Ellagic Acid
Summary
Ellagic acid research is a cluster of small 8- to 12-week trials, mostly from Iranian universities, using 180–200 mg/day. They report better blood sugar, insulin and liver-fat markers in type 2 diabetes, PCOS and fatty liver disease (grade D). A Japanese trial found slightly less UV tanning with pomegranate extract. Ellagic acid is poorly absorbed; gut bacteria turn it into urolithins, and how much varies from person to person.
Key facts
- A polyphenol released from ellagitannins in pomegranates, berries and nuts; gut bacteria convert it to urolithins[11][9]
- Insulin resistance and blood sugar (D), liver fat in MASLD (D), depressive symptoms in MS (D), UV skin darkening (D)[1][2][3][4][5]
- 180–200 mg/day of ellagic acid for 8–12 weeks; 100–200 mg/day from pomegranate extract for 4 weeks[1][2][3][4][5]
- Plasma ellagic acid peaked about 1 hour after pomegranate juice and was gone by 4 hours[6]
- None set; ellagic acid is not an essential nutrient[11]
- No NIH ODS, NCCIH or Linus Pauling Institute page covers ellagic acid; this page relies on trials and reviews
- 5 graded human outcomes on this page
- October 10, 2026
How it works
ProposedEllagic acid is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory polyphenol in lab studies. Little of it reaches the blood intact; gut bacteria convert it to urolithins, which are absorbed far better and may account for much of its activity. People differ in which urolithins they make (metabotypes UM-A, UM-B and UM-0), largely with age.[11][9][10]
What the human research says
Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form column shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.
At a glance: strongest evidence per outcome
| Outcome | Grade | Effect | Strongest evidence | Rows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liver | Grade D | Improved | RCT · n = 60 · 2025 | 1 row |
| Blood sugar | Grade D | Improved | RCT · n = 60 · 2021 | 2 rows |
| Mood | Grade D | Improved | RCT · n = 50 · 2023 | 1 row |
| Skin | Grade D | Mixed | RCT · n = 39 · 2006 | 1 row |
Every graded row
| Outcome | Effect | Grade | Best evidence | PMID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liver fat (hepatorenal index) and liver enzymes in fatty liver disease | Improved | Grade D | RCT · n = 60 · 2025 Adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) on a reduced-calorie diet (Iran) Form: Ellagic acid capsules · Dose: 200 mg/day · Duration: 8 weeks Versus placebo, liver fat index (MD −0.23), liver stiffness (−0.47 kPa), ALT (−27.9 U/L), AST, fasting glucose, triglycerides, LDL and hs-CRP fell and HDL rose (all P<0.05). | 40877731 (opens PubMed)Source [1] |
| Insulin resistance, lipids and sex hormones in PCOS | Improved | Grade D | RCT · n = 60 · 2021 Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (Iran) Form: Ellagic acid capsules · Dose: 200 mg/day · Duration: 8 weeks Fasting glucose, insulin, insulin resistance, total and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, CRP, TNF-α, total testosterone, prolactin and AMH fell versus placebo; antioxidant capacity rose. Body weight did not change. | 34330312 (opens PubMed)Source [2] |
| Depressive symptoms (BDI-II) in multiple sclerosis | Improved | Grade D | RCT · n = 50 · 2023 Adults with multiple sclerosis and mild to moderate depressive symptoms (Iran) Form: Ellagic acid capsules (Axenic) · Dose: 90 mg twice daily (180 mg/day) · Duration: 12 weeks BDI-II depression scores, cortisol, nitric oxide and IFN-γ fell and BDNF and serotonin rose versus maltodextrin placebo; Nrf2 did not differ. | 37806153 (opens PubMed)Source [4] |
| Blood sugar, HbA1c and inflammation in type 2 diabetes | Improved | Grade D | RCT · n = 44 · 2021 Adults with type 2 diabetes (Iran) Form: Ellagic acid capsules · Dose: 180 mg/day · Duration: 8 weeks Blood sugar, insulin, insulin resistance, HbA1c, total and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, CRP, TNF-α and IL-6 fell in the ellagic acid group, and antioxidant enzymes rose. | 32909365 (opens PubMed)Source [3] |
| Skin darkening after UV exposure | Mixed | Grade D | RCT · n = 39 · 2006 Healthy women in their 20s to 40s (Japan) Form: Ellagic acid-rich pomegranate extract · Dose: 100 or 200 mg/day ellagic acid · Duration: 4 weeks Loss of skin lightness after a UV dose was 1.35% (low dose) and 1.73% (high dose) smaller than placebo; significant differences appeared only in a subgroup analysis of people with slight sunburn. | 17190110 (opens PubMed)Source [5] |
Forms
| Form | Elemental % | Absorption (human data) | GI tolerance | Studied for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isolated ellagic acid capsules | Varies[1][2][3][4][8][10][11] | Poorly absorbed; most is converted by gut bacteria to urolithins, which are much better absorbed.[11][10] | The trial abstracts report no safety problems at 180–200 mg/day for 8–12 weeks; a 90-day rat study found no histopathological changes at high dietary doses.[1][8] | Metabolic, liver and mood trials (180–200 mg/day) |
| Pomegranate extract standardized to ellagic acid or ellagitannins | Varies[5][7] | Powder extract gave plasma ellagic acid and urinary urolithin levels similar to pomegranate juice, with a later peak (about 2.6 vs 0.7 hours).[7] | No adverse findings in the abstracts reviewed.[5][7] | UV skin pigmentation trial (100–200 mg/day ellagic acid) |
| Foods rich in ellagitannins (pomegranate, berries, walnuts) | Varies[6][11] | 180 mL of pomegranate juice (25 mg ellagic acid plus 318 mg ellagitannins) produced a brief plasma ellagic acid peak at 1 hour.[6] | Normal food amounts.[11] | Absorption studies, not outcome trials |
Studied doses
Doses studied in human trials ranged from 100 to 200 mg/day of ellagic acid, for 4 to 12 weeks. The metabolic, liver and mood trials used 180–200 mg/day of isolated ellagic acid; the skin trial used pomegranate extract.[1][2][3][4][5]
Interactions
Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.
