Overview

Ellagic acid is a naturally occurring substance. The best sources of ellagic acid in the diet are strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, and walnuts.

Some people take ellagic acid by mouth for cancer, mental function, and viral or bacterial infections.

Ellagic acid is applied to the skin as a lightening agent.

Classification

Is a Form of:

Micronutrient found in vegetables and fruits

Primary Functions:

Cancer, infections, mental functions

Also Known As:

Acide Ellagique, Ácido Elágico, Gallogen.

How Does It Work?

Ellagic acid may bind to chemicals that cause cancer, and it may also prevent the growth of cancer cells. However, ellagic acid is poorly absorbed and is also eliminated quickly from the body. These characteristics may limit its usefulness as a medicine.

Uses

• Mental function. Early research shows that taking ellagic acid for 12 weeks improves mental function and IQ in overweight males. It doesn't improve these outcomes in males with normal body weight.
• Darkening and discoloration of the skin (hyperpigmentation). Early research shows that applying ellagic acid plus salicylic acid to the face for 12 weeks decreases the size and number of dark spots. It seems to work about as well as applying hydroquinone. But applying hydroquinone seems to improve skin firmness better.
• Human papilloma virus (HPV). High-risk HPV is linked with cervical cancer. Early research shows that taking ellagic acid and graviola for 6 months has antiviral activity against high-risk HPV. It might also prevent precancerous cells from becoming worse in women with high-risk HPV and precancerous cells.
• Brown patches on the face (melasma). Early research shows that applying ellagic acid to the face can lighten brown spots. It seems to work about as well as a prescription skin whitening agent.
• Prostate cancer. Early research shows that taking ellagic acid during chemotherapy for prostate cancer reduces the side effects of cancer treatment. But it doesn’t seem to reduce tumors or improve survival.
• Preventing cancer.
• Treating viral infections.
• Treating bacterial infections.

Recommended Dosing

The appropriate dose of ellagic acid depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for ellagic acid. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.

Ellagic Acid Supplements Frequently Asked Questions

What does ellagic acid do for the body?

Ellagic acid is known for its antioxidant properties. That means it removes toxins from your body and protects against harmful molecules known as free radicals. Plants also produce this antioxidant compound as a defense mechanism against infection and pests.

What is ellagic acid and what foods contain it?

Ellagic acid, a polyphenol found in fruits and vegetables including blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, walnuts, pecans, pomegranates, wolfberry, and other plant foods, is one of the well-studied phytochemical.

How much ellagic acid is in pomegranate juice?

Pomegranate juice had the highest concentration of ellagic acid, 103 mg/L, while the other juices ranged from 1 mg/L to 2 mg/L. The 3:1 pomegranate-cranberry mixture had the highest EA concentration of 97 mg/L of all juice combinations.

Do blueberries contain ellagic acid?

The berries investigated have different ellagic content – raspberries (1500 ppm ellagic acid), strawberries (500 ppm ellagic acid) and blueberries (<100 ppm ellagic acid)[17, 31].

What does ellagic mean?

Definition of ellagic acid. : a crystalline phenolic compound C₁₄H₆O₈ with two lactone groupings that is obtained especially from oak galls and some tannins and is used medicinally as a hemostatic.

Which whiskey has the most ellagic acid?

Single malt whiskies contain more ellagic acid than red wine. In a speech at the EuroMedLab conference in 2005, Dr. Jim Swan, who, granted, is a consultant to the drinks industry, reported that whiskey contains more ellagic acid (a free-radical fighting antioxidant) than red wine.

What acid is in raspberries?

ellagic acid

The highest levels of ellagic acid are found in raw chestnuts, walnuts, pecans, cranberries, raspberries, strawberries, and grapes, as well as distilled beverages. It is also found in peaches and pomegranates.

How is ellagic acid related to gallic acid?

Ellagic acid, a dimeric derivative of gallic acid, is generated by the hydrolysis of the ellagitannins. Being a strong antioxidant, ellagic acid attenuates the damaging effect of H₂O₂, scavenges superoxide anion and hydroxyl anion (Thulstrup et al., 1999; Festa et al., 2001; Kang et al., 2006).

What is ellagic acid used for?

Ellagic acid is a naturally occurring substance. The best sources of ellagic acid in the diet are strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and walnuts. Medicinally, ellagic acid is used to prevent cancer and treat viral and bacterial infections.

What contains ellagic acid?

Ellagic acid is a naturally occurring substance. The best sources of ellagic acid in the diet are strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, and walnuts. Some people take ellagic acid by mouth for cancer, mental function, and viral or bacterial infections.

Clinical Studies