NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
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Pomelo

Citrus maxima

Largest citrus, vitamin C and flavonoid rich

Preliminary evidence 🍎Fruits

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Preliminary
Research weight
Citations
11 verified / 11
Classification
Fruits
❝
What the evidence says. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive.

Nutrition per serving 1 cup sections (190 g)

190gSERVING
  • Water 169.3 g90%
  • Sugars 16.3 g9%
  • Fibre 1.9 g1%
  • Other carbs 0.1 g0%
  • Protein 1.4 g1%
  • Fat 0.1 g0%
What's in one serving, by weight — average composition (USDA).
Vitamin C100%+Potassium9%Copper10%Fiber7%Vitamin B64%Calcium1%
One serving as % of the adult daily requirement (FDA Daily Values). The bold outer ring = 100% of a day's needs.
72 kcal1.4 g protein1.9 g fiber0.08 g fat
NutrientPer serving% daily value
Vitamin C116 mg129%
Potassium410 mg9%
Copper0.09 mg10%
Fiber1.9 g7%
Vitamin B60.07 mg4%
Calcium7.6 mg1%
Sugars16 g33%
Carbohydrate18 g7%

Composition data: USDA FoodData Central ↗

What is Pomelo?

Pomelo (Citrus maxima) is a fruit used for very high vitamin c content (one cup exceeds the daily requirement) supporting antioxidant defense and normal immune function. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Preliminary. Pomelo is an exceptional dietary source of vitamin C, with one cup of sections supplying well over a day's requirement (about 129% DV), and it delivers citrus flavonoids (naringin, narirutin, naringenin) plus modest potassium and fiber. Large prospective cohorts and meta-analyses show higher citrus and total fruit intake is associated with modestly reduced cardiovascular disease and ischemic stroke risk (roughly 9-12% for citrus), but these data are for citrus broadly, not pomelo specifically. The lipid-lowering, antioxidant, hepatoprotective and neuroprotective effects attributed to naringin and total pomelo flavonoids come overwhelmingly from cell and rodent studies, not human trials. No randomized controlled trials establish clinical benefit of pomelo itself. The overall human evidence is therefore preliminary and largely extrapolated from generic citrus epidemiology and mechanistic work. Pomelo is a nutritious, hydrating, low-calorie whole fruit, best regarded as a healthful component of a fruit-rich diet rather than a proven therapeutic food. Its most clinically important property is a grapefruit-like potential to alter drug metabolism.

Purported Benefits

✓Very high vitamin C content (one cup exceeds the daily requirement) supporting antioxidant defense and normal immune function
✓Part of citrus intake linked in large prospective cohorts and meta-analyses to modestly lower cardiovascular and stroke risk (citrus broadly, not pomelo specifically)
✓Naringin and naringenin flavonoids with lipid-lowering and antioxidant activity (evidence mostly preclinical, no human trials in pomelo)
✓Hydrating, low-energy, low-fat whole fruit useful for weight-conscious diets
✓Potassium contributes modestly to blood-pressure-favorable dietary patterns
✓Polyphenols and fiber may support metabolic and gut health (early, mostly preclinical evidence)

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
1 cup sections (~190 g); a whole medium fruit yields several cups of edible flesh
Active Compounds
Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid)Flavanone glycosides (naringin, narirutin)Flavanone aglycones (naringenin)Hesperidin / hesperetinFuranocoumarins (bergamottin, 6',7'-dihydroxybergamottin)PotassiumDietary fiber (pectin)Carotenoids and limonoidsPhenolic acids (ferulic, caffeic)

Safety & Cautions

Like grapefruit, pomelo contains furanocoumarins that inhibit intestinal CYP3A4 and P-glycoprotein, raising blood levels of many medications; documented cases include marked elevation of tacrolimus and a measured increase in cyclosporine exposure in human pharmacokinetic study, and it can affect statins, calcium-channel blockers (e.g. felodipine), and other CYP3A4 substrates. Patients on these drugs should avoid pomelo and pomelo juice. It is acidic and may aggravate reflux in sensitive people; potassium content warrants moderation in advanced kidney disease. Otherwise generally safe as food. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Pomelo with any medicine.

