NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
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Gooseberry

Ribes uva-crispa

Tart, vitamin-C-rich berry with abundant polyphenols

Preliminary evidence 🍎Fruits

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Preliminary
Research weight
Citations
8 verified / 8
Classification
Fruits
❝
What the evidence says. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive.

Nutrition per serving 1 cup raw (150 g)

150gSERVING
  • Water 131.8 g88%
  • Sugars 8.8 g6%
  • Fibre 6.5 g4%
  • Protein 1.3 g1%
  • Fat 0.9 g1%
What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).
Vitamin C46%Fiber23%Copper12%Manganese10%Potassium6%Vitamin E4%
One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.
66 kcal1.3 g protein6.5 g fiber0.87 g fat
NutrientPer serving% daily value
Vitamin C42 mg46%
Fiber6.5 g23%
Copper0.11 mg12%
Manganese0.22 mg10%
Potassium297 mg6%
Vitamin E0.56 mg4%
Vitamin A23 µg RAE3%
Calcium38 mg3%
Magnesium15 mg4%
Folate9 µg DFE2%

Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗

What is Gooseberry?

Gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa) is a fruit used for high in vitamin c (about 46% of the daily value per cup), supporting antioxidant defense and collagen synthesis. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Preliminary. The European gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa) is a nutrient-dense, low-calorie berry: one cup (150 g) supplies about 46% of the Daily Value of vitamin C plus meaningful fiber, copper and manganese. Compositional and laboratory studies consistently show high ascorbic acid (about 0.38-0.85 g/kg fresh weight) and abundant flavonol glycosides and anthocyanins with strong in vitro antioxidant activity. However, direct human clinical trials on the European gooseberry fruit itself are essentially absent, so its specific health effects remain extrapolated from composition and from broader berry/anthocyanin research. Meta-analyses of anthocyanin-rich berries link higher intake to lower CRP and reduced coronary and total cardiovascular risk in cohorts, though effects on blood pressure and LDL are modest or inconsistent across trials. Importantly, most published clinical evidence labeled "gooseberry" actually pertains to Indian gooseberry/amla (Phyllanthus emblica), a botanically distinct plant whose lipid- and glucose-lowering RCT data should not be assumed to apply to Ribes. (Note: USDA does not report a total-sugars value for raw gooseberry, so its sugar content is uncharacterized.) Overall the human weight of evidence for this fruit is preliminary. It is best viewed as a healthy, vitamin-C-rich addition to a varied fruit and berry intake rather than a proven therapeutic food.

Purported Benefits

✓High in vitamin C (about 46% of the Daily Value per cup), supporting antioxidant defense and collagen synthesis
✓Good source of dietary fiber (about 23% DV per cup) supporting digestive health
✓Rich in polyphenols (flavonol glycosides, anthocyanins) with measured free-radical scavenging activity in laboratory assays
✓Low energy density (about 66 kcal per cup), making it an easy nutrient-dense addition to the diet
✓Part of an anthocyanin-rich berry pattern associated with lower cardiovascular risk in observational cohorts
✓Potential anti-inflammatory effects suggested by in vitro and compositional data (not yet confirmed in human trials of this fruit)

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
1 cup raw (about 150 g), roughly 25-30 berries
Active Compounds
Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid)Flavonol glycosides (quercetin-3-rutinoside, isorhamnetin-3-rutinoside)Anthocyanins (cyanidin-3-glucoside, peonidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-rutinoside)Flavan-3-ols / proanthocyanidinsHydroxycinnamic acids (chlorogenic, caffeic acid)Soluble and insoluble dietary fiber (pectin)Organic acids (citric, malic)Tocopherols (vitamin E)Manganese and copper (cofactor minerals)

Safety & Cautions

Generally safe as food. The high natural acidity makes raw berries very tart and may aggravate reflux or sensitive teeth; underripe gooseberries can cause GI upset in large amounts. Like other berries, gooseberries contain salicylates and oxalates, which may matter for sensitive or stone-forming individuals. Do not confuse with Indian gooseberry (amla, Phyllanthus emblica) or Cape gooseberry (Physalis), which differ nutritionally and have their own interaction profiles; concentrated amla supplements may potentiate antidiabetic or antiplatelet/anticoagulant drugs. True botanical fruit allergy is rare. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Gooseberry with any medicine.

