Multiple strands of research provide growing evidence that diet, nutrition, and life style play a role in the development and the course of urological diseases.
Numerous micronutrients and polyphenols found in soy, green tea, and many fruits and vegetables have been described to impact diseases including erectile dysfunction, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and prostate cancer. However, oftentimes these reports lack both a scientific rationale and supportive evidence base. The efficacy of pomegranate, on the other hand, in the modulation of central biological processes like inflammation, hypoxia, and oxidative stress that are important in the pathogenesis of urological maladies has been robustly demonstrated in preclinical in vitro and in vivo studies. Moreover, clinical trials have further supported its use in the treatment of several diseases, in particular in the management of prostate cancer. Herein, we critically review the scientific knowledge about the current role and future prospects for the use of pomegranate extracts in the therapy of erectile dysfunction, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and prostate cancer.
Written by:
Kroeger N., Belldegrun A. S., and Pantuck A. J. Are you the author?
Department of Urology, Institute of Urologic Oncology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, 924 Westwood Boulevard, Suite 1050, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7384, USA; Department of Urology, University Medicine Greifswald, F.-Sauerbruch-Str., 17 489 Greifswald, Germany.
Reference: Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:701434.
doi: 10.1155/2013/701434
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 23589721
UroToday.com Investigative Urology Section
