Many people think of cranberry juice as a cocktail mixer or the drink they serve to old people in the hospital.
Some use it as a home remedy for everything from urinary tract infections to stomach ulcers and gum disease.
However, research also suggests that the antioxidants and other nutrients in cranberry juice may help fight one of the most common forms of cancer in the world.
Animal studies have shown that cranberries can block the formation of proteins that help prostate cancer grow and spread, stopping tumors before they become deadly.
Cranberry juice contains nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin E, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium and choline
Prostate cancer is the second most common form of the disease in men, after skin cancer.
A Study from 2016 found that giving cranberry powder to 32 men with prostate cancer helped lower blood levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA).
PSA levels are believed by some to be an indicator of how active a person’s prostate cancer is. National Cancer Institute (NCI number).
Urologists at the Olomouc University Hospital in the Czech Republic gave patients 1,500 mg of cranberry powder, which is approximately equivalent to a 170 ml glass of cranberry juice, for at least 21 days before surgery to remove prostate tumors.
They found that this lowered their PSA levels, which could be seen as a sign that their cancer was less active. However, some doctors have questioned the PSA test.
In laboratory studies, such as this 2012 study Scientists from the University of Prince Edward Island have shown that cranberries and their extracts reduce the amount of proteins called cyclins in prostate cancer cells.
Cyclines help prostate cancer grow and spread throughout the body. Without them, cancer becomes less aggressive and may not even develop at all.
This was done in a test tube, using cells grown from humans. However, it has not yet been done in a living human.
After skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common form of the disease in men.
The NCI It is estimated that approximately 300,000 people will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2024. This represents 15 percent of all new cancer cases.
They predict that about 12 percent of people will die from the disease.
Standard treatments for this disease are similar to those for other cancers and may include surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy.
Cranberries are native to the northeastern US and are packed with nutrients including vitamin C, vitamin E, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and choline.
Its juice has been shown to have antibacterial properties – stopping the H. Pylori bacteria, which causes stomach ulcers, because they can settle in the stomach.
Research has shown that that this bacterium can increase the risk of stomach cancer.
Therefore, drinking cranberry juice regularly to reduce the risk of developing an H. Pylori infection may help reduce the risk of developing the disease, according to Memorial Sloane Kettering Cancer Center.
In the early 2000s, scientists began investigating whether cranberries could offer potential protection against prostate cancer. A series of studies have shown that similarThe results of the 2012 study suggest that cranberries may stop the growth of cancer cells.
In humans, this has not yet been fully proven. Experts at Memorial Sloane Kettering Cancer Center summarize the evidence that cranberries can help prevent prostate cancer as “conflicting.”