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.
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.
Examine Database: Punicalagins
Research FeedRead all studies
In this 12-week randomized controlled trial in 116 middle-aged and older men with mild erectile dysfunction and sexual dysfunction, supplementation with LN18178 improved sexual and erectile function as well as measures of fatigue, sleep quality, physical performance, and general health.
Research Breakdown
Examine Database References
- 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)
- 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)