Is Pomegranate Good For Weight Loss?

This article has been Fact-Checked by Kendall Kennedy MS, RD, RYT

There are so many food options you can implement in your weight loss diet. What about pomegranate, is it good for weight loss?

Pomegranates are fruits that grow on a shrub. The outer skin is generally thick and not for consumption but inside there are many seeds. These are the edible part of the fruit.

Many people praise pomegranate for its potential health benefits. Is weight loss included in these benefits?

Like the many fruits, many people will benefit in terms of weight loss by eating more pomegranate. Find out just how good it is and what even better choices are for weight loss.

Micronutrients in pomegranate

The first thing to look at is the amount of micronutrients in pomegranate.

Micronutrients are a group of nutrients your body absolutely needs to survive and thrive. Micronutrients include vitamins and minerals. These are involved in basically every aspect of your health, including weight loss.

100 grams of pomegranate provides you with approximately (1):

• Vitamin K: 21% of the DV (Daily Value)
• Vitamin C: 17% of the DV
• Folate: 10% of the DV
• Copper: 8% of the DV
• Potassium: 7% of the DV
• Manganese: 6% of the DV

And a few other vitamins and minerals in less significant amounts. These are decent amounts of vitamins and minerals compared to other whole foods.

That being said, if you are serious about adding more vitamins and minerals to your diet, there are better options than pomegranate.

Pomegranate also contains certain kinds of antioxidants, substances that help your body deal with oxidative damage.

Fiber in pomegranate for weight loss

Another very important factor for weight loss is the amount of fiber in your food.

Pomegranate contains around 4 grams of fiber per 100 grams.

That’s a great amount of fiber per 100 grams compared to many other whole foods.

Fiber has multiple benefits for weight loss. First of all, it feeds your microbiome, the microbes that live in your intestines. The health of your microbiome influences your body’s health and weight. Feeding it well is usually not a bad idea.

Fiber also helps you feel less hungry without adding a lot of calories to your diet. Hunger and cravings can be a big pitfall for people trying to lose weight, so avoiding this is a big plus.

With the amount of fiber in pomegranate you can reduce the time you spend craving for food a lot.

Does pomegranate help you lose weight?

You still need a final piece of the puzzle. The amount of calories in pomegranate.

Pomegranate contains 83 calories per 100 grams. 67.6 of these calories come from the carbohydrates (18.7 g per 100 grams of which 4 g fiber).

You might be able to fit in some but pomegranate is generally not suited for low carb diets like the keto diet.

The amount of calories in pomegranate is relatively high for fruits and vegetables but not that high in general. There are better fruits for weight loss. Compared to many vegetables pomegranate is relatively high in calories.

That being said, pomegranate still leans to being a low-calorie food that can help you feel fuller with its fiber content. Depending on your current diet pomegranate may help you lose weight by reducing hunger and cravings without adding that many calories to your diet. This helps you avoid higher-calorie foods.

If you really like pomegranate you can most likely fit this fruit in your diet. If not you don’t have to go out of your way to force it into your daily eating habits. Other foods can be better for weight loss.

Does pomegranate burn belly fat?

Targetting fat loss in a specific area like your belly is generally not possible. Not by eating more of a specific food or by doing a specific exercise. To burn belly fat you have to lose weight overall.

Since pomegranate can help you lose weight in general this fruit can also help you lose belly fat once your body wants to lose fat in your abdominal area.

Pomegranate dosage for weight loss

Nutrition is always a bit of a puzzle in terms of what the perfect diet looks like. It’s a pretty individual thing.

The exact dosage of pomegranate that will allow you to lose weight depends on things like how many calories you burn a day and what the rest of your diet looks like.

Most people will be ok when eating a small amount of pomegranate every day. You will probably feel fuller because of the fiber. The vitamins and minerals in pomegranate may benefit your health and how you feel.

Best time to eat pomegranate for weight loss

The calories in pomegranate are mainly from carbohydrates. Carbohydrates raise insulin. Insulin in turn can mess with the production of sleep hormones. Sleep is important for your weight loss and health.

That’s one of the reasons why you preferably want to consume pomegranate earlier in the day or at least not right before bed.

Pomegranate or pomegranate juice for weight loss

If you’re only looking at calories, pomegranate juice contains fewer calories per 100 grams. Pomegranate contains around 83 calories per 100 grams vs the 54 calories per 100 grams of pomegranate juice (2).

Pomegranate juice does contain a lot less fiber. Pomegranate contains around 4 grams of fiber per 100 grams, pomegranate juice 0.1 grams. Lastly, pomegranate contains more vitamins and minerals.

The main problem with pomegranate juice for weight loss is that it is a liquid. Only a single glass of pomegranate juice is already 200 grams. Just imagine the difference in fulness between 100 grams of potato vs half a glass of water.

Calorie rich drinks like fruit juices are almost never a good idea if you’re looking to lose weight. By juicing you remove the fiber from food which is arguably the most useful nutrient for weight loss.

In general, it’s a lot easier to overconsume calories with drinks than with whole foods. This also applies to pomegranate vs pomegranate juice.

Pomegranate vs other fruits for weight loss

You now know how good pomegranate is for weight loss but how does it compare to certain other fruits? Find out how good pomegranate is for weight loss vs cranberries, blueberries, and apples.

Pomegranate vs cranberries

The first comparison is pomegranate vs cranberries. Cranberries are relatively a lot lower in calories than pomegranate, 46 calories per 100 grams vs the 83 calories per 100 grams of pomegranate (3).

Cranberries contain around 4.6 grams of fiber per 100 grams. A small amount higher than the 4.0 grams of fiber per 100 grams in pomegranate. These 2 fruits are similar in the amount of vitamins and minerals they contain.

All in all, cranberries will be better for weight loss than pomegranate.

Pomegranate vs blueberries

If you’re only looking at calories, blueberries contain fewer calories per 100 grams. Pomegranate contains around 83 calories per 100 grams vs the 57 calories per 100 grams of blueberries (4).

Blueberries do contain a lot less fiber. Pomegranate contains around 4.0 grams of fiber per 100 grams, blueberries 2.4 grams. Lastly, they are very similar in the amount of vitamins and minerals they contain.

It’s hard to say whether pomegranate or blueberries are better for weight loss.

Pomegranate vs apples

Next the comparison between pomegranate and apples. Apples are lower in calories, 52 calories per 100 grams (5).

Apples contain 2.4 grams of fiber so a relatively high amount lower than pomegranate. Pomegranate contains a higher amount of vitamins and minerals.

All in all, it is unclear whether pomegranate or apples are better for weight loss.

Chart of pomegranate vs other fruits

All in all the differences in nutritional values between these fruits will most likely not matter that much for weight loss. The choice is more about which one you like more.

The amount of vitamins and minerals in the foods does matter for weight loss and health but you can’t simplify that in one number. You can check out the numbers for pomegranate (1), cranberries (3), blueberries (4), and apples (5) to compare.