Does pomegranate juice boost testosterone?

No trial we found shows it. We did not find a single randomized trial that gave men pomegranate juice and measured whether their testosterone went up. The juice trials that did measure testosterone found it lower or unchanged. In 9 elite weightlifters it was lower 3 minutes after training on juice than on placebo. In women with polycystic ovary syndrome, a meta-analysis of 2 trials in 85 women found juice lowered it slightly, though in a 92-woman trial plain juice without added probiotics did not change it significantly. The rises people quote come from a capsule of pomegranate rind and cocoa extract, tested by the company that sells it.

Myth. Pomegranate juice has not been shown to raise testosterone in anyone. The popular figure for a rise in salivary testosterone traces to a 2012 conference abstract with no control group and no peer review. We did not treat it as a source.

What the trials found

Juice, in men

Two trials gave men the juice itself. In a double-blind crossover in 9 elite weightlifters, plasma testosterone 3 minutes after a training session was lower after pomegranate juice than after placebo, p = 0.012. The authors read this as juice possibly blunting the short spike that heavy lifting causes. Nine men and two sessions is a very small test, and the direction is the opposite of a boost.

The other trial looked at erections and did not report hormone levels. In 53 men with mild to moderate erectile dysfunction, 8 fl oz (237 mL) of juice a day for 4 weeks did not significantly beat placebo (P = 0.058). It was a pilot, funded by the juice maker.

Juice, in women with excess androgens

A 2025 meta-analysis pooled 2 Iranian trials in 85 overweight women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Eight weeks of pomegranate juice lowered serum testosterone slightly against control. The paper does not state the unit of that difference in its text, so we do not translate it into a size. In a four-arm trial, 92 women drank 2.1 quarts (2 L) a week for 8 weeks. Testosterone fell in the arm given pomegranate juice with added probiotics and inulin, and also in the arm given the probiotic drink with no pomegranate in it. Plain juice showed no significant change. That points to the additive more than the fruit. None of this says anything about men.

A capsule of rind and cocoa, in men

The positive results are for a different product. In a randomized trial of 120 healthy men aged 36 to 55, a daily capsule of pomegranate rind and cocoa seed extract raised total testosterone by 21.39 and 24.56 percent from baseline at 200 and 400 mg over 56 days. Free testosterone rose by 39.16 and 48.28 percent. A second trial of the same blend in 120 men aged 21 to 35 found the 400 mg dose raised total testosterone against placebo over 56 days. Both trials tested the same sponsor's product and nobody has repeated them independently. The rind is the part of the fruit you throw away, and the cocoa makes it impossible to credit pomegranate with the effect.

Unsettled. Whether that capsule works is a separate and open question. Two trials by one sponsor, eight weeks each, in healthy men, is a start. It is not evidence about the juice in a carton, and the juice trials that exist point the other way.

Who should be careful

In the 56-day capsule trial in 120 men, liver and kidney markers stayed within normal ranges and only five minor adverse events were reported. That covers eight weeks in healthy men and cannot rule out rare harms.

The juice has its own cautions, and they concern medicines more than hormones. A typical 248 g glass of 100 percent pomegranate juice carries about 31 g of sugars and 531 mg of potassium, from a single USDA recipe code, and commercial juices vary. Drinking it every day to chase a hormone effect means drinking that sugar every day.

Not for everyone. If you take warfarin, tell whoever manages your INR that you drink pomegranate juice. Two case reports link the juice to unstable anticoagulation. In one, a 64-year-old woman's INR fell below target after she stopped drinking it 2 to 3 times a week. Neither proves cause. Controlled studies in volunteers found the juice did not change clearance of a CYP2C9 probe drug, and 3 days of 8.5 fl oz (250 mL) barely moved midazolam or dapoxetine levels in 12 adults. A single case report also describes rhabdomyolysis in a 48-year-old man on rosuvastatin and ezetimibe, three weeks after he began 6.8 fl oz (200 mL) twice a week. He may already have had a muscle disorder.

