Breast cancer inhibited by pomegranate juice

Breast cancer development and metastasis are subject to multiple epigenetic stimuli, not the least of which is what we eat and drink. A study recently published in the journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment illuminates the means by which pomegranate juice inhibits the growth and migration of breast cancer cells. The authors note:

"Pomegranate juice (PJ) and three of its specific components have been shown to inhibit processes involved in prostate cancer metastasis. If this also proves to be true for breast cancer, these natural treatments will be promising agents against breast cancer that can serve as potentially effective and nontoxic alternatives or adjuncts to the use of conventional selective estrogen receptor modulators for breast cancer prevention and treatment."

They investigated this possibility by, subjecting two breast cancer cell lines, MDA-MB-231 cells (ER−) and MCF7 (ER+), and the non-cancer cell line MCF10A to treatment with pomegranate juice. The results were impressive:

"We show that, in addition to inhibiting growth of the breast cancer cells, PJ or a combination of its components luteolin (L) + ellagic acid (E) + punicic acid (P) increase cancer cell adhesion and decrease cancer cell migration but do not affect normal cells. These treatments also inhibit chemotaxis of the cancer cells to SDF1α, a chemokine that attracts breast cancer cells to the bone. We hypothesized that PJ and L + E + P stimulate expression of genes that increase adhesion and inhibit genes that stimulate cell migration and inhibit chemotaxis to SDF1α. Using qPCR, we confirmed these proposed effects on gene expression and in addition we found that a gene important in epithelial-to-meshenchymal transitions is decreased."

In other words pomegranate juice affected the genetic expression of cancer cells in a way that inhibited their both their growth and metastasis to bone and other tissues. Importantly, pomegranate juice also reduced inflammation, a key factor in malignancy:

"We also found that pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines are significantly reduced by these treatments, thereby having the potential to decrease inflammation and its impact on cancer progression."

The authors further state:

"Discovery that PJ and L + E + P are inhibitory of metastatic processes in breast cancer cells in addition to prostate cancer cells indicate that they are potentially a very effective treatment to prevent cancer progression in general."

I advise two the four ounces of pomegranate juice (fresh pressed if available depending on your location), either straight or mixed with bubbly water.