What Foods Are High in Triterpenoids? A Comprehensive Guide

December 1, 2025 •

4 min read

With over 20,000 triterpenoids identified in nature, these bioactive compounds are a vast group of plant-based chemicals known for potential health benefits. Understanding what foods are high in triterpenoids is key to increasing your dietary intake and supporting overall wellness.

Quick Summary

Triterpenoids are naturally occurring compounds found in various plants, including fruits, vegetables, herbs, and mushrooms. Rich dietary sources include olive oil, cranberries, and ginseng, offering a range of potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.

Key Points

Triterpenoid-Rich Fruits: Fruits like apples (especially the peel), olives, and various berries such as cranberries and blueberries are high in triterpenoids, notably ursolic and oleanolic acids.
Herbs and Spices are Potent Sources: Culinary herbs like rosemary, sage, and holy basil are packed with triterpenoids and should be regularly incorporated into cooking to increase intake.
Mushrooms Provide Unique Triterpenoids: Medicinal mushrooms such as Reishi are known for their high concentration of specific triterpenoids, like ganoderic acids, which are valued in traditional medicine.
Eat the Peel: The skins and peels of many fruits and vegetables, including apples and olives, contain higher levels of triterpenoids than the pulp, making whole-food consumption more beneficial.
Beyond the Kitchen: While food is a primary source, some plants like white birch bark are extremely concentrated sources of triterpenoids like betulinic acid, but are not typically part of a standard diet.
Dietary Variety is Key: To ensure a broad spectrum of triterpenoid intake, diversify your diet with a mix of different fruits, vegetables, herbs, and other plant-based items.

Understanding triterpenoids

Triterpenoids are a large and diverse class of phytochemicals, which are naturally produced by plants primarily for protection and development. These compounds are derivatives of triterpenes and are found in various parts of the plant, including the waxy coating of fruits, leaves, and bark. Structurally, they are based on a 30-carbon skeleton derived from squalene, a precursor molecule also present in animals and humans.

Among the most well-known types of triterpenoids are the pentacyclic triterpenoids, such as those with oleanane, ursane, and lupane skeletons. Examples include oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, and betulinic acid, which have been studied for their potential antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. A balanced diet rich in plant-based foods can provide a wide spectrum of these beneficial compounds.

Key food sources of triterpenoids

Triterpenoids are widely distributed in the plant kingdom, but some foods contain significantly higher concentrations than others. Concentrating on these food groups can help maximize your daily intake.

Fruits and Berries

Many fruits, especially in their skin or peel, are concentrated sources of triterpenoids.

Apples: The peel of apples is particularly rich in ursolic acid, a well-studied pentacyclic triterpenoid.
Olives: Olive fruits and, consequently, olive oil, are excellent sources of oleanolic acid, which is highly concentrated in the skin.
Cranberries, Blueberries, and Cherries: These berries are noteworthy for containing both oleanolic and ursolic acids.
Raisins: Dried grapes contain high levels of oleanolic acid, with green raisins having particularly high concentrations.
Citrus Fruits: Limonoids, a subclass of triterpenoids, are found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruits, especially in the peel.
Mangoes: The pulp of mangoes contains significant amounts of lupeol, another type of triterpenoid.

Herbs and Spices

Several common culinary and medicinal herbs are potent sources of triterpenoids.

Holy Basil (Tulsi): This herb is a rich source of ursolic acid.
Rosemary and Sage: Both of these herbs are known to contain considerable amounts of ursolic acid and oleanolic acid.
Thyme: A staple in many kitchens, thyme also contributes to your intake of ursolic acid.
Fenugreek: Fenugreek seeds contain triterpenoids like diosgenin.
Licorice Root: This plant contains glycyrrhizic acid, a triterpenoid saponin.

Vegetables, Legumes, and Other Plants

Beyond fruits and herbs, numerous vegetables and other plant products contribute triterpenoids.

Bitter Gourd: This vegetable is a source of cucurbitacin E, a type of triterpenoid.
Spinach: Contains alpha-spinasterol, a phytosterol that is a subclass of triterpenoids.
Soybeans and Peas: These legumes contain triterpenoid saponins.
Cabbage: White cabbage contains lupeol, another common triterpenoid.

Medicinal Mushrooms and Roots

Some fungi and roots, highly valued in traditional medicine, are extremely rich in specific triterpenoids.

Reishi Mushroom: Known for its content of ganoderic acids, a group of highly oxygenated lanostane-type triterpenoids.
Ginseng: The roots of ginseng contain triterpenoid saponins known as ginsenosides.