What expert bodies say

No expert body we found has a position on pomegranate and testosterone. The EU has authorized no health claim on testosterone for pomegranate. It did not authorize a claim that a pomegranate pomace extract combined with galangal increases the number of motile sperm. Non-authorized means the evidence did not meet the bar when it was assessed, which is not proof of no effect.

A 2024 systematic review of 52 studies on 27 testosterone boosters found that most fail to raise total testosterone. It rated the pomegranate rind and cocoa blend only possibly effective, and only in men with late-onset hypogonadism. It listed no study of pomegranate juice. Everything else about the drink is on the pomegranate juice page.

How we searched

What would change this answer

• An independent randomized trial of daily pomegranate juice in men, with serum total and free testosterone as the main outcome. ClinicalTrials.gov lists none.
• The same trial in men with low testosterone, where any effect would be easiest to see.
• A replication of the rind and cocoa capsule results by researchers without a stake in the product. That would answer a question about a capsule, and still not about the juice.

Sources

1. ev-pjt-01 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials · n = 85
   Decreased significantly (MD: −0.05; 95% CI: −0.07 to −0.03; p < 0.0001; I2 = 0%, two studies, 85 participants).
   
   Who: Overweight women aged 15 to 48 with PCOS (Rotterdam criteria), 4 Iranian RCTs, 128 women; testosterone pooled from 2 trials
   Effect: testosterone MD -0.05 (95% CI -0.07 to -0.03), I2 = 0%, 2 studies, 85 participants; rated high-quality by the authors
   Certainty: Direction is DOWN, in women with excess androgens. Only 2 small trials from one country; unit of the MD not stated in the text. Says nothing about men.
   Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2025, 14(15):5458 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the fulltext
2. ev-pjt-02 · Randomized controlled trial(s) · randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial · n = 92
   Testosterone level also decreased significantly in the SPJ and SB groups.
   
   Who: Women with polycystic ovary syndrome, 4 arms of 23 (synbiotic pomegranate juice, pomegranate juice, synbiotic beverage, placebo), 2.1 quarts (2 L) weekly
   Effect: testosterone decreased significantly in synbiotic pomegranate juice and synbiotic beverage groups; no significant change reported for the plain juice arm
   Certainty: The arm with probiotics and inulin but no pomegranate also lowered testosterone, which points to the synbiotic, not the juice.
   Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis, 2019 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
3. ev-pjt-03 · Randomized controlled trial(s) · double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial · n = 9
   Compared to PLA, a lower level of plasma testosterone [T] was registered 3 min post exercise using POMj supplementation (p = 0.012) and a significant decrease (p = 0.04, %change = - 14%) in plasma [Hcy] was registered during the 48 h recovery period only using POMj.
   
   Who: Nine elite weightlifters aged about 21, two Olympic weightlifting sessions after pomegranate juice or placebo
   Effect: plasma testosterone lower with juice vs placebo 3 min post exercise (p = 0.012); homocysteine -14% over 48 h with juice only
   Certainty: Very small, acute; the authors say juice may blunt the acute testosterone response. Opposite of the boost claim.
   J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2020 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
4. ev-pjt-04 · Randomized controlled trial(s) · randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover pilot trial · n = 53
   Subjects were more likely to have improved scores when pomegranate juice was consumed (P=0.058).
   
   Who: Men with mild to moderate erectile dysfunction, two 4-week periods with a 2-week washout, Wonderful variety juice vs placebo
   Effect: 25 of 42 improvers improved on juice; P = 0.058 (not significant); testosterone not reported as an outcome
   Certainty: Pilot, funded by the juice maker; null on the primary analysis. Sexual function, not hormone levels.
   Forest et al., International Journal of Impotence Research, 2007 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
5. ev-pjt-05 · Randomized controlled trial(s) · randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial · n = 120
   LN18178 supplementation significantly increased the FT level by 39.16% and 48.28%; the TT level by 21.39% and 24.56% in 200- and 400 mg groups, respectively, from baseline.
   