Key Studies

Systematic review and meta-analysis Setayesh 2023 ✓ PubMed
Meta-analysis of RCTs on Indian gooseberry/amla (Phyllanthus emblica, a distinct species) showed significant reductions in LDL, total cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose and CRP and increased HDL; not specific to European gooseberry.
Systematic review and meta-analysis Xu 2021 ✓ Full text
Meta-analysis of 44 RCTs and 15 cohorts: anthocyanin-rich berries significantly lowered CRP (WMD -0.046 mg/dL) and higher dietary anthocyanins were associated with 17% lower CHD incidence and 27% lower total CVD risk; LDL change from whole berries was non-significant.
Analytical/compositional study Hussain 2023 ✓ PubMed
Profiling of European red and green gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa) found total phenols ~162-987 mg GAE/100g and DPPH radical scavenging of 73-91%, with cyanidin- and peonidin-3-glucoside the main anthocyanins in red fruit.
Meta-analysis of RCTs Huang 2016 ✓ Full text
Meta-analysis (22 RCTs, 1,251 subjects) found berry consumption significantly reduced LDL cholesterol, systolic blood pressure (-2.72 mmHg), fasting glucose, HbA1c, BMI and TNF-alpha.
Cultivar compositional study Anastasiadi 2016 ✓ Full text
Across 20 gooseberry cultivars, vitamin C ranged 0.38-0.85 g/kg fresh weight with flavonol glycosides (quercetin/isorhamnetin rutinosides) dominant and total anthocyanins up to 265.8 mg/kg in the highest red cultivar.
Compositional study Orsavová 2019 ✓ PubMed
Phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid and vitamin E were quantified as the main contributors to the antioxidant activity of currant and gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa) fruits.
Randomized controlled trial Kapoor 2019 ✓ PubMed
Randomized double-blind crossover RCT of amla (500 mg/day, 18 wk, n=15 healthy adults) improved blood fluidity, raised HDL, lowered LDL and oxidative DNA damage (8-OHdG) with no safety signals; pertains to Indian gooseberry, not Ribes.
Comparative in vitro study Laczkó-Zöld 2018 ✓ PubMed
Comparative study of black currant, red currant and gooseberry showed gooseberry water extract had the highest antioxidant capacity among its extracts (41.84 µmol AAE/g, PCL assay), with quercetin-3-O-glucoside present across all Ribes samples.
8 sources cited · 8 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about Gooseberry

What is Gooseberry used for?

Gooseberry is most often taken for High in vitamin C (about 46% of the Daily Value per cup), supporting antioxidant defense and collagen synthesis, Good source of dietary fiber (about 23% DV per cup) supporting digestive health, Rich in polyphenols (flavonol glycosides, anthocyanins) with measured free-radical scavenging activity in laboratory assays, Low energy density (about 66 kcal per cup), making it an easy nutrient-dense addition to the diet. Tart, vitamin-C-rich berry with abundant polyphenols

Does Gooseberry work — what does the evidence say?

Preliminary evidence. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive. The European gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa) is a nutrient-dense, low-calorie berry: one cup (150 g) supplies about 46% of the Daily Value of vitamin C plus meaningful fiber, copper and manganese. Compositional and laboratory studies consistently show high ascorbic acid (about 0.38-0.85 g/kg fresh weight) and abundant flavonol glycosides and anthocyanins with strong in vitro antioxidant activity. However, direct human clinical trials on the European gooseberry fruit itself are essentially absent, so its specific health effects remain extrapolated from composition and from broader berry/anthocyanin research. Meta-analyses of anthocyanin-rich berries link higher intake to lower CRP and reduced coronary and total cardiovascular risk in cohorts, though effects on blood pressure and LDL are modest or inconsistent across trials. Importantly, most published clinical evidence labeled "gooseberry" actually pertains to Indian gooseberry/amla (Phyllanthus emblica), a botanically distinct plant whose lipid- and glucose-lowering RCT data should not be assumed to apply to Ribes. (Note: USDA does not report a total-sugars value for raw gooseberry, so its sugar content is uncharacterized.) Overall the human weight of evidence for this fruit is preliminary. It is best viewed as a healthy, vitamin-C-rich addition to a varied fruit and berry intake rather than a proven therapeutic food.

What is the typical dose of Gooseberry?

1 cup raw (about 150 g), roughly 25-30 berries

Is Gooseberry safe? Any cautions or side effects?

Generally safe as food. The high natural acidity makes raw berries very tart and may aggravate reflux or sensitive teeth; underripe gooseberries can cause GI upset in large amounts. Like other berries, gooseberries contain salicylates and oxalates, which may matter for sensitive or stone-forming individuals. Do not confuse with Indian gooseberry (amla, Phyllanthus emblica) or Cape gooseberry (Physalis), which differ nutritionally and have their own interaction profiles; concentrated amla supplements may potentiate antidiabetic or antiplatelet/anticoagulant drugs. True botanical fruit allergy is rare.

How many studies support Gooseberry?

NutriDex cites 8 sources for Gooseberry, graded "Preliminary".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). Gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/gooseberry

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_gooseberry,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {Gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/gooseberry},
  note         = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-06-26}
}

For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.

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