Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Are Pomegranate Supplements Used For?Side EffectsDosage and PreparationWhat to Look ForWhat Medications Does Pomegranate Interact With?
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Are Pomegranate Supplements Used For?
Side Effects
Dosage and Preparation
What to Look For
What Medications Does Pomegranate Interact With?
Pomegranate is a fruit with edible seeds in its hard outer layer.It is full of antioxidants, which can help to prevent cell damage and boost immune function. It can also help prevent and repair DNA damage that can lead tocancer, with some research to suggest that pomegranate juice may even benefit prostate and heart health.
Pomegranateas a supplement comes in many forms, including capsules, gummies, powder, and juice that contain pomegranate extract sourced from the seed, juice, peel, leaf, and flower.
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate supplements the way it regulates prescription drugs. That means some supplement products may not contain what the label says. Whenchoosing a supplement, look for independently tested products and consult a healthcare provider, registered dietitian nutritionist (RD or RDN), or pharmacist.
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Abundant in polyphenols, pomegranates offer many potential benefits because of the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of these micronutrients. Pomegranate supplements may help treat risk factors for many diseases, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, oxidative stress,hyperglycemia, and inflammation.
Inflammation
All pomegranate flavonoids show antioxidant activity with indirect inhibition of inflammatory markers such as tumor necrosis factor.In a review of several animal or cell culture studies, researchers found that pomegranate juice or its extract positively affectedrheumatoid arthritis. However, more research is needed to support this benefit in humans.
Know the Signs of Inflammation
Blood Pressure
Pomegranate juice is said to prevent the activity of serum angiotensin-converting enzyme, which may help reduce systolic blood pressure. Some studies indicated that pomegranate juice reduces blood pressure in hypertensive and normotensive populations. Yet, another study showed that three months of pomegranate juice supplementation did not significantly affect blood pressure in patients with coronary heart disease.
Systolic vs. Diastolic Blood Pressure
Heart Health
The antioxidants in pomegranate juice may help keep cholesterol in a form that is less damaging and also may reduce plaque that has built up in vessels, according to some research.
In a study of healthy men, researchers from Israel concluded that pomegranate juice decreases the likelihood of LDL, the cholesterol that forms plaque, and that it improves HDL, the good cholesterol. Another study showed a decrease in the development ofatherosclerosis(plaque buildup in the walls of arteries) in mice whose diets were supplemented with pomegranate juice.
What Causes Plaque in the Arteries?
Bacteria and Fungus
Pomegranates have been used to treat infections for a long time. In Ayurvedic medicine, pomegranate extracts, the rind of the fruit, and the bark of the tree were used to treat dysentery anddiarrhea.
In another study with 35 Wistar rats with oral candidiasis, a fungus that accumulates in the lining of the mouth, the rats were treated with three different concentrations of pomegranate peel extract and nystatin. Regardless of the pomegranate peel extract’s concentration, researchers observed a marked improvement after 15 days of treatment with no adverse side effects.
Blood Flow
According to several studies, dietary nitrate can positively affect blood flow and exercise performance. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study with 19 men and women examined how pomegranate extract could affect blood flow, vessel diameter, and exercise performance. The participants had a mean age of 22 and were randomly assigned to placebo or pomegranate extract.
Blood flow increased in the participants who took the pomegranate extract compared with those who took the placebo. In addition, vessel diameter was notably larger in the pomegranate extract group. The researchers found that taking pomegranate extract 30 minutes prior to exercise may enhance vessel diameter, blood flow, and delay fatigue during exercise.
In general, pomegranate supplementation doesn’t appear to have any adverse side effects, but some individuals may have gastrointestinal sensitivities that may lead to diarrhea. Overall, pomegranate juice is considered safe, as is pomegranate extract. However, when ingested in large portions, pomegranate root, stem, and leaf may not be safe.
There is little evidence on whether drinking pomegranate juice or ingesting pomegranate extract is harmful during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Check with your healthcare provider before starting any pomegranate supplement to ensure that it’s safe for you to use.
While pomegranate in its natural state is a good source of vitamins C and K as well as potassium and punicalagins (antioxidant phytochemicals), pomegranate supplements contain other ingredients that vary from brand to brand.
The Food and Drug Administration recommends the following daily values:
You may need to consume more or less of a certain food, beverage, or supplement to meet the recommended daily values.