   Who: Healthy men aged 36-55, placebo or 200 or 400 mg LN18178 (Punica granatum fruit rind + Theobroma cocoa seed extract) daily for 56 days, 40 per group
   Effect: free testosterone +39.16% and +48.28%, total testosterone +21.39% and +24.56% from baseline (200 and 400 mg); increases also significant vs placebo
   Certainty: Manufacturer-sponsored blend with cocoa; rind, not the juice people drink. Cannot attribute the effect to pomegranate.
   International Journal of Medical Sciences, 2022, 19(8):1290-1299 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the fulltext
6. ev-pjt-06 · Randomized controlled trial(s) · randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, safety outcomes · n = 120
   Overall, the participants reported only five minor adverse events: fever, cough & cold, constipation, and diarrhea during the study (Table 7).
   
   Who: Healthy men aged 36-55 on 200 or 400 mg pomegranate rind + cocoa extract or placebo for 56 days
   Effect: 5 minor adverse events (fever, cough and cold, constipation, diarrhea); Cr, AST, ALT, ALP, BUN within normal ranges
   Certainty: Eight weeks only, healthy men; not powered for rare harms. Juice-drug interactions are carded separately.
   International Journal of Medical Sciences, 2022, 19(8):1290-1299 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the fulltext
7. ev-pjt-07 · Randomized controlled trial(s) · randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial · n = 120
   Together, these observations suggest that LN18178 is a safe and tolerable herbal blend; it increases testosterone level and increases muscle strength and MUAC in young, healthy males.
   
   Who: Healthy men aged 21-35, placebo or 200 or 400 mg LN18178 daily for 56 days, 40 per group
   Effect: free testosterone up with both doses (p = 0.0268 and p < 0.0001 vs placebo); total testosterone up with 400 mg only (p = 0.0184 vs placebo)
   Certainty: Same sponsor and blend as 35928723; no independent replication; size of change in the abstract given only as p values.
   Journal of Dietary Supplements, 2023 (LN18178 trial in young men) · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
8. ev-pjt-08 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · systematic review of placebo-controlled studies · n = 52 studies
   Eurycoma longifolia, a blend of Punica granatum fruit rind and Theobroma cacao seed extracts (Tesnor™) and purified Shilajit extract (PrimaVie™) can be considered possibly effective for men with late-onset hypogonadism; Eurycoma longifolia and Withania somnifera possibly effective for healthy men; and a non-hormonal aromatase inhibitor (Novadex XT™) possibly effective for male athletes.
   
   Who: Male athletes, men with late-onset hypogonadism, infertile men and healthy men in 52 studies of 27 supplements
   Effect: most boosters no increase in total testosterone vs placebo; pomegranate rind + cocoa blend 'possibly effective' for late-onset hypogonadism; no pomegranate juice study listed
   Certainty: No pooling; the pomegranate entry rests on the sponsor's blend trials, not juice.
   Int J Impot Res, 2024 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
9. ev-pjt-09 · Position of an expert body · regulatory decision · n = —
   POL-HC-8484 A combination of pomegranate pomace extract and greater galangal rhizome powder A combination of standardised pomegranate pomace extract and greater galangal rhizome powder increases the number of motile spermatozoa in semen. -/- Non-authorised
   
   Who: EU food labeling
   Effect: claim non-authorized
   Certainty: Non-authorized means the evidence did not meet the EFSA bar at assessment, not proof of no effect. No EU claim on testosterone exists for pomegranate.
   EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-8484, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the section
10. ev-pjt-10 · Laboratory or animal data · case report · n = 1
    As with previous reports of interactions between food and warfarin, this case does not definitively prove the association between pomegranate juice consumption and increased warfarin bioactivity but highlights the importance of taking a complete drug, food and juice history when assessing patients with unstable anticoagulation.
    
