of prostate cancer cells. At the University of Illinois at Chicago, researchers gave pasta with tomato sauce to men with prostate cancer for three weeks before their prostatectomy (surgery to remove the prostate). They tracked the subjects’ lycopene levels, blood DNA oxidation, and markers of prostate cancer progression throughout. Subjects’ blood lycopene levels doubled, and concentration of lycopene tripled in their prostates. DNA oxidation fell—most notably, in the prostate—as did PSA. Apoptosis of prostate cancer cells rose significantly in the subjects. All in all, lycopene proved itself to be a remarkable ally against prostate cancer growth in this study. And a small European study found that men with PIN who were supplemented with lycopene had a much lower conversion rate to prostate cancer.

Studies show that this nutrient may also help to promote women’s health by helping to prevent breast, ovarian and cervical cancers.

Including Foods Rich in Lycopene in Your Diet

Eat plenty of tomatoes. Enjoy them raw if you like them that way, but keep in mind that their lycopene is most bioavailable when cooked with oil. Some research suggests that olive oil has a synergy with tomatoes that other oils don’t have. Use a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil if possible, to reap the benefits of the unique polyphenolic antioxidants those oils contain.

Add pomegranate to your diet as whole fruit or juice. Watermelon is another good source of lycopene.
LycoPom, a whole-food supplement created by New Chapter, gives you the nutritional equivalent of seven ounces of tomato and 15 whole pomegranates (!!) per capsule. They add a variety of lesser-known sources of lycopene, including rose hips and saffron, and antioxidant herbs like rosemary, turmeric and coffeeberry. New Chapter includes as many of the food’s naturally occurring synergistic nutrients as possible in their supplements—and the research shows clearly that this is a much more safe and efficacious approach than using single, isolated nutrients. They use organically grown whole fruit and ensure consistent, broad-spectrum content of the compounds known to promote better health.

LycoPom is safe and useful for anyone who wants to be proactive about prostate or breast cancer prevention, or who is concerned about heart disease. One to two capsules a day are recommended by New Chapter.

Resources

For more information on LycoPom click here.

References

Albrecht M, et al, “Pomegranate extracts potently suppress proliferation, xenograft growth, and invasion of human prostate cancer cells,” J Med Food 2004 Fall;7(3):274-83.
Aviram M, et al, “Pomegranate juice consumption for 3 years by patients with coronary artery stenosis reduces common carotid intima-media thickness, blood pressure and LDL oxidation,” Clin Nutr 2004 Jun;23(3):423-33.
Kim ND, et al, “Chemopreventive and adjuvant therapeutic potential of pomegranate (Punica granatum) for human breast cancer,” Breast Cancer Res Treat 2002 Feb;71(3):203-17.
Levi F, et al, “Dietary intake of selected micronutrients and breast-cancer risk,” International Journal of Cancer 2001;91:260-3.
Levy J, et al, “Lycopene is more potent inhibitor of human cancer cell proliferation than either A-carotene or beta-carotene,” Nutr Cancer 1995;24:257-266.
Malik A, et al, “Pomegranate fruit juice for chemoprevention and chemotherapy of prostate cancer,” PNAS USA 2005 Oct 11;102(41):14813-8.
Sanjiv A, Rao AV, “Tomato lycopene and its role in human health and chronic diseases,” Canadian Medical Association Journal 2000;163:739-744.
Seeram NP, et al, “In vitro antiproliferative, apoptotic and antioxidant activities of punicalagin, ellagic acid and a total pomegranate tannin extract are enhanced in combination with other polyphenols as found in pomegranate juice,” J Nutr Biochem2005 Jun;16(6):360-7.
Sesso HD, et al, “Plasma lycopene, other carotenoids, and retinol and the risk of cardiovascular disease in women,” Am J Clin Nutr 2004 Jan;79(1):47-53.
Stacewicz-Sapuntzakis M, Bowen PE, “Role of lycopene and tomato products in prostate health,” Biochim Biophys Acta 2005 May 30;1740(2):202-5.
Sumner MD, et al, “Effects of pomegranate juice consumption on myocardial perfusion in patients with coronary heart disease,” Am J Cardiology 2005 Sep 15;96(6):810-4.

The statements contained on these pages have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information contained here is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Suggestions and ideas presented in this document are for information only and should not be interpreted as medical advice, meant for diagnosing illness, or for prescriptive purposes. Readers are encouraged to consult their health care provider before beginning any cleanse, diet, detoxification program, or any supplement regimen. The information in this article is not to be used to replace the services or instructions of a physician or qualified health care practitioner.