Maximizing your triterpenoid intake

To get the most triterpenoids from your diet, focus on consuming whole foods and, where appropriate, the skins and peels. For example, eating an unpeeled apple or pear provides more ursolic and oleanolic acid than eating just the flesh. Similarly, choosing high-quality extra virgin olive oil and incorporating a variety of triterpenoid-rich herbs like rosemary and basil into your cooking can boost your intake. Dried fruits like raisins and cranberries, which are consumed with their skin, are also more concentrated sources.

Common triterpenoids and their sources


Triterpenoid	Major Dietary Source(s)	Other Notable Sources
Ursolic Acid	Apple peels, Cranberries, Blueberries	Rosemary, Holy Basil, Thyme, Sage
Oleanolic Acid	Olive skin, Raisins, Bilberries	Hawthorn, Ginseng, Licorice Root
Betulinic Acid	White Birch bark (highest concentration)	Pears, Apples, Plums (lower amounts)
Limonoids	Citrus fruit peels (Oranges, Lemons)	Poncirus trifoliata (related plant)
Lupeol	Mangoes, White Cabbage, Figs	Strawberries, Red Grapes
Glycyrrhizic Acid	Licorice Root	-

An example list of triterpenoid-rich foods

Fruits and Berries: Apples (with peel), Olives, Cranberries, Blueberries, Raisins, Cherries, Citrus fruits (peel).
Herbs and Spices: Rosemary, Holy Basil, Thyme, Sage, Fenugreek, Licorice root.
Vegetables: Bitter Gourd, Spinach, Cabbage, Soybeans.
Mushrooms: Reishi, Chaga.
Beverages: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Green Tea.
Nuts and Seeds: Macadamia nuts, Pistachios, Sunflower seeds (for squalene).

Conclusion

Incorporating a wide variety of plant-based foods is the most effective way to ensure a robust intake of triterpenoids and other beneficial phytochemicals. Focusing on consuming whole foods, including the peels and skins of fruits, can help maximize the concentration of these compounds in your diet. From common kitchen herbs to well-known medicinal mushrooms, the options for boosting your triterpenoid consumption are plentiful. While supplements exist, prioritizing these natural food sources offers the benefits of a full range of synergistic nutrients. Consistently including these foods in your meals is a simple and effective strategy for long-term health and wellness.

For more detailed scientific information on bioactive compounds from natural sources, refer to resources like the National Institutes of Health.

Boosting your triterpenoid intake through diet

Maximize Whole Food Intake: Eating fruits and vegetables with their peels, where triterpenoids are often most concentrated, is an easy strategy.
Prioritize Specific Fruits: Focusing on olives, berries like cranberries, and apples with their skin can significantly increase your consumption of key triterpenoids.
Cook with Herbs: Using herbs such as rosemary, sage, and holy basil adds both flavor and a substantial dose of ursolic acid and other compounds.
Incorporate Quality Oils: Extra virgin olive oil is a rich source of oleanolic acid, making it a powerful addition to your diet.
Use Medicinal Ingredients: Include ingredients like ginseng or reishi mushrooms, known for their specific triterpenoid content, for a targeted approach.
Vary Your Greens: Add legumes like soybeans and green vegetables like spinach to meals for a diverse range of triterpenoid saponins and sterols.

Frequently Asked Questions

Triterpenoids are derivatives of triterpenes, which are a class of organic compounds. The key difference is the presence of oxygen atoms; triterpenoids are oxygen-containing molecules derived from the naturally occurring hydrocarbon triterpenes.

Apple peels are one of the richest and most common food sources of ursolic acid. It is also found in significant amounts in herbs like rosemary, sage, and holy basil, as well as berries such as cranberries and blueberries.

Oleanolic acid is abundant in the skin of olives and their oil. Other good food sources include raisins, bilberries, and the medicinal herbs ginseng and licorice root.

Yes, many medicinal mushrooms are high in triterpenoids. The Reishi mushroom, for example, is well-known for its ganoderic acid content, while the Chaga mushroom contains inotodiol and trametenolic acid.

Yes, for many fruits like apples and olives, the skin or peel contains a much higher concentration of triterpenoids than the flesh. Eating the whole fruit, where appropriate, can significantly boost your intake.

Besides common fruits and herbs, vegetables like bitter gourd, spinach, and cabbage contain triterpenoids. Legumes such as soybeans and peas also contain triterpenoid saponins.

Research suggests that triterpenoids offer potential health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-cancer effects. However, human clinical research is still ongoing, and findings primarily come from in vitro and animal studies.

Yes, extra virgin olive oil is a notable source of triterpenoids, particularly oleanolic acid. Since triterpenoids are concentrated in the olive's skin, the extraction process ensures some of these compounds end up in the oil.