Beauty Doc Blog

Raspberries, strawberries, cranberries… they’re all delicious berries that not only taste good, but research shows they might be good wrinkle-fighters too. They all contain the antioxidant ellagic acid, and it’s this little compound that has researchers so excited.

A recent study shows that by applying a topical treatment of ellagic acid to both human skin cells and the bare skin of mice, the collagen destruction and inflammatory response that are notorious for causing wrinkles is greatly reduced. The researchers exposed human and mice skin to UV-B rays, the ultra-violet rays that damage skin cells, and applied the topical solution of ellagic acid on a repeated basis. Over time, they noticed that the subjects that received the ellagic acid application showed fewer wrinkles and less thickening of the skin. You can read a summary of the report here.

Other than this study and several similar ones, ellagic acid’s benefits on the skin are not widely recognized. A study has been done on its effects on the cardiovasular system, and findings from this small study show that it reduced blood pressure and arterial wall thickness when ingested in the form of pomegranate juice. Another study showed that ellagic acid benefited those suffering from prostrate cancer, lessening the effects of neutropenia.

However, it is important to realize that the benefits of this particular form of antioxidant are not fully realized yet. The studies done are all small clinical trials, and no conclusive evidence has shown that ellagic acid indeed does prevent wrinkles or offer other benefits.

There are many products on the market now that claim to contain ellagic acid, and they are calling it the miracle curer for cancer or wrinkle-blaster. The claims about the benefits of ellagic acid cannot be proven, so be wary of products that hype its abilities. It may be true that thus far, ellagic acid appears to offer several health and dermatological benefits, but do not believe the marketing spin without reading up on the medical and cosmetic world’s opinion.

As of today, the FDA has announced that products claiming any benefits of ellagic acid are “Fake Cancer Cure Consumers Should Avoid”, and they have issued warnings to certain companies that produce supplements.

Overall, we just don’t know conclusively how good ellagic acid is for our skin and our bodies. However, it can’t hurt to stock up on your supply of berries! You’ll get some of the benefits that antioxidants have to offer, and your taste buds will thank you in the process.