GradedHealth

Pomegranate Juice

Last reviewed October 2026 · Based on 16 studies

Bottom line

Drinking pomegranate juice may lower systolic blood pressure by roughly 5 to 8 mmHg and diastolic by roughly 2 to 3 mmHg, but the evidence is limited and results vary widely between trials. Effects on cholesterol are inconsistent.

What it helps with

  • Lowers blood pressure — Benefit, evidence grade C (Limited). Meta-analyses of randomised trials found lower pressure; downgraded for high heterogeneity and because blood pressure is a surrogate marker.
  • Improves cholesterol levels — Mixed results, evidence grade C (Limited). Meta-analyses of trials disagree on HDL and agree on no LDL effect; downgraded for inconsistency and because cholesterol is a surrogate marker.

What it is

Pomegranate juice is juice pressed from the fruit of Punica granatum, a polyphenol-rich fruit juice [1]. Trials have used ordinary juice and concentrated juice, most often about 200 to 500 mL per day [2][3][4].

How it might work

Pomegranate juice is rich in polyphenols with antioxidant activity, which are proposed to protect blood vessels, though the mechanism behind the blood pressure effect is uncertain [2][4].

What the research says

A 2024 meta-analysis of 22 pomegranate trials found systolic pressure about 7.9 mmHg lower and diastolic about 3.2 mmHg lower than control, with larger systolic drops in people starting above 130 mmHg, but results varied widely between trials [5]. A 2023 meta-analysis of 14 juice trials (573 people) found systolic pressure about 5.0 mmHg lower [6]. A 2017 meta-analysis of 8 juice trials found systolic pressure about 5.0 mmHg lower and diastolic about 2.0 mmHg lower [1]. An earlier 2017 review of 8 trials judged the evidence too limited to convincingly show a benefit, since only some trials found significant between-group differences [7]. For cholesterol, a 2025 meta-analysis of 37 trials (2695 people) found HDL cholesterol rose by about 2.5 mg/dL with no change in total or LDL cholesterol or triglycerides [8], while a 2016 meta-analysis of 12 trials (545 people) found no significant lipid effect [9].

Doses used in studies

Trials used 200 mL daily for 6 weeks in adults with type 2 diabetes [2], 330 mL daily for 4 weeks in healthy adults [4], 500 mL daily for one week in adults with metabolic syndrome [3], and concentrated juice for 8 weeks in women with PCOS [10]. One review found the clearest systolic benefit with 300 mL or less daily and in trials of 2 months or less [6]. Haemodialysis trials gave 100 mL after each dialysis session for 8 weeks to a year under medical supervision [11][12].

Safety and interactions

Short trials reported no adverse events from pomegranate juice [10][7]. No established upper intake limit for pomegranate juice was found in the cited reviews. Two weeks of juice did not change blood levels of midazolam, a marker of a common liver-enzyme drug pathway, in 16 healthy volunteers, but other medicine interactions have not been well studied [13]. No data on pregnancy or breastfeeding were found in the cited trials. People with kidney disease, diabetes, or high blood pressure, and anyone taking blood pressure or cholesterol medicines, should talk to a doctor before drinking large amounts daily.

Caveats and open questions

Results varied widely between trials, so average drops may not match any one person [5]. Most trials lasted only weeks and measured blood pressure, not heart attacks or strokes [5]. Effects beyond 2 months, the best dose, and effects in people with normal blood pressure remain unclear [6][4].

References

  1. Effects of pomegranate juice on blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.. Pharmacol Res, 2017.
  2. Effects of pomegranate juice consumption on blood pressure and lipid profile in patients with type 2 diabetes: A single-blind randomized clinical trial.. Clin Nutr ESPEN, 2019.
  3. Effects of Pomegranate Juice on Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome: a Double-Blinded, Randomized Crossover Controlled Trial.. Plant Foods Hum Nutr, 2017.
  4. Effects of pomegranate juice supplementation on pulse wave velocity and blood pressure in healthy young and middle-aged men and women.. Plant Foods Hum Nutr, 2012.
  5. The effects of pomegranate consumption on blood pressure in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.. Phytother Res, 2024.
  6. Impact of pomegranate juice on blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis.. Phytother Res, 2023.
  7. Evidence for the effectiveness of pomegranate supplementation for blood pressure management is weak: A systematic review of randomized clinical trials.. Nutr Res, 2017.
  8. An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of pomegranate consumption on lipid profile.. Prostaglandins Other Lipid Mediat, 2025.
  9. Lipid profile changes after pomegranate consumption: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.. Phytomedicine, 2016.
  10. The effect of concentrated pomegranate juice consumption on risk factors of cardiovascular diseases in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: A randomized controlled trial.. Phytother Res, 2021.
  11. Pomegranate juice improves cardiometabolic risk factors, biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation in hemodialysis patients: a randomized crossover trial.. J Sci Food Agric, 2020.
  12. Does Pomegranate intake attenuate cardiovascular risk factors in hemodialysis patients?. Nutr J, 2014.
  13. Effect of 2 weeks' consumption of pomegranate juice on the pharmacokinetics of a single dose of midazolam: an open-label, randomized, single-center, 2-period crossover study in healthy Japanese volunteers.. Clin Ther, 2011.