Ellagitannins in Plant Based Foods
38 plant foods ranked by ellagitannins per 100 g. Search a food, pick a food group or keep whole foods only.
- Pomegranate dominates ellagitannin content — ~3,000 mg/100ml juice
- Berries (raspberries, strawberries, cloudberries) deliver 79–87 mg/100g
- Gut microbiota convert ellagitannins → urolithins (bioactive metabolites)
- Urolithins support anti-inflammatory & mitochondrial health
Questions
What are ellagitannins and which plant foods contain them?
Ellagitannins are large hydrolysable polyphenolic compounds found predominantly in plant based foods, particularly pomegranate, berries (raspberries, strawberries, blackberries), walnuts, and chestnuts. Pomegranate juice contains the highest concentration at approximately 3,000 mg/100ml, while whole pomegranate averages ~2,500 mg/100g. Raspberries provide ~87 mg/100g, and cloudberries ~83 mg/100g. Ellagitannins are highly distinctive to plants; animal products contain negligible amounts. When consumed, ellagitannins are hydrolysed in the gastrointestinal tract and converted by gut microbiota into bioavailable urolithins — metabolites with potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
What is the difference between ellagic acid, ellagitannins, and urolithins?
Ellagic acid, ellagitannins, and urolithins represent sequential compounds in the ellagitannin metabolism pathway, each with distinct chemical structure and bioactivity. Ellagitannins are large hydrolysable tannin polymers (molecular weight 600–3000+ Da) found intact in plant foods; they are poorly bioavailable because they are too large to be absorbed by the small intestine. When consumed, ellagitannins undergo enzymatic hydrolysis in the gastrointestinal tract, releasing ellagic acid — a smaller C-15H8O8 polyphenolic compound found in concentrated form in pomegranate and berries.