Pomella pomegranate extract promotes healthy skin and gut microbiome, study shows

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A new study¹ on Verdure Sciences’ (Noblesville, IN) branded pomegranate extract Pomella shows that the ingredient may have a beneficial impact on skin health via the skin-gut axis. Researchers set out to study whether the extract of Punica granatum L. has beauty-from-within benefits when supplemented orally.

Test-group subjects in the four-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study were given an oral supplement of Pomella pomegranate fruit extract, standardized to 75 mg of punicalagins, once daily, with 15 females and 3 males between the ages of 22 and 55 years completing the study. At baseline and after four weeks of oral supplementation, using tools like facial imaging and other methods researchers assessed subjects for changes in wrinkle severity, facial biophysical properties, transepidermal water loss, facial sebum production, the skin microbiome, and the gut microbiome. They used skin swabs and stool collection to measure changes in the skin and gut microbiome.

They found that the Pomella subjects showed statistically significant reductions in facial wrinkle severity and a decrease in the rate of forehead sebum excretion compared to the control group. They also linked beneficial skin effects to the gut microbiome. For instance, they found that Pomella subjects who had a higher abundance of Eggerthellaceae in their gut had a decrease in factors like wrinkle severity and transepidermal water loss. Researchers noted that “interestingly, in the Pomella group subjects with a higher level of Eggerthellaceae in their gut microbiome analysis showed a statistically significant reduction in transepidermal water loss (TEWL) compared to those that did not express Eggerthellaceae. A sub-analysis among participants in the Pomella group for the gut microbiome expression Eggerthellaceae was performed. A relative decrease in sebum was seen in those that had a higher expression of Eggerthellaceae, although not statistically significant (p = 0.33). Not only is this impressive, but it shows a strong correlation for Pomella’s influence [on] the gut-skin axis.”

The researchers also determined that supplementation with Pomella caused an increase on the skin of the microflora species Staphylococcus epidermidis and of the Bacillus genus, with subjects overall demonstrating “improvements in several biophysical properties, wrinkles, and shifts in the skin microbiome with oral [Pomella] supplementation in healthy subjects.”

They concluded that “Oral supplementation with 250 mg of Pomella pomegranate fruit extract standardized to 75 mg of punicalagins daily for four weeks significantly improved several parameters of skin health. Specifically, our data demonstrate reductions in the appearance of average facial wrinkle severity, a trend for decreasing forehead sebum excretion rate, a shift in the skin microbiome, and accentuated responses for transepidermal water loss reduction and wrinkle reduction in those that express Eggerthellaceae in their gut. These effects may be related to the potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of the phytochemicals…” The researchers noted that pomegranate contains more than 100 bioactive constituents, including ellagitannins, gallotannins, anthocyanins, flavanol–anthocyanin adducts, flavonoids, phenolic acids and other phenols.

In a Verdure Sciences press release, Kristen Marshall, the company’s digital marketing manager, said, “We are thrilled to have this new publication join the mounting evidence in support of Pomella extract, at a 250-mg dose, once a day. Gut and digestive heath, skin support and beauty from within have gained a lot of mainstream attention in recent years. What happens in the gut is reflected on the skin—and now we have clinical support showing the same.”

Reference

1. Chakkalakal M et al. “Prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study of oral pomegranate extract on skin wrinkles, biophysical features, and the gut-skin axis.” Journal of Clinical Medicine, vol. 11, no. 22 (November 14, 2022): 6724