Many people think of cranberry juice as a cocktail or the drink they serve to elderly people in the hospital.
Some may use it as a home remedy for everything from urinary tract infections to stomach ulcers to gum disease.
But research also suggests that the antioxidants and other nutrients in cranberry juice may help fight one of the world’s most common cancers.
Animal studies have shown that cranberries can prevent the formation of proteins that promote the growth and spread of prostate cancer, stopping tumors before they become deadly.
Cranberry juice contains nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin E, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium and choline
Prostate cancer is the second most common form of the disease in men, behind skin cancer.
A 2016 study found that giving powdered cranberries to 32 men with prostate cancer helped lower their blood levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA).
According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), some believe that PSA levels are an indicator of how active a person’s prostate cancer is.
Urologists at the University Hospital in Olomouc in the Czech Republic gave patients 1,500 mg of cranberry powder, which would be roughly equivalent to a 170 ml glass of cranberry juice, for at least 21 days before surgery to remove prostate tumors.
They found that this practice reduced PSA levels, which could be interpreted as a sign that their cancer was less active. Some doctors, however, have questioned the PSA test.
In laboratory studies, such as this 2012 research by scientists at the University of Prince Edward Island, cranberries and their extracts have been shown to reduce the amount of proteins called cyclins in prostate cancer cells.
Cyclins promote the growth and spread of prostate cancer in the body. Without them, the cancer becomes less aggressive and may not even form.
This experiment was performed in a test tube, using cells grown from humans, but it has not been replicated in a living human.
After skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common form of the disease in men.
The NCI estimates that about 300,000 people will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2024, or 15% of all new cancer cases.
They predict that about 12% of these people will die from the disease.
Standard treatments for the disease are similar to those for other types of cancer and may include surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy.
Cranberries are native to the northeastern United States and are rich in many nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin E, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and choline.
Its juice has been shown to have antibacterial properties: it prevents the H. Pylori bacteria, responsible for ulcers, from settling in the stomach.
Studies have suggested that this bacteria may increase the risk of developing stomach cancer.
Therefore, consuming cranberry juice regularly to reduce your risk of developing H. Pylori infection could help reduce your risk of developing the disease according to Memorial Sloane Kettering Cancer Center.
Scientists began looking at cranberries as a potential protector against prostate cancer in the early 2000s. A series of studies found similar results to the 2012 study, suggesting that cranberries might prevent cancer cells from growing.
This has not yet been fully replicated in humans, and experts at Memorial Sloane Kettering Cancer Center summarized the evidence that cranberries can help prevent prostate cancer as “conflicting.”
