Pomegranate vs Resveratrol: Which Is Better? (2026)

Written byDr. Rashmi ByakodiDentist (BDS) · Editor, Best for NutritionLast updatedNovember 11, 2026How we review →

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At a Glance

No head-to-head trials We found no study comparing pomegranate and resveratrol directly, so neither can be called “stronger.”
Blood pressure Pomegranate lowered blood pressure in 22 trials¹. Resveratrol had no significant overall effect in 17 trials, though higher doses helped in some subgroups².
Inflammation Both lowered CRP slightly: about 0.5 mg/L for pomegranate in 33 trials and about 0.3 mg/L for resveratrol in 35 trials³⁴.
Blood sugar Resveratrol improved glucose control in people with diabetes⁵; pomegranate didn’t improve insulin resistance in 15 trials⁶.
Extract pick Zazzee Extra Strength Pomegranate 20:1 – the #1 pick in our guide to the best pomegranate supplements: one capsule a day, standardized to 40% ellagic acid.

The Short Answer: Pomegranate and resveratrol are both plant polyphenols, but they’ve been tested for different things and with mixed results. Pomegranate has the more consistent evidence for blood pressure¹. Resveratrol has better evidence for blood sugar, but only in people with type 2 diabetes⁵. Both lower CRP, a marker of inflammation, by a small amount³⁴.

On this page

Pomegranate vs Resveratrol at a Glance
How Each One Is Absorbed
What Human Studies Show
Which Should You Choose?
Safety and Interactions
Final Verdict
Frequently Asked Questions

Neither is clearly better overall. Pick the one whose evidence matches your goal, and if you’re shopping for resveratrol, see our guide to the best resveratrol supplements.

Pomegranate vs Resveratrol at a Glance

	Pomegranate extract	Resveratrol
What it is	A mix of polyphenols, mainly punicalagins and ellagic acid	A single compound found in grapes, berries and peanuts
How the body handles it	Gut bacteria turn it into urolithins⁸	Well absorbed, but less than 1% stays unchanged⁷
Blood pressure	About 8/3 mmHg lower in 22 trials¹	No significant overall effect in 17 trials²
CRP (inflammation)	About 0.5 mg/L lower in 33 trials³	About 0.3 mg/L lower in 35 trials⁴
Blood sugar	No effect on insulin resistance in 15 trials⁶	Better glucose control in diabetes only⁵
Cholesterol	Mixed; small rise in HDL in 37 trials¹⁰	Lower total and LDL cholesterol in a 2022 meta-analysis; mixed overall¹¹¹⁵
Main safety notes	Possible interactions in case reports¹²	Digestive upset at high doses⁹

How Each One Is Absorbed

Resveratrol is a good example of why lab results don’t always carry over to people. About 75% of an oral dose is absorbed, but the gut and liver convert almost all of it into sulfate and glucuronide forms, leaving an oral bioavailability of less than 1%⁷. Taking more doesn’t change this much⁷.

Pomegranate takes a different route. Its punicalagins break down to ellagic acid, and gut bacteria then turn that into urolithins, which stay in the body longer⁸. People fall into different “metabotypes” depending on which urolithins they make, which may explain why some respond more than others⁸. For more on urolithins, see our guide to the best urolithin A supplements.

What Human Studies Show

Blood Pressure

A 2024 meta-analysis of 22 randomized trials found pomegranate lowered systolic blood pressure by about 8 mmHg and diastolic by about 3 mmHg¹. For resveratrol, a meta-analysis of 17 trials found no significant overall effect on systolic or diastolic blood pressure². Resveratrol did lower blood pressure in trials using 300 mg a day or more and in people with diabetes².

Inflammation

Both lowered CRP by a small amount. Pomegranate reduced CRP by about 0.5 mg/L in a meta-analysis of 33 trials³. Resveratrol reduced CRP by about 0.3 mg/L in a meta-analysis of 35 trials, with larger effects in trials lasting 10 weeks or more⁴.

Blood Sugar

This is resveratrol’s stronger area. In a meta-analysis of 11 trials with 388 people, resveratrol lowered fasting glucose, insulin, HbA1c and insulin resistance in people with diabetes, but had no effect in people without diabetes⁵. Pomegranate didn’t improve insulin resistance or fasting insulin in a meta-analysis of 15 trials⁶.

