The pomegranate tree earns two very different reputations, and they pull in opposite directions. Its fruit is a genuinely good thing to eat, with a few benefits that human studies actually support. Its bark and roots carry an old reputation as medicine — mostly for expelling intestinal worms — that modern research does not back, and that can poison you if you brew it at home.
So if you’re here wondering whether the pomegranate tree is medicine, the honest answer comes in two halves: enjoy the fruit, and leave the bark to the history books. The plant itself, Punica granatum, is a small tree that has been cultivated for thousands of years, and most of what’s worth knowing sits in the gap between what it’s said to do and what it’s actually been shown to do.
Pomegranate tree scientific facts
- Botanical name: Punica granatum. Now classified in the loosestrife family, Lythraceae — older references (including the version we’ve updated) place it in its own family, Punicaceae.
- Common names: pomegranate; granado (Spanish); grenadier (French).
- Form: a deciduous large shrub or small tree, usually 2–5 m tall, with glossy leaves and bright-red, tubular flowers with a flared calyx. The fruit is the leathery-skinned pomegranate full of seeds (arils).
- Origin and range: native from Iran (Persia) to northern India; now grown across the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and the Americas from California to Chile and Argentina.
- Parts used traditionally: the fruit and rind, the flowers, and the bark of the trunk and roots.
A short medical history of the pomegranate tree
People have treated the pomegranate as more than food for a very long time. The Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides, writing in the first century AD, recommended the root of the pomegranate tree to “expel wide worms out of the belly” — tapeworms, in modern terms [Britannica]. His De materia medica stayed a leading pharmacology text for centuries, which is part of why this use echoed down through European herbalism.
The fruit picked up its own symbolism — fertility, abundance, love — and the tree spread west with Phoenician, Roman, and Arab cultivation before reaching the Americas with Spanish settlers. That history is real and interesting. It is not, on its own, evidence that the remedies work.
What the fruit actually does for your health
Here’s where the picture is genuinely encouraging, if modest. A half-cup of pomegranate arils has roughly 72 calories, about 3.5 grams of fibre, plus vitamin C and potassium [WebMD]. It’s a nutritious fruit before you get anywhere near the “superfood” claims.
Blood pressure: modest but real
This is the strongest single line of human evidence. A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis pooled 14 clinical trials (573 participants) and found that pomegranate juice lowered systolic blood pressure by about 5 mmHg on average (−5.02 mmHg; 95% CI −7.55 to −2.48) [Ghaemi 2023]. That’s a meaningful, if small, effect — closer to what a dietary change delivers than what a medication does. A reason to enjoy the juice, not to stop a prescription.
Antioxidants and polyphenols
Pomegranates are rich in polyphenols, the plant compounds behind most of the fruit’s antioxidant activity — well established at the level of nutrition and food chemistry [Healthline] [WebMD]. Where the evidence thins is the leap from “contains antioxidants” to “prevents disease in people” — a leap much marketing makes and the science hasn’t finished.
Heart, cancer, and the “everything” claims
You’ll see pomegranate credited with protecting the heart, fighting cancer, easing arthritis, and more. Memorial Sloan Kettering’s review is a useful reality check: it describes the human evidence for cardiovascular benefit as preliminary, the hypertension data as limited, and the cancer results as genuinely mixed — some early prostate-cancer studies looked promising, others found no significant benefit versus placebo [MSKCC 2022]. Treat these as “possible and being studied,” not settled.
The root and bark: an ancient dewormer that science doesn’t back
This is the tradition the original page leaned on, so it deserves a straight answer. The root and stem bark contain alkaloids — chiefly pelletierine-type compounds — plus tannins. In old herbal practice, a bark decoction was drunk to paralyse and expel intestinal worms, especially tapeworm.
Two things have become clear since then. First, the effect on worms is real chemically but has never been shown to be safe or reliable in people. A 2026 laboratory study that set out to test the tradition found that a purified alkaloid (isopelletierine) killed plant-parasitic nematodes in a dish, while the alkaloid that predominates in root extracts, pseudopelletierine, did nothing. The authors’ conclusion is blunt: the antiparasitic reputation of pelletierine is “a controversial topic and a myth poor of scientific justifications” [Bonacci 2026]. That work was about crop pests, not human tapeworm — which is exactly the point. There’s no good human evidence here.
Second, the same alkaloids that paralyse a worm are toxic to you. Separated from the tannins that partly buffer them, they act something like nicotine or curare, and poisoning from bark preparations can cause nausea and vomiting, dizziness, blurred or failing vision, tremors and cramps, and in severe cases convulsions and respiratory paralysis [Botanical Online]. This is why the old dosing “recipes” for a home-brewed root-bark decoction have no place in modern guidance, and you won’t find one here.
If you’re worried about intestinal parasites, that’s a medical problem with reliable, safe treatments. Get a diagnosis and use proven medication rather than a bark brew — our guide to herbs that kill parasites walks through what does and doesn’t hold up, and why “strong enough to kill a worm” often means “strong enough to hurt you.”
The flowers and rind: traditional astringent uses
The gentler end of pomegranate herbalism is more defensible. The flowers and fruit rind are high in tannins, which are astringent — they tighten tissue and reduce weeping and secretion. Traditionally, a cooled infusion of the flowers or rind has been used as a mouth rinse or gargle for inflamed gums and sore throats, and taken as a mild remedy for short-lived diarrhoea. These are traditional uses with limited formal evidence, and they sit alongside other tannin-rich astringent folk remedies such as silverweed and persimmon, where the same logic applies and the same evidence gap remains.