None found in our sources.
Who should be careful
- Taking glucose-lowering medicines
- Trials in type 2 diabetes and PCOS found lower blood sugar and insulin, so effects could add to diabetes medicines; no interaction study exists.[3][2]
Talk to your pharmacist or clinician before starting a supplement, especially if you take prescription medicines.
Safety
Human safety data come only from small trials of up to 12 weeks.
How to read the label
- Label dose vs clinical doseTrials used 180–200 mg/day of ellagic acid itself. A pomegranate product listing total extract weight, "polyphenols" or punicalagins is not the same number.[1][2][3][7]
- Ellagic acid vs urolithin AEllagic acid depends on your gut bacteria to become urolithins; urolithin A supplements skip that step and are a separate product.[10][9]
- Juice vs extractPomegranate juice, liquid extract and powder extract gave similar blood and urine levels of ellagitannin metabolites.[7]
Cost per studied dose, without the sales pitch
Compare any product you already have by the amount it delivers, not by capsule count or front-of-pack weight.
Cost per studied dose
Enter the price, servings and the amount per serving from your label.
Frequently asked questions
What is ellagic acid good for?
Small trials report better blood sugar, insulin and liver-fat markers in type 2 diabetes, PCOS and fatty liver disease, but all were short and from a few research groups.[1][2][3]
How much ellagic acid is used in studies?
180–200 mg/day of ellagic acid for 8 to 12 weeks; a skin study used pomegranate extract giving 100–200 mg/day.[1][2][3][4][5]
Is ellagic acid the same as urolithin A?
No. Gut bacteria make urolithin A from ellagic acid, and some people make little or none. Urolithin A is sold separately.[10][9]
Does ellagic acid help skin?
One 4-week trial found slightly less darkening after UV exposure with pomegranate extract; the clearest effects were in a subgroup.[5]
Is ellagic acid safe?
Trials of up to 12 weeks report no serious problems, and rat studies found little toxicity at high doses. Longer human use is unstudied.[1][2][8]
Which foods contain ellagic acid?
Pomegranates, berries such as raspberries and strawberries, and walnuts, mostly as ellagitannins that release ellagic acid in the gut.[11]
Sources
- [1]The effects of ellagic acid in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) patients: a randomized, add-on, double-blind, controlled trial.. Inflammopharmacology, 2025. RCT
- [2]Randomized double blind clinical trial evaluating the Ellagic acid effects on insulin resistance, oxidative stress and sex hormones levels in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome.. J Ovarian Res, 2021. RCT
- [3]Randomized double-blind clinical trial examining the Ellagic acid effects on glycemic status, insulin resistance, antioxidant, and inflammatory factors in patients with type 2 diabetes.. Phytother Res, 2021. RCT
- [4]The effects of Ellagic acid supplementation on neurotrophic, inflammation, and oxidative stress factors, and indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase gene expression in multiple sclerosis patients with mild to moderate depressive symptoms: A randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial.. Phytomedicine, 2023. RCT
- [5]Effects of oral administration of ellagic acid-rich pomegranate extract on ultraviolet-induced pigmentation in the human skin.. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo), 2006. RCT
- [6]Bioavailability of ellagic acid in human plasma after consumption of ellagitannins from pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) juice.. Clin Chim Acta, 2004. PK-study
- [7]Pomegranate juice and extracts provide similar levels of plasma and urinary ellagitannin metabolites in human subjects.. J Med Food, 2008. PK-study
- [8]Safety assessment of ellagic acid, a food additive, in a subchronic toxicity study using F344 rats.. Food Chem Toxicol, 2008. animal-study
- [9]The gut microbiota urolithin metabotypes revisited: the human metabolism of ellagic acid is mainly determined by aging.. Food Funct, 2018. observational
- [10]Urolithins: a Comprehensive Update on their Metabolism, Bioactivity, and Associated Gut Microbiota.. Mol Nutr Food Res, 2022. review
- [11]Urolithins, the rescue of "old" metabolites to understand a "new" concept: Metabotypes as a nexus among phenolic metabolism, microbiota dysbiosis, and host health status.. Mol Nutr Food Res, 2017. review
What changed
- First draft. Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (title and year taken from the record) and abstracts read for the cited rows.
- Adversarial review pass: every evidence row re-read against its PubMed abstract. No NIH ODS, NCCIH, LPI, EMA or FDA page covers ellagic acid; the page relies on trials, pharmacokinetic studies and reviews. Industry ties: none found; funding from Qazvin and Mashhad universities (PMC8325180 and PubMed grant lists); the MS trial names Axenic as the ellagic acid supplier. Retraction, expression-of-concern, erratum and withdrawn checks on all 11 PMIDs: none flagged. Page set indexable. Independent browser review (4 parallel reviewers, every evidence row checked against its abstract on the Vercel preview) found: no issues.