The beautiful Pomegranate. A gift from Mother Nature to men-of-a-certain-age
I went to see my doctor yesterday. Good news. Very good news, in fact. My PSA reading has gone down from 0.02 to 0.01 and that’s very good. It was hovering so long at 0.02 that my doctor was taking that as my new baseline. So now I’m even half of what I was before, and in PSA terms, less is definitely more. Before my operation this time last year it was registering a whopping 9.3, which is quite a biological earthquake on the prostate cancer Richter Scale.
So now I just have to keep my body healthy and cancer-free for another four years; then I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.
I’ve been very lucky. In the words of my surgeon: “Someone up there must be looking after you.” At the time, he expressed his surprise at the fortuitous timing of my operation – only a few weeks later the cancer would have spread from the prostate to the bones, which would have given me around 18 months to live. Saved by the bell.
The prostate cancer was only picked up as a result of tests that were done after a small tumour was detected in my bladder. And that was only picked up when I started producing what I thought were kidney stones, which actually turned out to be stones that were forming in the bladder itself.
Could it all have been avoided? I don’t know. The doctor says that cancer is not only from one factor, but many, including a genetic predisposition to it. Alternative therapists talk of various factors conducive to cancer. I take their opinions seriously too.
What many experts seem to agree on – experts from both sides of the medical fence – is the anti-oxidising and anti-inflammatory power of the pomegranate. This beautiful fruit, punica granatum, seems to perform well in scientific tests and slows down the increase in PSA production, an indicator of prostate problems. In one test, conducted by the UCLA, subjects were given eight ounces of juice per day over a considerable length of time and the onset of symptoms was markedly delayed.
Mother Nature seems to have the remedies – and the preventions – readily available if we know where to look. My current health advice to all men of a certain age (and I guess this comes from hard experience!) is to drink plenty of water, get fresh air and lots of exercise, fresh fruit and vegetables – offered to Krishna, naturally – and to minimise rich foods, especially fats and sugars. Get regular pommy juice, soaked pumpkin seeds, and get yourself analysed by a good Ayurvedic practitioner who will tell you other things to avoid or enjoy according to your doshas. And if you have any doubts at all – or even if you don’t – get regularly checked in order to avoid an of the bigger health problems ahead.
And chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra as if your health, wealth, and your entire happiness depended on it.
5 Comments
March 27, 2008 at 4:17 am
Any guidance on how to soak pumpkin seeds prabhu?
March 27, 2008 at 10:21 am
I don’t have any tasty recipes, no. Over the years I’ve often had them roasted or toasted with salads, but I haven’t been a regular pumpkin-seed soaker. I’ve heard of people soaking them in apple juice overnight, though.Unfortunately I discovered their health benefits for the prostate gland when mine had been removed. Which was all too late.
This post is addressed to devotees who may, like me, overlook their bodily requirements because they are ‘not the body.’
Recently I was a guest at a Buddhist monastery where one of the older monks – like me, a western convert – had just been diagnosed with advanced bladder cancer where complete removal of the bladder was the only recourse. He had seen some symptoms – but carried on meditating.
I guess the moral is: “You may not be the body, but when God gives you one for self realisation, you must look after it by following the Veda designed for that purpose.”
March 30, 2008 at 3:10 am
Thank you for this up-date on the benefits of pomegranate. Yes I also have a similar “success story” about the curative effects of this bitter yet heavenly health juice. One year ago, I was tested positive for prostate cancer (in smaller quantity) and then my oncologist encouraged me to follow my own intention of seeking a natural cure. I soon found out about the very great benefits of pomegranate and have been drinking it almost daily. My last PSA count was also down by 60% less than the previous six month’s reading. So I’ll continue to regularly drink pomegranate, and of course keep my soul healthy with a daily quota of the all-merciful Holy Name. Thanks , G.d. ISKCON VANCOUVER Canada
April 7, 2008 at 9:44 am
Haribol Gokulananada prabhu, My obeisances. Hari Sauri prabhu confirmed the same to me one fine morning in Mayapur when he treated me to a glass of fresh pomegranate juice. Actually, pomegranate has an astringent taste, not one that we are commonly used to, but good for people that are getting a little fatty over the 50 mark. It is anti-kapha. Another great bit of prevention against prostate cancer are pumpkin seeds, due to their high zinc content, a mineral that is not so easily found in abundance in our daily diet. Pumpkin seeds and its oil are one of the richest sources of zinc, which is also very valuable to the heart as well, and the immune system in general. To get more out of your pumpkin seeds, soak them over night to start sprouting them. They can also be munched on as a prasadam snack during the day. Just keep them in a small jar and rinse them regularly. Make sure you use the raw seeds and not the ones fried in oil and salted for maximum shakti
April 24, 2008 at 12:28 am
Jaya prabhus. Radharani’s parrots must be very healthy. not only do they chant Krishna’s name, they also love the pomegranate seeds she feeds them.