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Ellagic Acid Diet

Ellagic acid is a chemical that can be found in many fruits including: raspberries, strawberries, cranberries and pomegranates. It is also present in walnuts and pecans. Some preliminary studies have shown that ellagic acid may be used to help cure cancer.

  1. Cancer Research

    • No human research has been conducted yet to show that diets high in ellagic acid can help treat cancer. Studies are currently under way and should be published by 2012. However some research on lab animals has found that ellagic acid stops the growth of tumors and may fight the harmful effects of carcinogens.

      While eating fresh fruits and nuts gets you smaller doses of ellagic acid, actually freeze-drying raspberries or strawberries will cause a chemical reaction that allows for higher ellagic acid releases. Also extracts from raspberry seeds or pomegranates provides another big dose.

      Diet supplement makers have jumped on this little bit of news and have already created pills, liquid drinks and powders that contain ellagic acid extracts. These can be priced fairly high and since there is no concrete empirical evidence that ellagic acid is beneficial, the user should be cautious when purchasing these products.

    Side Effects

    • For the most part it is harmless to eat fresh fruits or nuts. They are part of a healthful, balanced diet and can be eaten for other benefits as well.

      However, the United States Food and Drug Administration does not test dietary supplements before they come to market, nor does it make the manufacturer back up the claims of the products before they are sold. With that in mind, be cautious when purchasing any product that touts the benefits of ellagic acid without seeing the other herbs and substances contained in the bottle. The actual amounts of ellagic acid in each product will vary based on each batch that is manufactured.

      Some reports have indicated a harmful effect of some liver enzymes when ellagic acid is taken in supplement form. It is recommended that you speak to a doctor before taking any supplements as they may interact negatively with current medications that you are taking. Also, many people who are into herbal and natural medicine may ignore conventional doctors' treatments. This is also not recommended.

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