Pomegranate Juice and Kidney Health: What You Need to Know
Health ConditionsUrological Health

Is Pomegranate Juice Good for Your Kidneys?

Pomegranates offer powerful health benefits, but people with certain kidney conditions should consult their doctor before consuming the fruit and its juice.
Is Pomegranate Juice Good for Your Kidneys?
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Updated on October 10, 2025
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Pomegranates offer a number of health benefits, some of which may support overall kidney health. However, people with certain kidney problems such as chronic kidney disease may need to consume with caution.

Health Benefits of Pomegranate

Pomegranates are packed with polyphenols, powerful plant pigments that give the fruit its vibrant red hue. Polyphenols also work as antioxidants, helping reduce inflammation throughout the body. While not an exclusive benefit to the kidneys, these antioxidants may support healthy kidney function.

Pomegranate may also help reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and triglycerides, which helps protect against heart disease. Heart disease is closely linked to kidney health, too. As the condition progresses, it can cause renal damage, and poor kidney health can worsen heart problems.

Pomegranate Juice for Kidney Stones

While some anecdotally recommend drinking pomegranate juice as homeopathic support against kidney stone formation, the National Kidney Foundation debunks this myth. More human subject clinical trials are needed to confirm whether pomegranate juice consumption can help prevent or manage kidney stones.

Some of the best ways to prevent kidney stones from forming include staying well hydrated, limiting your consumption of salty foods, and avoiding animal-based foods. As such, drinking pomegranate juice and eating pomegranate seeds aligns with this guidance.

Pomegranate Juice for People With Chronic Kidney Disease

People with chronic kidney disease (CKD) need to monitor the potassium levels in their blood, as having too much (hyperkalemia) or too little (hypokalemia) may impact heart function.

Some people with advanced CKD require dialysis, a medical procedure used to help people with nonfunctioning kidneys remove waste products and excess fluid from their blood. There are several types of dialysis, each of which must be monitored and adjusted carefully by healthcare professionals to manage potential risks and complications, such as potassium levels rising too high or falling too low.

Pomegranate juice is fairly high in the mineral potassium. A half-cup serving of pomegranate arils (seeds) contains 205 milligrams (mg) of potassium, and 8 ounces (oz) of pomegranate juice contains 533 mg of potassium. The recommended daily allowance of potassium is 2,600 milligrams for adult women and 3,400 milligrams for adult men.

It’s recommended that people with CKD consult their care team for recommendations on how much pomegranate and pomegranate juice may be safe for them to consume.

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Reyna Franco, RDN

Medical Reviewer
Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Reyna Franco, RDN, is a New York City–based dietitian-nutritionist, certified specialist in sports dietetics, and certified personal trainer. She is a diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and has a master's degree in nutrition and exercise physiology from Columbia University.

In her private practice, she provides medical nutrition therapy for weight management, sports nutrition, diabetes, cardiac disease, renal disease, gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, food allergies, eating disorders, and childhood nutrition. To serve her diverse patients, she demonstrates cultural sensitivity and knowledge of customary food practices. She applies the tenets of lifestyle medicine to reduce the risk of chronic disease and improve health outcomes for her patients.

Franco is also a corporate wellness consultant who conducts wellness counseling and seminars for organizations of every size. She taught sports nutrition to medical students at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, taught life cycle nutrition and nutrition counseling to undergraduate students at LaGuardia Community College, and precepts nutrition students and interns. She created the sports nutrition rotation for the New York Distance Dietetic Internship program.

She is the chair of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine's Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist Member Interest Group. She is also the treasurer and secretary of the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, having previously served in many other leadership roles for the organization, including as past president, awards committee chair, and grant committee chair, among others. She is active in the local Greater New York Dietetic Association and Long Island Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, too.

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Kelsey Casselbury

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Kelsey Casselbury is a freelance writer and editor based in central Maryland. Her clients have included everydayhealth, School Nutrition magazine, What's Up? Media, American Academy of Clinical Chemistry, SmartBrief and more. She has a formal education in personal training/nutrition and a bachelor's degree in journalism from The Pennsylvania State University.

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