These pomegranate polyphenols “help protect your skin even from sun exposure, as well—there’s clinical studies supporting that,”* notes Bowe. Take this randomized controlled trial, for instance, which found that pomegranate extract increased skin’s resilience against UVB rays; or this double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, which found that taking pomegranate extract orally could help with common sun-induced pigmentation.*
Finally? Pomegranate seeds are great for gut health—which, thanks to the gut-skin axis, means they’re inherently great for skin as well.* According to Bowe, the tart fruit is a good source of prebiotic fiber, “balancing the microbiome in the gut and the skin.” Pomegranate also promotes the growth of Akkermansia muciniphila, a good gut bacteria integrative gastroenterologist Marvin Singh, M.D., calls “one of [his] favorite microbes” in a recent mbg podcast episode. That A. muciniphila bacteria then creates the postbiotic urolithin A (UA), which is associated with enhanced mitochondrial function and energy production.*
Science jargon aside, these gut bacteria and their outputs have some pretty powerful health benefits—and it all starts with pomegranate.*