Punicalagins

    Written by:
    Kamal Patel
    Last Updated: October 13, 2024

    Punicalagins are really big molecules found in pomegranate juice that are somehow absorbed; they are potent anti-oxidants, and alongside punicic acid confer many of the benefits associated with pomegranates, of which many studies conducted with are here.

    138 participants in 2 trials

    Summary

    Punicalagins are large molecules (ellagitannins) found in Pomegranates and Pomegranate Juice.

    They themselves are very potent anti-oxidants, and they can be metabolized into other compounds (ellagic acid, urolithins) that themselves have anti-oxidant capabilities (although lesser). This large anti-oxidant value of punicalagins, about thrice that of red wine and green tea, is what brought Pomegranates to fame. That being said, the overall amount of punicalagins that get into the bloodstream after oral ingestion is quite small (6% is the highest noted and was in rats, sometimes human studies don't even notice punicalagins in the blood).

    The ellagic acid and urolithins still confer a lot of health benefits, but their anti-oxidant capabilities are on par with green tea and red wine if not a bit less potent.

    There is a very high variation between individuals, and like daidzein (one of the soy isoflavones) it may be genetically dependent on what intestinal microflora one possesses.

    What are other names for Punicalagins?

    Note that Punicalagins is also known as:

    • Pomegranate Extract
    • Punica Granatum L.
    • Pomegranate Juice

    Dosage information

    Anti-oxidant potential of the blood increases at an oral dose of 800mg Pomegranate Extract (318mg punicalagins), which may be a good starting point for a bioactive dose. The optimal dose is currently not known.

    Research Breakdown

    Examine Database References

    1. Prostate Specific Antigen - Pantuck AJ, Leppert JT, Zomorodian N, Aronson W, Hong J, Barnard RJ, Seeram N, Liker H, Wang H, Elashoff R, Heber D, Aviram M, Ignarro L, Belldegrun APhase II study of pomegranate juice for men with rising prostate-specific antigen following surgery or radiation for prostate cancerClin Cancer Res.(2006 Jul 1)
    2. Prostate Specific Antigen - C J Paller, X Ye, P J Wozniak, B K Gillespie, P R Sieber, R H Greengold, B R Stockton, B L Hertzman, M D Efros, R P Roper, H R Liker, M A CarducciA randomized phase II study of pomegranate extract for men with rising PSA following initial therapy for localized prostate cancerProstate Cancer Prostatic Dis.(2013 Mar)