I just noticed the question about Trader Joe's.

I am not aware of a Trader Joe's in Canada, at least not in this part of Canada.

Pomegranates reduce the risk of breast cancer

by David Gutierrez, staff writer

(NaturalNews) Regular consumption of pomegranate may help prevent breast cancer, according to a study conducted by researchers from the City of Hope and published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research.

Researchers tested 10 different naturally occurring pomegranate compounds, all of them in the ellagitannin family of chemicals. They found that some of the ellagitannins significantly reduced the activity of the enzyme aromatase in the laboratory.

In the body, aromatase transforms the hormone androgen into the hormone estrogen. Because 75 percent of breast tumors contain estrogen receptors and use the hormone to fuel their growth, aromatase inhibitors are a popular form of treatment for slowing the growth of breast tumors in post-menopausal women.

Pharmaceutical aromatase inhibitors include the AstraZeneca drug Armidex, the Pfizer drug Aromasin and the Novartis drug Femara.

"We were surprised by our findings," researcher Shiuan Chen said. "We previously found other fruits, such as grapes, to be capable of the inhibition of aromatase. But phytochemicals in pomegranates and in grapes are different."

Of the 10 chemicals tested, urolithin B was the most effective at aromatase inhibition. Researchers offered two caveats to their findings, however. First of all, the body does not absorb ellagitannins into the blood very effectively from the digestive tract. Second of all, the researchers tested very high doses of the chemicals, much higher than those found in pomegranate. This suggests that an actual pomegranate-based cancer treatment may still be far in the future.

"We do not recommend people start taking this as a replacement for the [aromatase inhibitors]," Chen said. "[Pomegranate compounds] are not as potent as the real drugs so we think that the interest probably is more on the prevention end rather than in a therapeutic purpose."

Pomegranate juice has been shown to be rich in a wide variety of antioxidants that are believed to reduce the risk of not only cancers, but also other chronic conditions such as Alzheimer's and cardiovascular disease.

Sources for this story include: www.reuters.com; www.webmd.com.

Suzanne

Pomegranate juice is virtually unknown and almost impossible to find here in Brazil.

Do pomegranates grow in Brazil? I suppose it depends where at, but I would think they could.

Yes, they do. It's a rather common fruit. But its juice is virtually unknown here.

Here in Southern California the season for pomegranates is November and December. I buy them in the market and eat them spitting out the seeds. While the juice is available, I do not buy it for its too expensive. They can be cut in half and juiced like an orange also.

No matter where you may live, there is always healthful fruit available. Each has its own nutritional profile. These should be heartily utilized.

To your health!
Suzanne

Sounds like simply a matter of juicing them like Suzanne says. You're lucky to have such an abundant supply available and probably at much less cost than to us in the temperate regions.

Eat Your Fruits and Veggies!

"Eating different colors of fruits and veggies (red, green, yellow, orange and blue) each day can add up to 25,000 cancer-fighting antioxidants to your daily diets" says David Heber, MD, PhD., director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition. And surprise: He says it's okay to choose frozen over fresh! "Not only is it more economical, it's often more nutritious than fresh because it's picked and frozen at the peak of ripeness," Dr. Heber explains. Botton line: Keep your plate piled with colorful produce, and University of Minnesota researchers say your overall cancer risk could plunge as much as 70%. --Woman's World, Dec. 13, 2010.

Suzanne

Study Shows Alpha-carotene From Vegetables and Fruit Dramatically Lowers Risk of Death

by John Phillip, citizen journalist

(NaturalNews) It will come as no surprise to many health minded individuals that a natural diet high in vegetables and fruits promotes health and extends lifespan. Foods saturated with synthetic chemicals, hydrogenated fats, salt and sugar stress our genetic integrity and result in metabolic chaos. We evolved to eat a diet packed with nutrients in a natural state and to live in an environment free of pollutants and man-made toxins. Researchers now show that a diet high in vegetables and fruits can reduce the risk of death from all causes by up to 39%.

Alpha-Carotene Level Linked with Lower Risk of Death
Alpha-carotene is a powerful antioxidant that we take in largely from eating a diet high in vegetables and fruits. This nutrient superstar is found concentrated in the brightly colored skins and flesh of most foods in their natural form. Information published in the Archives of Internal Medicine provides the results of a study performed on a group of more than 15,000 men and women over a period of nearly 18 years. A review of circulating alpha-carotene in the blood showed a direct correlation between blood saturation of the nutrient and risk of dying.

Healthy Diet Shown to Reduce All Cause Mortality by 39%
Researchers measured alpha-carotene levels to determine risk of death and found that those individuals with the highest blood saturation had a 39% lower risk of dying from any cause compared with the lowest levels. Participants that consumed the most vegetables and fruits were found to have the highest alpha-carotene levels, while a processed food diet yielded virtually no measurable levels of the antioxidant. The study found that alpha-carotene provided a high degree of protection against cardiovascular disease and cancers of the brain, liver and skin.

Foods That Increase Alpha-Carotene Levels
Alpha-carotene reduces risk of disease because it is a powerful antioxidant that neutralizes the damaging effects of free radicals on our cells and energy producing mitochondria. It`s best to consume organic vegetables and fruits as your primary source of alpha-carotene. You can find rich sources in yellow-orange vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and winter squash. Dark green leafy vegetables including broccoli, green beans and peas, spinach and leaf lettuce are also excellent sources.

Fruit Shown to Cut Lung Cancer Risk by 23%
The results of a study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention reveals that eating a wide variety of different types of fruits can lower the risk of lung cancer by as much as 23%. Interestingly, the study demonstrated that the risk was reduced more by the number of different fruits consumed and was not dependent on quantities eaten. Eating from more than eight sub-groups was shown to provide the most protection. Risk declined by 4% for each additional variety added to the diet.

Research continues to validate the critical importance that proper diet plays in preventing lifestyle illnesses such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. Our cells have evolved through generations to rely on carotenoids such as alpha-carotene for protection from free-radical damage. As health minded individuals, we are charged with the responsibility to eat from a wide variety of vegetables, fruits and foods in their natural form to prevent disease and increase life span.

Article References:
http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/co...
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/art...
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_relea...

Suzanne