POMEGRANATE JUICE - NOT SUCH A SIMPLE CURE

My good friend and supplements guru gave me a heads up about pomegranate juice. He’s just experienced some issues with prostate cancer and orders the juice every time we dine together. According to Wikipedia, “Studies indicate that pomegranate juice reduces arterial plaque, reduces systolic blood pressure, and reduces LDL cholesterol” One 250 ml (8.45 oz) glass of pomegranate juice provides approximately 50% of an adult's recommended daily allowance (RDA) of the vitamins A, C and E. Pomegranate juice provides 100% RDA of folic acid and a substantial amount of potassium and niacin. Wiki also gives the scientific journal references that support the claims for help with prostate cancer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomegranate_juice

But be warned: there is also evidence that with some medications the juice can be dangerous. A 48-year-old man was taking ezetimibe (trade name Zetia) 10 mg a day and rosuvastatin (trade name Crestor) 5 mg every other day for 17 months. Both medications are used to treat high cholesterol. He began drinking pomegranate juice (200 ml twice weekly) and three weeks later, was admitted to emergency with thigh pain and an elevated serum creatine kinase level. Both are symptoms of rhabdomyolysis, a serious condition that causes the breakdown of muscle fibers and may lead to kidney failure. Rosuvastatin belongs to a group of medicines called HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, or ‘statins’. Grapefruit juice is known to increase the risk of statin-induced myopathy, but up until now, there was little information about whether pomegranate juice might also increase the risk. Pomegranate juice and grapefuit juice, are both known to block enzyme systems in the intestines. By inhibiting these enzymes, the juices may increase blood levels of many medications.

For more information on drug interactions look at http://altmedicine.about.com/od/druginteractions/a/pom_interaction.html

Bottom line: nothing is free. Before you take the magic cure, make sure you read what there is on the Net and when in doubt, ask the doctor.