BRITAIN: Blueberry drink can hit cancer cells hard.

A COMMERCIALLY available blueberry and grape fruit punch delivers a bruising blow to prostate cancer, scientists have found.

In mice with a human version of the disease it reduced the growth of tumours by 25% in just two weeks.

Researchers believe the drink, Blueberry Punch, could have a similar effect in humans and want to see it tested in patients.

Blueberry Punch, produced in Australia and sold online by Dr Red Nutraceuticals, is made from blueberry, red grape, elderberry and raspberry fruit concentrates, and extracts from a range of plant sources including grape skin and seeds, green tea and olive leaves.

Other ingredients include the herb tarragon and spices turmeric and ginger.

Green tea contains the powerful antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), while the anti-inflammatory agent curcumin is found in the curry spice turmeric.

Dr Jas Singh, who conducted the research at the University of Sydney in Australia, said: "We have undertaken efficacy studies on individual components of Blueberry Punch, such as curcumin, resveratrol and EGCG, in the same laboratory setting and found these effective in suppressing cell growth in culture.

"While individual phytochemicals are successful in killing cancer cells, we reasoned that synergistic or additive effects are likely to be achieved when they are combined."

Dr Singh looked at the effect of Blueberry Punch on both cancer cell cultures in the laboratory and genetically engineered mice with human prostate tumours.

Mice fed a 10% solution of the punch for two weeks had tumours 25% smaller than mice given tap water over the same period.