A few caveats. A gargle you spit out is low-risk; drinking astringent infusions repeatedly is not the same thing, and diarrhoea lasting more than a couple of days, or with fever or blood, needs a doctor rather than a home remedy. We’ve also dropped two claims that circulate with this plant — that rinses “firm up loose teeth” and that vaginal irrigations treat abnormal discharge — because neither is supported and douching in particular is discouraged by modern medical guidance.
Safety, side effects, and interactions
The fruit and juice
For most people, pomegranate fruit and juice are well tolerated [MSKCC 2022]. Reported side effects are usually mild — diarrhoea, nausea, or an upset stomach. Two practical notes: the juice is high in natural sugar (relevant if you have diabetes), and pomegranate is fairly high in potassium (relevant if you have kidney disease) [WebMD].
Medication interactions (mixed evidence). Pomegranate juice was once expected to behave like grapefruit juice — blocking the CYP3A enzymes that clear many drugs. Rat studies suggested it might, but human studies “did not show clinically relevant inhibition,” so the concern is largely theoretical [MSKCC 2022]. The clearest real-world signal is a case report of a possible interaction with the blood thinner warfarin [MSKCC 2022]. Because the juice can nudge blood pressure down, it may also add to blood-pressure medication. If you take warfarin, blood-pressure drugs, or other regular medication, check with your pharmacist before making pomegranate juice a daily habit.
The root and stem bark (the real danger)
Treat the bark and root as a different substance entirely, not a stronger version of the fruit. Their alkaloids are toxic, home preparations are unpredictable in strength, and the poisoning symptoms above are not rare side effects — they are what an overdose does. Do not prepare or drink root- or bark-based remedies.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and who should avoid it
Eating pomegranate fruit as food is generally considered fine in pregnancy and fits into a varied diet — see our list of good foods during pregnancy. The root and bark preparations are a firm no: they’re specifically contraindicated in pregnancy and breastfeeding, in young children, and in people who are frail, very anxious or depressed, or who have ulcers or gastritis [Botanical Online]. Concentrated pomegranate supplements or extracts are a grey area with little safety data in pregnancy — talk to your clinician before using them.
Red flags — when to see a professional
Skip the home remedies and seek medical care if you have: signs of intestinal parasites (unexplained weight loss, visible worm segments, persistent digestive upset); diarrhoea lasting more than two days, or with fever, severe pain, or blood; a sore throat with high fever, difficulty swallowing, or trouble breathing; or any symptom after ingesting bark or root preparations. These need diagnosis and proper treatment, not tannins.
| Health Disclaimer: This article is for education and general information only. It is not medical advice and should not replace diagnosis or treatment from a qualified healthcare professional. Pomegranate fruit and juice are foods and generally safe; pomegranate root and bark preparations are toxic and should not be made or taken at home. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, take regular medication (especially warfarin or blood-pressure drugs), or have a medical condition, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before using any pomegranate remedy or supplement. Seek prompt care for the red-flag symptoms listed above. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the pomegranate tree the same as the fruit you eat?
Yes — Punica granatum is the tree, and the pomegranate is its fruit. “Pomegranate benefits” almost always means the fruit, seeds (arils), or juice, which are the safe, nutritious parts. The bark and roots are a separate, riskier story.
Does pomegranate really lower blood pressure?
Modestly, yes. Pooled clinical-trial data show pomegranate juice lowers systolic blood pressure by about 5 mmHg on average. It’s a helpful dietary nudge, not a replacement for prescribed treatment.
Can I use pomegranate root or bark to get rid of worms?
No. It’s an old tradition, but the evidence doesn’t support it in humans, and the alkaloids in the bark are toxic — poisoning can cause vomiting, vision problems, tremors, and, in severe cases, respiratory paralysis. If you suspect parasites, see a doctor for safe, proven treatment.
Does pomegranate juice interact with medications?
Possibly. The grapefruit-style enzyme concern hasn’t held up in human studies, but there’s a case report of a possible interaction with warfarin, and the juice may add to blood-pressure medication. Check with a pharmacist if you take regular medication.
Is pomegranate safe during pregnancy?
The fruit and juice are generally fine as part of a normal diet. Root and bark preparations are specifically contraindicated in pregnancy, and concentrated extracts lack safety data — ask your clinician first.
Are pomegranate flower or rind gargles worth trying?
As a traditional astringent gargle for a mild sore throat or irritated gums, it’s low-risk if you spit it out — but the evidence is limited, and anything severe or persistent needs a professional.
References
- Britannica. Pedanius Dioscorides. View source
- Ghaemi F, et al. “Impact of pomegranate juice on blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis.” Phytotherapy Research. 2023. DOI 10.1002/ptr.7952; PMID 37461211. View source
- Bonacci S, et al. “The Truth Behind the Myth of Pomegranate Tree Root…Pelletierine-like Alkaloids.” Molecules. 2026;31(8):1254. DOI 10.3390/molecules31081254. View source
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. About Herbs: Pomegranate (updated 2022). View source
- Botanical Online. Pomegranate toxicity. View source
- Healthline. Health Benefits of Pomegranate. View source
- WebMD. Pomegranates: Health Benefits and Nutrition. View source
