BEIJING, Jan. 6 (Xinhuanet) -- Eating pomegranates may slow down the worsening of breast cancer, according to a new research in U.S. as quoted by news reports Wednesday.

    The research, published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, showed that an ingredient in the fruit may help to slow the growing pace of breast cancer tumors.

    Researchers in the City of Hope Cancer Research and Treatment Center in Duarte, California, found that ellagitannins in pomegranate inhibit an enzyme which helps the body make oestrogen, a hormone which fuels most breast cancers.

    Medicines as aromatase inhibitors are for post-menopausal women who have got breast cancer. The ingredient in pomegranate has the same effect as the drugs.

    "We were surprised by our findings," said Dr. Shiuan Chan, one of the researchers. However, the researchers did not recommend people start eating the fruit as a replacement for the medicines. Chan said, "They are not as potent as the real drugs."

    (Agencies)

Pomegranate juice may help prostate cancer patients

    BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Drinking an eight ounce glass of pomegranate juice every day may slow the growth of prostate cancer and even prevent men from dying of the disease, U.S. scientists said.

    Men who drank the beverage had a longer time until doubling of their blood levels of PSA -- a protein that indicates the presence of prostate cancer, a new three-year pilot study from the University of California at Los Angeles found over the weekend.  Full story