When examining supplement labels, you may see that one type of pomegranate supplement may include a certain percentage of the extract along with a blend of the flower, seed oil, and a percentage of punicic acid. Other ingredients that may be in a gel tablet or capsule may include sunflower oil, glycerin, gelatin, beeswax, and sunflower lecithin. Some brands may have added blueberry and cranberry extract and ellagic acid (another antioxidant phytochemical found in pomegranates and other fruits and vegetables).
While some juices, like grapefruit juice, can interact with drugs such as those prescribed to treat cholesterol, it’s unclear what the risks are with pomegranate and certain medications.
In a study of liver cells, pomegranate juice hindered cytochrome P450 3A, an enzyme key to drug metabolism.Further, the American Heart Association warns that statin-based cholesterol medications and pomegranate can be a dangerous mix.
If you’re concerned about any prescription medication that may interact with a pomegranate supplement or juice, it’s best to ask your healthcare provider whether you may have to eliminate it.
Can Drinking Pomegranate Juice Benefit Your Health?
13 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Zarfeshany A, Asgary S, Javanmard SH.Potent health effects of pomegranate.Adv Biomed Res. 2014 Mar 25;3:100. doi:10.4103/2277-9175.129371Cleveland Clinic.The health benefits of pomegranates.Danesi F, Ferguson LR.Could pomegranate juice help in the control of inflammatory diseases?Nutrients. 2017 Aug 30;9(9):958. doi:10.3390/nu9090958Mount Sinai.Pomegranate.Stockton A, Farhat G, McDougall GJ, Al-Dujaili EAS.Effect of pomegranate extract on blood pressure and anthropometry in adults: a double-blind placebo-controlled randomised clinical trial.J Nutr Sci. 2017 Aug 9;6:e39. doi:10.1017/jns.2017.36Aviram M, Rosenblat M.Pomegranate for your cardiovascular health.Rambam Maimonides Med J. 2013 Apr 30;4(2):e0013. doi:10.5041/RMMJ.10113Howell AB, D’Souza DH.The pomegranate: effects on bacteria and viruses that influence human health.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:606212. doi:10.1155/2013/606212Bassiri-Jahromi S, Pourshafie MR, Mirabzade Ardakani E, Ehsani AH, Doostkam A, Katirae F, Mostafavi E.In vivo comparative evaluation of the pomegranate (Punica granatum) peel extract as an alternative agent to nystatin against oral candidiasis.Iran J Med Sci. 2018 May;43(3):296-304.Trexler ET, Smith-Ryan AE, Melvin MN, Roelofs EJ, Wingfield HL.Effects of pomegranate extract on blood flow and running time to exhaustion.Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2014 Sep;39(9):1038-42. doi:10.1139/apnm-2014-0137National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Pomegranate.Food & Drug Administration.Daily value on the nutrition and supplement facts labels.Harvard Health Publishing.By the way, doctor: Does pomegranate juice interfere with medications?American Heart Association.Medication interactions: food, supplements and other drugs.
13 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Zarfeshany A, Asgary S, Javanmard SH.Potent health effects of pomegranate.Adv Biomed Res. 2014 Mar 25;3:100. doi:10.4103/2277-9175.129371Cleveland Clinic.The health benefits of pomegranates.Danesi F, Ferguson LR.Could pomegranate juice help in the control of inflammatory diseases?Nutrients. 2017 Aug 30;9(9):958. doi:10.3390/nu9090958Mount Sinai.Pomegranate.Stockton A, Farhat G, McDougall GJ, Al-Dujaili EAS.Effect of pomegranate extract on blood pressure and anthropometry in adults: a double-blind placebo-controlled randomised clinical trial.J Nutr Sci. 2017 Aug 9;6:e39. doi:10.1017/jns.2017.36Aviram M, Rosenblat M.Pomegranate for your cardiovascular health.Rambam Maimonides Med J. 2013 Apr 30;4(2):e0013. doi:10.5041/RMMJ.10113Howell AB, D’Souza DH.The pomegranate: effects on bacteria and viruses that influence human health.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:606212. doi:10.1155/2013/606212Bassiri-Jahromi S, Pourshafie MR, Mirabzade Ardakani E, Ehsani AH, Doostkam A, Katirae F, Mostafavi E.In vivo comparative evaluation of the pomegranate (Punica granatum) peel extract as an alternative agent to nystatin against oral candidiasis.Iran J Med Sci. 2018 May;43(3):296-304.Trexler ET, Smith-Ryan AE, Melvin MN, Roelofs EJ, Wingfield HL.Effects of pomegranate extract on blood flow and running time to exhaustion.Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2014 Sep;39(9):1038-42. doi:10.1139/apnm-2014-0137National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Pomegranate.Food & Drug Administration.Daily value on the nutrition and supplement facts labels.Harvard Health Publishing.By the way, doctor: Does pomegranate juice interfere with medications?American Heart Association.Medication interactions: food, supplements and other drugs.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Zarfeshany A, Asgary S, Javanmard SH.Potent health effects of pomegranate.Adv Biomed Res. 2014 Mar 25;3:100. doi:10.4103/2277-9175.129371Cleveland Clinic.The health benefits of pomegranates.Danesi F, Ferguson LR.Could pomegranate juice help in the control of inflammatory diseases?Nutrients. 2017 Aug 30;9(9):958. doi:10.3390/nu9090958Mount Sinai.Pomegranate.Stockton A, Farhat G, McDougall GJ, Al-Dujaili EAS.Effect of pomegranate extract on blood pressure and anthropometry in adults: a double-blind placebo-controlled randomised clinical trial.J Nutr Sci. 2017 Aug 9;6:e39. doi:10.1017/jns.2017.36Aviram M, Rosenblat M.Pomegranate for your cardiovascular health.Rambam Maimonides Med J. 2013 Apr 30;4(2):e0013. doi:10.5041/RMMJ.10113Howell AB, D’Souza DH.The pomegranate: effects on bacteria and viruses that influence human health.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:606212. doi:10.1155/2013/606212Bassiri-Jahromi S, Pourshafie MR, Mirabzade Ardakani E, Ehsani AH, Doostkam A, Katirae F, Mostafavi E.In vivo comparative evaluation of the pomegranate (Punica granatum) peel extract as an alternative agent to nystatin against oral candidiasis.Iran J Med Sci. 2018 May;43(3):296-304.Trexler ET, Smith-Ryan AE, Melvin MN, Roelofs EJ, Wingfield HL.Effects of pomegranate extract on blood flow and running time to exhaustion.Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2014 Sep;39(9):1038-42. doi:10.1139/apnm-2014-0137National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Pomegranate.Food & Drug Administration.Daily value on the nutrition and supplement facts labels.Harvard Health Publishing.By the way, doctor: Does pomegranate juice interfere with medications?American Heart Association.Medication interactions: food, supplements and other drugs.
Zarfeshany A, Asgary S, Javanmard SH.Potent health effects of pomegranate.Adv Biomed Res. 2014 Mar 25;3:100. doi:10.4103/2277-9175.129371
Cleveland Clinic.The health benefits of pomegranates.
Danesi F, Ferguson LR.Could pomegranate juice help in the control of inflammatory diseases?Nutrients. 2017 Aug 30;9(9):958. doi:10.3390/nu9090958
Mount Sinai.Pomegranate.
Stockton A, Farhat G, McDougall GJ, Al-Dujaili EAS.Effect of pomegranate extract on blood pressure and anthropometry in adults: a double-blind placebo-controlled randomised clinical trial.J Nutr Sci. 2017 Aug 9;6:e39. doi:10.1017/jns.2017.36
Aviram M, Rosenblat M.Pomegranate for your cardiovascular health.Rambam Maimonides Med J. 2013 Apr 30;4(2):e0013. doi:10.5041/RMMJ.10113
Howell AB, D’Souza DH.The pomegranate: effects on bacteria and viruses that influence human health.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:606212. doi:10.1155/2013/606212
Bassiri-Jahromi S, Pourshafie MR, Mirabzade Ardakani E, Ehsani AH, Doostkam A, Katirae F, Mostafavi E.In vivo comparative evaluation of the pomegranate (Punica granatum) peel extract as an alternative agent to nystatin against oral candidiasis.Iran J Med Sci. 2018 May;43(3):296-304.
Trexler ET, Smith-Ryan AE, Melvin MN, Roelofs EJ, Wingfield HL.Effects of pomegranate extract on blood flow and running time to exhaustion.Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2014 Sep;39(9):1038-42. doi:10.1139/apnm-2014-0137
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Pomegranate.
Food & Drug Administration.Daily value on the nutrition and supplement facts labels.
Harvard Health Publishing.By the way, doctor: Does pomegranate juice interfere with medications?
American Heart Association.Medication interactions: food, supplements and other drugs.
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