What's the Most Nutritious Part of a Pomegranate? The Surprising Truth

December 14, 2025 •

3 min read

According to numerous scientific studies, the pomegranate's often-discarded peel contains significantly higher concentrations of potent antioxidants, such as punicalagins, than its edible arils. While many enjoy the sweet, tangy fruit, this fact raises a fascinating question: what's the most nutritious part of a pomegranate for human health?

Quick Summary

The pomegranate's inedible peel and edible arils offer distinct nutritional benefits; the peel is extremely rich in antioxidants, while the arils provide fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Key Points

Peel is the Antioxidant Powerhouse: The pomegranate's inedible peel contains significantly higher concentrations of powerful polyphenols and other antioxidants than the edible arils.
Arils Provide Accessible Nutrients: The juicy arils are an excellent edible source of fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and potassium, which are easily added to your diet.
Seeds Offer Healthy Fats: The small, hard seeds within the arils are a source of valuable insoluble fiber and punicic acid, an omega-5 fatty acid found in pomegranate seed oil.
How to Use the Peel: To access the peel's benefits, it should be dried, ground into a powder for tea, or taken as a supplement, not eaten raw due to its bitter taste.
Whole Fruit Maximizes Benefits: Using the edible arils and seeds for a snack and the concentrated peel extract for potent antioxidant support provides the most complete nutritional profile.
Not Just a Superfruit: The research into the different parts of the pomegranate shows its potential in areas far beyond just a healthy snack, including heart health, skin care, and combating oxidative stress.

The Edible Arils: A Sweet Source of Fiber and Vitamins

When you crack open a pomegranate, the glistening, ruby-red jewels known as arils are the star of the show. These juicy sacs, which surround a small, crunchy seed, are what most people consume. Fortunately, these delicious morsels are packed with a wide range of essential nutrients that contribute to overall health. A single pomegranate contains a significant amount of dietary fiber, promoting healthy digestion and satiety. Additionally, the arils are an excellent source of vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that supports the immune system, and vitamin K, which is crucial for blood clotting and bone health. They also provide potassium, a mineral important for heart and nerve function. The vibrant red color of the arils comes from anthocyanins, a type of polyphenol with antioxidant properties that combat cellular damage from free radicals.

The Inedible Peel: The Unexpected Antioxidant Powerhouse

The pomegranate's peel is the most concentrated source of beneficial antioxidants like punicalagins and ellagic acid, offering significant anti-inflammatory and cardio-protective effects. While inedible raw, processed forms like powder or extract allow access to these potent compounds.

The Seeds: Tiny But Mighty

Nested inside each aril is a small, firm seed. While the aril itself is the juicy pulp, the seed within is also edible and provides its own unique set of nutrients. These seeds are an excellent source of insoluble fiber, adding bulk to your diet and further aiding digestive health. More notably, they contain pomegranate seed oil, which is rich in a rare polyunsaturated omega-5 fatty acid called punicic acid. Punicic acid is prized for its strong anti-inflammatory and cell-regenerating properties, particularly in skincare, and is found in many anti-aging products.

Comparing the Pomegranate's Parts


Part of Pomegranate	Key Nutrients & Bioactive Compounds	Consumability	Notable Benefits
Arils (Juicy Sacs)	Vitamins C & K, Folate, Potassium, Dietary Fiber, Anthocyanins	Edible, Fresh	Digestion, Immune Support, Heart Health
Peel (Rind)	Punicalagins, Ellagic Acid, Polyphenols, High Antioxidant Levels	Inedible Raw (Requires Processing)	Anti-inflammatory, Cardiovascular Protection, Potential Anti-cancer Properties
Seeds (Inside Arils)	Insoluble Fiber, Punicic Acid (in seed oil), Vitamin E	Edible, Crunchy Texture	Digestive Health, Anti-aging, Skin Health
Membranes & Pith	Bitter Tannins, some Antioxidants	Technically Edible, but Bitter	Minimal, mostly for extract preparation

Making Use of Each Part

Since the pomegranate offers nutritional value beyond its edible arils, here are some ways to incorporate the whole fruit:

Arils: Enjoy fresh on salads, yogurt, oatmeal, or as a garnish for meats and desserts. Their sweet-tart flavor adds a delightful pop to many dishes.
Peel: The most practical way to utilize the peel's high antioxidant content is through drying and grinding it into a powder. This can be used to make a potent herbal tea or added in small amounts to smoothies for a powerful health boost. Alternatively, purchasing a standardized pomegranate peel extract is a convenient option.
Seeds: While the seeds are typically eaten along with the arils, you can also collect them to make cold-pressed pomegranate seed oil. This oil is a popular and effective ingredient in natural cosmetic and skincare routines.

Conclusion: The Whole Fruit Offers More

Ultimately, while the juicy arils are the most delicious and accessible part of the pomegranate for everyday consumption, the inedible peel holds the highest concentration of beneficial antioxidants. The small, crunchy seeds inside the arils also contribute unique nutrients, including healthy fats. A truly holistic approach to enjoying this "superfruit" involves appreciating the distinct nutritional contributions of each part. While you can easily benefit from the fiber and vitamins in the arils, harnessing the potent antioxidant power of the peel requires a bit more effort, but offers significant potential rewards.

For more in-depth information on the pharmacological effects of pomegranate peel, you can review published scientific literature [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10867480/].

A Final Thought

The combined power of the pomegranate's arils, seeds, and peel makes it a truly exceptional and multifaceted food. Don't let the unassuming exterior fool you; this fruit is a nutritional powerhouse from the inside out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, the white membrane or pith is technically edible, but it is quite bitter and astringent. It does contain some antioxidants but is typically not consumed directly because of its unpleasant taste.

Since the peel is not palatable raw, it is best to dry and grind it into a powder to make a potent herbal tea. Pomegranate peel extract is also available in supplement form for convenience.

The aril is the juicy, fleshy, and edible part that surrounds the seed. The seed is the small, hard component inside the aril. You can eat them together, but they have distinct textures and some nutritional differences.

Pomegranate seed oil, derived from the hard seeds, is known for its high concentration of punicic acid. It has anti-inflammatory and cell-regenerating properties, making it a popular ingredient in anti-aging and sensitive skincare products.

No, pomegranate juice lacks the significant amount of fiber found in the arils. While the juice retains antioxidants and potassium, it is higher in sugar and loses much of the fiber and vitamin C in the juicing process.

Many pomegranate supplements are indeed made from extracts of the peel, where the most concentrated levels of key antioxidants like punicalagins and ellagic acid are found. This allows for a much higher concentration of these beneficial compounds than eating the fruit alone.

While the arils are very healthy and rich in fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, you will miss out on the even higher concentration of potent polyphenols locked within the peel. For maximum benefits, a combination of consuming the arils and utilizing the peel via tea or extract is ideal.