Enlarged Prostate and Cranberries

Many men suffer with an enlarged prostate, or benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), and statistics say that  70% of men who are 60 or older live with this condition. 

We have seen research on pomegranates and have written much about it (e.g., Article), so I thought to add more oomph to the mix, and ask, how about cranberries? 

Native Americans have used a handful of cranberries to fight urinary infections, and studies do show great improvements - will cranberries also help an enlarged prostate?

Yes! A studies show effective results from 250mg to 500mg of cranberry powder (Cicero et al., 2019; Consoli et al., 2026; 2023). Cranberries improved urinary flow and the inflammation in the prostate. 

Studies for years have shown that elimination of eggs, chicken and processed foods such as cereals considerably improve prostate health (Bravi et al., 2006). Overall, more vegetables and fruits, pules and nuts are suggested as dietary guidelines. 

As usual, take a look at the reference list to discover the promising effects of both cranberries and pomegranate discussed in these excellent articles below. 

Enjoy!

Yours as Always, 

Dohrea Bardell, PhD

Cranberry Pomegranate Synbiotic

References

• Bravi, F., Bosetti, C., Dal Maso, L., Talamini, R., Montella, M., Negri, E., ... & La Vecchia, C. (2006). Food groups and risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Urology, 67(1), 73-79.
• Chaves, F. M., Pavan, I. C. B., da Silva, L. G. S., de Freitas, L. B., Rostagno, M. A., Antunes, A. E. C., ... & Simabuco, F. M. (2020). Pomegranate juice and peel extracts are able to inhibit proliferation, migration and colony formation of prostate cancer cell lines and modulate the Akt/mTOR/S6K signaling pathway. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, 75(1), 54-62.
• Cicero, A. F., Allkanjari, O., Busetto, G. M., Cai, T., Larganà, G., Magri, V., ... & Vitalone, A. (2019). Nutraceutical treatment and prevention of benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer. Archivio Italiano di Urologia Andrologia, 2019(3), 139-152.
• Consoli, V., Burò, I., Gulisano, M., Castellano, A., D’Amico, A. G., D’Agata, V., ... & Sorrenti, V. (2023). Evaluation of the antioxidant and antiangiogenic activity of a pomegranate extract in BPH-1 prostate epithelial cells. International journal of molecular sciences, 24(13), 10719.
• Consoli, V., D’Amico, A. G., Russo, C., Foderà, E., Passarella, D., Pecorino, A., ... & Sorrenti, V. (2026). Preclinical evaluation of waste-derived pomegranate extract (PWE) as a potential preventing and therapeutic agent for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences, 13, 1769028.
• Johari, A. S., Zulkepli, N. A., & Sarmoko, S. (2022). Pomegranate (Punica granatum) derived phytochemical actions towards prostate cancer. Science, Engineering and Health Studies, 22010002-22010002.
• Mottaghipisheh, J., Doustimotlagh, A. H., Irajie, C., Tanideh, N., Barzegar, A., & Iraji, A. (2022). The promising therapeutic and preventive properties of anthocyanidins/anthocyanins on prostate cancer. Cells, 11(7), 1070.
• Prasain, J. K., Grubbs, C., & Barnes, S. (2020). Cranberry anti-cancer compounds and their uptake and metabolism: An updated review. Journal of Berry Research, 10(1), 1-10.
• Vidlar, A., Vostalova, J., Ulrichova, J., Student, V., Stejskal, D., Reichenbach, R., ... & Simanek, V. (2010). The effectiveness of dried cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) in men with lower urinary tract symptoms. British Journal of Nutrition, 104(8), 1181-1189.
• Vidlar, A., Student Jr, V., Vostalova, J., Fromentin, E., Roller, M., Simanek, V., & Student, V. (2016). Cranberry fruit powder (Flowens™) improves lower urinary tract symptoms in men: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. World journal of urology, 34(3), 419-424.