Roughly a glass of pomegranate juice a day was linked to a 5 mmHg drop in systolic blood pressure, the top number in a reading. That finding comes from a systematic review pooling 14 randomized trials of 573 adults, published in Phytotherapy Research in October 2023.
The researchers used a random-effects model to combine the trial data. Pomegranate juice lowered systolic blood pressure by an average of 5.02 mmHg overall. When intake was capped at 300 mL a day, roughly a standard glass, the drop grew to 6.11 mmHg. Higher doses did not produce a bigger systolic benefit, though they were tied to a small dip in the bottom number.
The effect also had a time signature. Trials running two months or less showed a 4.59 mmHg decline in systolic and a 2.94 mmHg decline in diastolic blood pressure. Beyond two months, the effect faded.
Why polyphenols may help
Pomegranate is rich in polyphenols including punicalagins and anthocyanins. These plant compounds appear to counter oxidative stress and inflammation in the lining of blood vessels, which shapes how those vessels relax and constrict.
Also read: Reboiling water twice: Here is what actually happens in your kettle
A separate 12-week randomized trial in adults aged 55 to 70, published in Nutrients in April 2025, gave 76 participants a daily 740 mg pomegranate extract or a placebo. Interleukin-6, a marker of systemic inflammation, fell significantly in the pomegranate group. Interleukin-1β also dropped compared with placebo.
The researchers concluded that pomegranate extract can lower inflammatory markers and blood pressure in older adults.
An earlier double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in the Journal of Nutritional Science, published in August 2017, tested a daily capsule with 210 mg of punicalagins for eight weeks in 53 adults. Diastolic blood pressure dropped by about 2.79 mmHg. Systolic blood pressure fell too, but not enough to reach statistical significance.
The sugar catch
Pomegranate juice is naturally high in sugar. A standard 8-ounce glass of 100 percent juice provides around 30 grams, close to what a can of regular cola contains, even though the sugar here comes from the fruit rather than added sweeteners.
Also read: Your daily vitamin routine may not be protecting you the way you think it is
For people watching calories or managing blood sugar, that matters. Whole pomegranate arils supply many of the same polyphenols with added fiber and less concentrated sugar per bite.
How it stacks up against proven strategies
Pomegranate juice sits alongside, not above, the well-established food-based approaches to blood pressure. The American Heart Association points to overall eating patterns rather than any single food, and its guidance highlights the DASH pattern of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean protein, and reduced sodium as the strongest tool. Welltica has covered why the AHA emphasizes the whole eating pattern over any single food.
Updated AHA and American College of Cardiology hypertension guidance released in August 2025 keeps the sodium ceiling below 2,300 mg a day, and adds recommendations on potassium-rich foods, salt substitutes, and limiting alcohol. For context on where a reading fits, see the Welltica guide to normal and elevated blood pressure by age.
A 5 mmHg systolic drop is not dramatic. At the population level, though, it is the kind of shift tied to fewer heart attacks and strokes over time.
Also read: Chronic illness weighing on your mood? A 12-week digital program helped hundreds feel better
Pomegranate juice may also interact with common medications, including some statins, ACE inhibitors, and the blood thinner warfarin, by influencing the liver enzymes that break them down. Anyone taking prescription drugs, or anyone already treated for high blood pressure, should talk with a clinician before adding a daily glass as a strategy.
Also read: Collagen supplements may actually work for your skin, and a major analysis backs it
This article is made and published by Jesper Bengtson, who may have used AI in the preparation.