Thursday, January 7, 2010

Pomegranates May Help Fight Breast Cancer, Study Finds - Sphere News

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Pomegranates May Help Fight Breast Cancer, Study Finds - Sphere News

TCS' Post Script: The above link informs on the connection between the benefits of pomegranates and breast cancer. In summary, it asserts that: A rare compound found in pomegranates, ellagic acid, helps stop the growth of hormone-fed cancer cells, according to a study published in the January issue of Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

It does so by inhibiting aromatase, an enzyme that converts androgen to estrogen -- the female hormone that helps certain tumors grow. Without that conversion, the growth of some tumors can be halted.


It needs to be noted that aromatase inhibitors stop the production of estrogen in post-menopausal women. Aromatase inhibitors work by blocking the enzyme aromatase, which turns another enzyme, androgen, into small amounts of estrogen in the body. This means that less estrogen is available to stimulate the growth of hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer cells.

Aromatase inhibitors can't stop the ovaries from making estrogen, so aromatase inhibitors only work in post-menopausal women.

If you are like me, pre-menopausal, indeed pre-perimenopausal -- aromatase inhibitors either in natural or synthetic form is not efficacious in addressing our breast cancers. I do not mean to suggest, however, that I will disregard the importance of phytochemicals and antioxidents that pomegranates offers! And, they are tasty!

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