Proanthocyanidins in Plant Based Foods

265 plant foods ranked by proanthocyanidins per 100 g. Search a food, pick a food group or keep whole foods only.

265 plant foods ranked
Source: USDA PA Database Release 2
Published: 2015 — 8 PA subfractions measured

Top 50 of 177 whole foods (265 with the switch off), per 100 g unless marked.

#		Group
1	Spices, cinnamon, ground	Spices and Herbs	8,084.2	256.3	1,252.2	2,608.6	1,458.3	2,508.8
2	Sorghum bran, Sumac	Grains	4,581.4	95.6	123.7	650.3	784.2	2,927.6
3	Grapes, seeds, raw	Fruits	2,569.4	360.9	44.1	664	400.3	1,100.1
4	Sorghum grain	Grains	1,950.5	36.1	46.2	228.1	293.8	1,346.3
5	Sorghum, hi-tannin, whole grain extrudate	Grains	1,370.7	13.3	14.2	84.6	127.4	1,131.2
6	Chokeberry, raw	Fruits	1,330.1	7.8	6.8	23	26.5	1,266
7	Beans, pinto, mature seeds, raw	Legumes	756.6	19.2	16.2	125.9	135.6	459.6
8	Beans, kidney, red, mature seeds, raw	Legumes	541.9	26.4	29.1	117.7	105.3	263.4
9	Rose hips	Fruits	528	24.2	9.2	77.7	12.9	404
10	Nuts, hazelnuts or filberts	Nuts	490.8	12.5	13.6	67.7	74.6	322.4
11	Nuts, pecans	Nuts	476.8	42.1	26	101.4	84.2	223
12	Beans, adzuki, mature seeds, raw	Legumes	446.1	19.4	18.1	80	75.7	252.9
13	Cranberries, raw	Fruits	354.8	17.7	16.4	56.8	46.2	217.6
14	Blueberries, wild, raw	Fruits	325.4	8.5	6.6	26	29.3	255.1
15	Lingonberries [cowberries], raw	Fruits	325.1	56.2	51.6	79.7	33.9	103.6
16	Rowanberries, raw	Fruits	295.4	2.8	2.7	5.8	3.2	281
17	Plums, black diamond, with peel, raw	Fruits	238.9	19.7	18.8	57.3	38	105
18	Nuts, pistachio nuts, raw	Nuts	226.4	13.3	10.5	42.2	37.9	122.5
19	Plums, raw	Fruits	196.9	33.2	20.7	52.2	30.3	60.5
20	Blueberries, raw	Fruits	182.2	6.4	4.9	20.5	14.3	136
21	Crowberries, raw	Fruits	170.4	35.9	21.2	32.5	23.1	57.7
22	Currants, european black, raw	Fruits	155.1	2.9	2.2	7.8	7.2	135.1
23	Service (Saskatoon) berries	Fruits	153.6	20.2	21.7	46.1	21	44.6
24	Nuts, almonds	Nuts	152.7	9.3	7.6	27.4	28.2	80.3
25	Hops	Fruits	135.6	84.1	51.5	–	–	–
26	Cowpeas, common (blackeyes, crowder, southern), mature seeds, raw	Legumes	130.9	18.9	21.6	47.9	9.8	32.7
27	Peanuts, all types, raw	Legumes	130.1	33.2	48.8	48.1	0	0
28	Apples, raw, red delicious, with skin	Fruits	117	12.6	11.8	32.8	23.1	36.8
29	Apples, raw, granny smith, with skin	Fruits	117	12.9	8.6	30.8	25.9	38.8
30	Broadbeans, immature seeds, raw	Vegetables	113.5	91.8	21.7	–	–	–
31	Apples, raw, with skin	Fruits	94	13.2	8	24.7	19.2	28.8
32	Barley, hulled	Grains	91.4	33.6	30.6	27.2	0	0
33	Bilberry, raw	Fruits	90.5	6.2	8.9	14.8	7.3	53.3
34	Rhubarb, raw	Fruits	87.8	1.7	1.8	3.4	1.9	79
35	Rice, red, raw	Grains	87	3.4	3.2	22.9	20.1	37.4
36	Apples, raw, gala, with skin	Fruits	86.5	9.6	6.2	21.3	18.7	30.7
37	Apples, raw, without skin	Fruits	86	12.3	6.5	22.8	18.9	25.6
38	Buckwheat grits	Grains	82.2	33.9	14.2	26.5	7.6	0
39	Gooseberries, raw	Fruits	81.6	1.7	1.5	4.8	4.7	68.9
40	Apples, raw, golden delicious, with skin	Fruits	79.1	7.4	4.7	21.8	18.8	26.5
41	Apples, raw, golden delicious, without peel	Fruits	75.8	8.9	5.8	21.2	17.5	22.4
42	Bog whortleberries, wild, frozen	Fruits	72.6	19.8	18.6	33.3	0	0.92
43	Grapes, white or green, raw	Fruits	68.9	1.9	1.3	7.4	7.3	51
44	Apples, raw, fuji, with skin	Fruits	63.1	9.9	6.1	19.1	13.8	14.2
45	Peaches, raw	Fruits	61.8	9.9	4.3	16.5	10.1	21.1
46	Nuts, walnuts, english	Nuts	60.3	5.7	7.2	22.1	5.4	20
47	Grapes, red, raw	Fruits	50.2	2.4	1.1	5.4	5	36.4
48	Barley malt	Grains	49.9	25.6	24.3	–	–	–
49	Currants, red, raw	Fruits	45	2.1	0.77	5.5	4	32.6
50	Sea buckthorn berries	Fruits	43.7	5.1	3.6	11	0	24

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Good to know

Condensed tannins in context

Proanthocyanidins are condensed tannins — a subclass of flavonoids (specifically flavan-3-ols) that form chains of 2–60+ units. Larger polymers pass through the small intestine intact, acting as prebiotics in the colon. For the full polyphenol picture, see the Polyphenol Ranking.

Questions

What are proanthocyanidins and how are they different from other polyphenols?

Proanthocyanidins (also called condensed tannins) are a subclass of flavonoids formed by chains of flavan-3-ol units — the same building blocks as catechins and epicatechins. The chain length determines the fraction: monomers (single units), dimers, trimers, up to high-molecular-weight polymers with 10+ units. They are responsible for the astringent, mouth-drying sensation in red wine, unripe fruit, cacao, and strong tea. Unlike many other polyphenols, the larger polymers are poorly absorbed in the small intestine and act extensively in the colon.

What is the difference between proanthocyanidins and anthocyanins?

Proanthocyanidins (PAs) and anthocyanins are related but distinct flavonoid compounds. Anthocyanins are pigments responsible for the red, blue, and purple colours in berries and cherries — they are single monomeric units and are absorbed relatively efficiently. Proanthocyanidins are polymeric chains of flavanol units (catechin, epicatechin) that are colourless or only slightly coloured — they are the astringent compounds in grape skins, apple peels, and cocoa. Both are found in many of the same foods, but they have different structures, colours, absorption profiles, and biological effects.

Do cooking or processing methods affect proanthocyanidin content?

Yes. Heat, especially boiling, can cause significant loss of PAs. Legumes lose a substantial portion of their PAs during cooking. Fermentation can also reduce PA content. Some processing steps like roasting (for cacao) can alter the PA profile. For maximum intake, consuming PA-rich foods raw or with minimal processing (e.g., berries, raw nuts, cinnamon) is generally better.

Good to know

Condensed tannins in context

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