Cranberries vs Pomegranate – Which is Healthier?

Our Verdict

When comparing cranberries to pomegranate, we picked the pomegranate.

Why?

In terms of macros, pomegranate has nearly 4x the protein (actually quite a lot for a fruit, but this is not too surprising—it’s because we are eating the seeds!), and slightly more carbs and fiber. Their glycemic indices are comparable, both being low GI foods. While both of these fruits have excellent macro profiles, we say the pomegranate is slightly better, because of the protein, and when it comes to the carbs and fiber, since they balance each other out, we’ll go with the option that’s more nutritionally dense. We like foods that add more nutrients!

In the category of vitamins, cranberries are higher in vitamins A, C, and E, while pomegranate is higher in vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, and K. That’s already a numerical win for pomegranate, and it’s added to by the fact that the margins of difference are greater in pomegranate’s case, too.

When it comes to minerals, it is not close: cranberries have more manganese, while pomegranates have more calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and zinc. An easy win for pomegranate here!

In other considerations, both of these fruits have additional “special” properties, and it’s worth noting that:

• pomegranate’s bonus properties, which are too many to list here, but we link to an article below, are mostly in its peel (so dry it, and grind it into a powder supplement, that can be worked into foods, or used like an instant fruit tea, just without the sugar)
• cranberries’ bonus properties (including: famously very good at reducing UTI risk) come with some warnings, including that they may increase the risk of kidney stones if you are prone to such, and also that cranberries have anti-clotting effects, which are great for heart health but can be a risk of you’re on blood thinners or have a bleeding disorder.

You can read about both of these fruits’ special properties in the “learn more” section below.

Meanwhile, adding up the sections makes for a clear overall win for pomegranate, but by all means enjoy either or both, unless you have kidney issues, in which case certainly skip the cranberries!

Want to learn more?

You might like:

• Health Benefits Of Cranberries (But: You’d Better Watch Out)
• Pomegranate’s Health Gifts Are Mostly In Its Peel

Enjoy!