# Pomegranate juice and extract

Source: https://onco.cc/technologies/pomegranate-extract/  
OnCo record `pomegranate-extract` (Technology). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Pomegranate juice became popular among men with prostate cancer after early studies suggested it slowed the rise of prostate-specific antigen. Later placebo-controlled trials were conflicting, and in advanced prostate cancer it did not lower the marker more than placebo. It is generally safe, apart from sugar content and a possible interaction with statins and warfarin.

## Summary

Memorial Sloan Kettering's About Herbs entry summarises the prostate cancer evidence: data are conflicting on whether pomegranate juice slows the rate of PSA rise in men with rising PSA, a planned subset analysis suggested men with one superoxide dismutase genotype might benefit, and in advanced prostate cancer pomegranate juice did not produce significant PSA reductions versus placebo. Extract taken before surgery accumulated in prostate tissue without lowering a marker of oxidative DNA damage, and in men on active surveillance it altered biomarkers of androgen signalling. A blend of green tea, pomegranate, broccoli and curcumin was associated with slower PSA rise after relapse. Pomegranate seed oil did not reduce hot flushes, and juice intake was not associated with hormonal biomarkers of breast cancer risk. It is generally well tolerated; 8 ounces of juice a day for over two years caused no significant adverse effects in one study. Animal studies suggested CYP3A and 2C9 inhibition but human studies have not shown clinically relevant interactions; MSK warns of possible rhabdomyolysis with statins, a case report of a warfarin interaction, and sugar content for people with diabetes. A slower PSA rise is a marker, not proof of longer life.

## Fields

- Kind: Technology
- Status: phase-2
- Last checked: 2026-11-04
- Also known as: Punica granatum; Pomegranate juice; POMx
- Tags: complementary; supportive-care; evidence:insufficient
- Principle: Ellagitannins and other polyphenols with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity; in laboratory studies they inhibited prostate cancer growth and aromatase.
- Strengths: Safe as a food; Randomised trials exist in prostate cancer
- Limitations: Conflicting PSA results; no effect in advanced disease; No survival or progression data; Possible statin and warfarin interactions

## Sources

- MSK About Herbs: Pomegranate (page last updated 11 November 2022): https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/pomegranate

## Connected records

- technologies: [Curcumin and turmeric](https://onco.cc/technologies/curcumin-turmeric/), [Dietary supplements during cancer treatment: interactions and harms](https://onco.cc/technologies/dietary-supplements-treatment-interactions/), [Evidence-based integrative oncology](https://onco.cc/technologies/integrative-oncology/), [Flaxseed and flaxseed lignans](https://onco.cc/technologies/flaxseed-supplements/), [Green tea and EGCG extracts](https://onco.cc/technologies/green-tea-egcg/), [Saw palmetto](https://onco.cc/technologies/saw-palmetto/)
- cancers: [Prostate cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/prostate/)
- fronts: [Diet, Exercise & Lifestyle](https://onco.cc/fronts/nutrition-lifestyle/), [Supportive Care & Survivorship](https://onco.cc/fronts/supportive-care/)
- bottlenecks: [Misinformation and unproven therapies](https://onco.cc/bottlenecks/b-misinformation/)

---
JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/pomegranate-extract.json