The short answer is yes. Eating pomegranate seeds can make you poop thanks to their high fiber content, which helps in digestion and promotes regular bowel movements. Plus, they contain other nutrients that support gut health.
Why Pomegranates Can Make You Poop
Pomegranate seeds, also known as arils, are packed with dietary fiber, which is key to maintaining a healthy digestive system. Each seed is encased in a juicy, gem-like sac filled with sweet-tart juice, bursting in your mouth as you chew into it. The outer layer of the rail is smooth, but the core of each seed has that satisfying crunchy fibrous center.
When you eat pomegranate seeds, the fiber adds bulk to stool, helping it pass easily through the intestines. Pomegranates also have a high water content, which can help soften stool and prevent constipation in the digestive tract.
Nutritional Features of Pomegranates
- Fiber: The core of pomegranates contains dietary fiber, an indigestible part of plant foods that travels through our digestive system, absorbing water along the way to ease bowel movements. Another added benefit of increasing your fiber intake is that they're much more filling than low-fiber foods, helping you stay fuller longer and reducing overall calorie intake.
- Sugar: A typical pomegranate serving 82 g contains roughly 12 grams of sugar — it might seem like a lot. Still, it's balanced by roughly 3.5 grams of dietary fiber, which helps slow down the absorption of sugar, preventing rapid spikes in blood sugar levels [1].
- Vitamins and Minerals: Pomegranates are rich in vitamin C, K, B9, and E, as well as minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, and iron, which contribute to various health benefits from antioxidant support, heart health, normal inflammation, and maintaining regular bowel movements.
- Ellagitannins/ Ellagic Acid: Pomegranates are among the richest ellagitannins and ellagic acid sources. The juice, seeds (arils), and even the peel of pomegranates contain these beneficial compounds. These polyphenol compounds act as powerful antioxidants in the body and have been studied for their potential to support gut health and encourage longevity [2].
Will Pomegranate Juice Also Make Me Poop?
Drinking pomegranate juice, like prune juice, can also support healthy bowel movements, though its effects differ slightly from consuming pomegranate seeds.
Pomegranate juice is mostly water, which can help you stay hydrated. Water is also needed for softening stool and healthy digestion. The high natural sugar content in juice also plays a role here, drawing water into the intestines through osmosis, which can help stimulate bowel movements and ease constipation.
Ellagitannins and ellagic acid in pomegranate juice may also have a role to play in regulating bowel movements. These compounds encourage healthy gut bacteria growth, contributing to healthy inflammation levels and strengthening the gut wall [2].
The difference between drinking pomegranate juice and eating seeds is the fiber content. While the juice still has many of the same beneficial compounds, it doesn't provide nearly the same amount of fiber because you typically filter out the pulp. Too much pomegranate juice isn’t going to do you any good as it contains a high concentration of sugar without the fiber to balance out its potential to spike your blood sugar levels.
Do Pomegranates Help with Constipation?
For some people, pomegranates may help to relieve constipation.
Eating pomegranate fruit over pomegranate juice consumption might be a better option because of its high dietary fiber content. If you're in a pinch, since prepping the pomegranate fruit to eat its seeds can be time-consuming, the juice is also a good option. Its natural sugar content, vitamins and minerals, and ellagic acid and ellagitannin content all have digestive benefits.
Do Pomegranate Products and Foods Make You Poop?
Some pomegranate-derived products and foods can improve overall digestive health and help promote regular bowel movements. Let's take a closer look at some of these products.
Urolithin A
Urolithin A is a compound produced in the gut when ellagitannins from pomegranate extract are metabolized by healthy gut bacteria. Much research has investigated its role in cellular, muscle, and gut wellness.
Consuming urolithin A dietary supplement, helps to consistently and efficiently deliver the potential benefits of pomegranates for healthy aging into your bloodstream more efficiently than eating pomegranate fruit alone.
Additionally, Urolithin A has been shown to support the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, which can help to improve overall digestive regularity. However, this isn't a laxative and the benefits of consuming urolithin A reveal itself over time with consistent use.
Pomegranate Vinegar
Pomegranate vinegar is made by fermenting pomegranate juice, and it's used as a refreshing salad dressing or as a health tonic.
What makes pomegranate vinegar good for you is its acetic acid content, which may have anti-inflammatory effects that help with digestive discomfort [3]. Fermented foods also nurture probiotics, which help support gut health.
Pomegranate Tea
Pomegranate tea is made from the dried peel and seeds of the pomegranate. It has a light, tart flavor and can be a much more palatable option for those who are averse to the sweetness of pomegranate seeds and juice.
Drinking pomegranate tea may help keep you hydrated and prevent constipation. You also get the benefits of ellagitannins, which may help to stimulate healthy bowel movements.
Pomegranate Jelly
Pomegranate jelly is a sweet spread you can add to toast or desserts made from pomegranate juice or seeds and sugar. If the jelly contains the seeds, it may also provide some dietary fiber that may help with bowel regularity. Otherwise, this isn't the best way to use pomegranates to help with bowel movements because of the high sugar content.
Are Pomegranates Laxatives?
Pomegranates aren't considered traditional laxatives like certain medications or herbal teas, but they do contain nutritional benefits that can help promote regular bowel movements that may help with digestive issues along with a healthy diet.
If you are experiencing chronic constipation, this might be a sign of an underlying issue, and we encourage you to speak with your healthcare professional for personalized advice on getting healthy nutrients and managing gut health to manage your digestive problems.
The Takeaway: Why Pomegranates Can Make You Poop
Pomegranates can make you poop due to their high fiber content, ample hydration, natural sugars, and gut-friendly compounds. Together, these nutritional aspects of pomegranates may help to promote regular bowel movements and support overall digestive health, making pomegranates a natural and effective way to stay regular.
Resources:
- Nutrition Value. (n.d.). Pomegranates, raw nutritional value. Retrieved May 17, 2024, from https://www.nutritionvalue.org/Pomegranates%2C_raw_nutritional_value.html
- Pandey, K. B., & Rizvi, S. I. (2009). Plant polyphenols as dietary antioxidants in human health and disease. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity, 2, 270-278.
- Beh, B. K., Mohamad, N. E., Yeap, S. K., Ky, H., Boo, S. Y., Chua, J. Y. H., ... & Alitheen, N. B. (2017). Anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory effects of synthetic acetic acid vinegar and Nipa vinegar on high-fat-diet-induced obese mice. Scientific Reports, 7(1), 6664.