Cholesterol

Pomegranate’s effect on cholesterol has been inconsistent; a 2025 meta-analysis of 37 trials found a small rise in HDL cholesterol¹⁰. A 2022 meta-analysis of resveratrol found lower total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, with larger LDL changes in longer trials and in people with type 2 diabetes¹¹. An earlier meta-analysis of 10 trials found no effect on cholesterol or CRP, so the evidence isn’t settled¹⁵.

For more on what pomegranate can do, see our guide to pomegranate benefits.

Our Top Pomegranate Extract

Zazzee Extra Strength Pomegranate 20:1

40% ellagic acid1 capsule a day120 servings

If blood pressure is your main goal, pomegranate has the more consistent trial evidence of the two. Zazzee is the #1 pick in our guide to the best pomegranate supplements: one capsule a day, standardized to 40% ellagic acid. It hasn’t been tested in its own clinical trial.

Check price on Amazon → See all 8 picks

Which Should You Choose?

Your goal	Better-supported choice	Why
Blood pressure	Pomegranate	Consistent effect in 22 trials¹
Blood sugar (type 2 diabetes)	Resveratrol	Improved glucose control in diabetes⁵
General inflammation	Either	Both lowered CRP slightly³⁴
Cholesterol	Resveratrol, modestly	Lower LDL in a 2022 meta-analysis¹¹

Can You Take Them Together?

We didn’t find any human trials of the two taken together, so there’s no evidence that combining them works better. If you do combine them, add one at a time so you can tell which one causes any side effects, and check with your doctor if you take prescription medicines.

Safety and Interactions

Pomegranate: Generally well tolerated; a safety study of a pomegranate extract found no serious side effects at up to 1,420 mg a day¹³. A case report linked stopping pomegranate juice with a change in warfarin’s effect¹². See our guide to pomegranate supplement side effects.
Resveratrol: Doses up to 1 g a day were well tolerated in a 29-day study, but 2.5 and 5 g a day caused digestive symptoms⁹. In a mouse study, high-dose resveratrol increased the effect of warfarin¹⁴. Human interaction data are limited.

If you take a blood thinner, diabetes medicine or blood pressure medicine, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking either supplement.

Final Verdict

There’s no head-to-head trial, so neither pomegranate nor resveratrol is proven “stronger.” Pomegranate has more consistent evidence for lowering blood pressure, while resveratrol has better evidence for blood sugar in people with diabetes and possibly for cholesterol. Both lower CRP slightly.

If blood pressure or general polyphenol intake is your goal, a standardized pomegranate extract such as Zazzee Extra Strength Pomegranate 20:1 is a simple choice. Compare all 8 picks in our guide to the best pomegranate supplements, or see the best resveratrol supplements if resveratrol fits your goal better.

Important: This guide is for general information and isn’t medical advice. Neither supplement should replace treatment for high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol. Talk to your doctor before taking either one with prescription medicines.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is pomegranate better than resveratrol?

Not across the board. Pomegranate has stronger evidence for blood pressure¹, while resveratrol has better evidence for blood sugar in diabetes⁵. No trial has compared them directly.

Which is a stronger antioxidant, pomegranate or resveratrol?

There’s no good way to answer this from human studies. Lab antioxidant tests don’t reflect what happens in the body, where resveratrol is quickly broken down⁷ and pomegranate is converted by gut bacteria⁸.

Does resveratrol lower blood pressure?

Not significantly overall in a meta-analysis of 17 trials, although trials using 300 mg a day or more did show an effect².

Can I take pomegranate and resveratrol together?

There are no human studies of the combination. If you combine them, start one at a time and check with your doctor if you take prescription medicines.

Does pomegranate contain resveratrol?

Pomegranate’s main polyphenols are punicalagins and ellagic acid, not resveratrol, which comes mainly from grapes, berries and peanuts.

What are the side effects of resveratrol?

At high doses of 2.5–5 g a day, resveratrol caused mild to moderate digestive symptoms in healthy volunteers⁹. Lower doses were well tolerated in that study.

Sources & History15 sources · updated November 11, 2026

References

Update history

November 11, 2026Rewritten with a side-by-side comparison of human meta-analyses (blood pressure, CRP, blood sugar, cholesterol), absorption data for both compounds, and safety and interaction notes.