Ellagic acid is a type of chemical found in a variety of fruits, berries and plants. Foods high in ellagic acid include raspberries, pomegranates, blackberries, pecans and walnuts. In plants, ellagic acid helps protect against bacteria and pests, while in humans ellagic acid may provide many health benefits in the prevention of a variety of diseases.
Antioxidant
Ellagic acid is a potent antioxidant important in clearing free radicals from the body. Free radicals are natural byproducts of many different chemical reactions in the body, but are also found in the environment through exposure to radiation, automobile exhaust, heavy metals and smoke, according to the website DoctorsLounge. These unstable and highly reactive molecules can interact and disrupt many different reactions in the body, resulting in irreversible damage. They have been implicated as playing a role in a variety of conditions, such as the aging process, heart disease and cancer. Ellagic acid may bind or interrupt free radical-induced damage or prevent free radicals from forming all together.
Anticarcinogen
Ellagic acid may have anticarcinogenic effects for a variety of cancers such as breast, colon, prostate, skin, pancreas and esophagus. An anticarcinogenic molecule is defined as any chemical that reduces the occurrence or severity of cancers, while carcinogens are any molecule that is known to cause cancer, such as benzene, radiation or asbestos, according to the American Cancer Society. Ellagic acid may combine with cancer-causing molecules, preventing damage, and they also inhibit the growth of certain tumors. Ellagic acid may also prevent the destruction of a certain gene known as p53, which has been linked to a variety of cancers when normal function in disrupted. However, more research studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of ellagic acid as an anticarcinogen in humans.
Skin Benefits
According to a research study in the August 2010 issue of "Experimental Dermatology," ellagic acid has several benefits for the skin. Collagen is an important protein that adds elasticity to skin, and degradation can lead to wrinkles. Ultraviolet light can increase the activity of proteins in the skin called MMPs, or matrix metalloproteinases, which can degrade collagen. Ellagic acid was shown to inhibit the production of MMPs by ultraviolet light and thus help prevent wrinkles. Ellagic acid was also shown to weaken a variety of ultraviolet light-induced inflammatory molecules that play a role in skin damage.
References
- Wiley Online Library: Experimental Dermatology -- Dietary compound ellagic acid alleviates skin wrinkle and inflammation induced by UV-B irradiation
- American Cancer Society: Known and Probable Human Carcinogens
- American Cancer Society: Ellagic Acid
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Ellagic Acid
- Phytochemicals: Ellagic Acid
- Doctors Lounge: Free Radicals, Types, Sources and Damaging Reactions
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