Research being published in Cancer Prevention Research suggests there are six compounds found in pomegranates that may prevent the spread of breast cancer in women.
Breast cancer depends on hormones to spread. The compounds in pomegranates block the enzyme aromatase, which changes androgen to estrogen. However, no animal or human testing has occurred yet so doctors caution whether this is a solution to the millions suffering from breast cancer.
Researchers screened ten compounds for the study and found that urolithin B had the strongest impact because it inhibits multiple estrogen-producing mechanisms that fuel the growth of breast cancer.
Lead researcher Dr. Shiuan Chen says “By suppressing the production of estrogen, urolithin B and other phytochemicals found in pomegranates can prevent hormone-responsive breast cancer tumors from growing.”
Other compounds that limited the growth of aromatase to a lesser extent include: urolithin A, methylated UA, acetylated UB, methylated UB and UB sulfate.
Doctors caution though that more study is needed.
In the mean time, you can reduce your risk of several types of cancer by eating a healthy diet that’s high in fiber, fruits and vegetables and low in red and processed meat and saturated fats and salts.