    Who: One middle-aged woman on warfarin with a hematoma and raised INR
    Effect: possible increase in warfarin effect; causality not proven
    Certainty: Single case; a second case (19637955) is already in the base. Trials with CYP probes found no effect, so this remains a caution, not an established interaction.
    Emerg Med J, 2010 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
11. pomj-r3-01 · Position of an expert body · reference dataset, not a study · n = 1 food code
    FNDDS 2709330 Pomegranate juice, 100% (64126000): Energy 54 kcal/100 g, Quantity not specified 248 g 133.9 kcal · Total Sugars 12.65 g/100 g, 248 g 31.4 g · Potassium, K 214 mg/100 g, 248 g 530.7 mg · Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid 0.1 mg/100 g, 248 g 0.2 mg · 1 fl oz (no ice) 31 g
    
    Who: US household measures, FNDDS
    Effect: per 3.5 oz (100 g): 54 calories, total sugars 12.65 g, potassium 214 mg, vitamin C 0.1 mg; per 248 g: 133.9 calories, 31.4 g, 530.7 mg, 0.2 mg; 1 fl oz 31 g
    Certainty: single recipe code; commercial juices vary; USDA Foundation record is from concentrate (K-119) and was not used
    USDA FNDDS 2021-2023 · checked 2026-09-29 · we read the dataset
12. pomj-r3-09 · Randomized controlled trial(s) · randomized controlled crossover pharmacokinetic study · n = —
    Despite inhibition of CYP2C9 in vitro, pomegranate juice and extract had no effect on CYP2C9 activity in human subjects, and can be consumed by patients taking CYP2C9 substrate drugs with negligible risk of a pharmacokinetic interaction.
    
    Who: human volunteers, pomegranate juice or 1 g extract vs low-polyphenol placebo drink, fluconazole as positive control
    Effect: flurbiprofen pharmacokinetics unchanged, fluconazole reduced clearance
    Certainty: probe substrate, not warfarin itself; n not stated in abstract
    Clin Pharmacol Ther, 2012 · checked 2026-09-29 · we read the abstract
13. pomj-r3-10 · Randomized controlled trial(s) · open-label three-way crossover · n = 12
    Slight but not statistically significant changes were observed in the pharmacokinetics of dapoxetine and midazolam after pretreatment with PJ.
    
    Who: 12 healthy subjects, 8.5 fl oz (250 mL) water, grapefruit or pomegranate juice for 3 days before 60 mg dapoxetine and 7.5 mg midazolam
    Effect: pomegranate juice: slight, non-significant changes; grapefruit: dapoxetine AUC +60%, Cmax +80%, midazolam AUC +75%
    Certainty: small n, healthy subjects, CYP3A4 probe
    Eur J Drug Metab Pharmacokinet, 2017 · checked 2026-09-29 · we read the abstract
14. pomj-r3-12 · Laboratory or animal data · case report · n = 1
    During that time, the patient was consuming pomegranate juice 2-3 times/week. She stopped drinking the juice, and her INRs became subtherapeutic.
    
    Who: one 64-year-old woman on warfarin 4 mg/day for recurrent deep vein thrombosis
    Effect: INR became subtherapeutic after stopping juice, warfarin dose raised; possible relationship by Drug Interaction Probability Scale
    Certainty: single case, no rechallenge; controlled PK studies show no CYP2C9 effect (23047652)
    Pharmacotherapy, 2009 · checked 2026-09-29 · we read the abstract
15. pomj-r3-13 · Laboratory or animal data · case report · n = 1
    Three weeks before presentation, he began drinking pomegranate juice (200 ml twice weekly). He presented urgently with thigh pain and an elevated serum creatine kinase level (138,030 U/L, normal < 200 U/L).
    
    Who: one 48-year-old man with possible underlying myopathy, rosuvastatin 5 mg every other day and ezetimibe 10 mg/day
    Effect: creatine kinase 138,030 U/L (normal under 200)
    Certainty: single case with pre-existing myopathy, causality uncertain
    Am J Cardiol, 2006 · checked 2026-09-29 · we read the abstract