Pomelo drug interactions

Known or theoretical interactions between Pomelo and common medications — educational, not exhaustive. Always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Pomelo with any medicine.

Caution
CYP3A4 drugs (statins, some CCBs, immunosuppressants)
Pomelo, a grapefruit relative, can similarly raise levels of CYP3A4 drugs; treat like grapefruit.
Contains furanocoumarins that inhibit intestinal CYP3A4, increasing drug exposure. FDA — Grapefruit Juice and Some Drugs Don't Mix

Key Studies ★ 11 studies

Systematic review/meta-analysis Zurbau 2020 ✓ Source
Meta-analysis of 81 prospective cohorts (>4 million people): higher citrus fruit intake associated with ~10-12% lower risk across cardiovascular and stroke outcomes (RR ~0.88).
Preclinical systematic review/meta-analysis Viswanatha 2017 ✓ PubMed
Systematic review/meta-analysis: naringin significantly restored oxidative-stress markers and reduced neurobehavioral deficits across rodent models (no human data).
Preclinical narrative review Memariani 2021 ✓ PubMed
Comprehensive narrative review: naringin and naringenin show anticancer and chemo-adjuvant activity across in vitro and animal models; clinical confirmation lacking.
Narrative/mechanistic review Ding 2022 ✓ Full text
Review of pure total flavonoids from Citrus maxima summarizing preclinical effects on liver metabolic disease, cardiovascular disease, gut barrier and malignancy.
Review Bailey 1998 ✓ PubMed
Foundational review establishing that grapefruit (and related citrus) furanocoumarins inhibit enteric CYP3A4, increasing oral bioavailability of many CYP3A4 substrate drugs.
Prospective cohort Yamada 2011 ✓ PubMed
Jichi Medical School cohort: near-daily citrus intake associated with lower incident CVD (HR 0.57 men, 0.51 women) and lower stroke/cerebral infarction risk.
Prospective cohort Cassidy 2012 ✓ Full text
Nurses' Health Study (~69,600 women, 14 y): higher citrus flavanone intake associated with ~19% lower risk of ischemic stroke.
Analytical/in vitro study Deng 2022 ✓ Full text
Profiling of pomelo (Citrus grandis) and grapefruit cultivars identified naringin, narirutin, hesperidin and naringenin as dominant flavonoids with measurable in vitro antioxidant and lipase-inhibitory bioactivity.
Case report Egashira 2003 ✓ PubMed
Case report: pomelo intake markedly raised whole-blood tacrolimus trough levels in a renal transplant patient via CYP3A4/P-gp inhibition; authors advise transplant patients avoid pomelo.
Animal pharmacokinetic study Egashira 2012 ✓ PubMed
Rat study: pomelo juice significantly increased tacrolimus exposure, supporting the mechanistic basis of the clinical pomelo-tacrolimus interaction.
Human pharmacokinetic study Grenier 2006 ✓ PubMed
Controlled human study: pomelo juice (but not cranberry juice) increased cyclosporine AUC and Cmax, confirming a clinically relevant CYP3A4-mediated drug interaction.
11 sources cited · 11 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about Pomelo

What is Pomelo used for?

Pomelo is most often taken for Very high vitamin C content (one cup exceeds the daily requirement) supporting antioxidant defense and normal immune function, Part of citrus intake linked in large prospective cohorts and meta-analyses to modestly lower cardiovascular and stroke risk (citrus broadly, not pomelo specifically), Naringin and naringenin flavonoids with lipid-lowering and antioxidant activity (evidence mostly preclinical, no human trials in pomelo), Hydrating, low-energy, low-fat whole fruit useful for weight-conscious diets. Largest citrus, vitamin C and flavonoid rich

Does Pomelo work — what does the evidence say?

Preliminary evidence. Early or small human trials; promising but not yet conclusive. Pomelo is an exceptional dietary source of vitamin C, with one cup of sections supplying well over a day's requirement (about 129% DV), and it delivers citrus flavonoids (naringin, narirutin, naringenin) plus modest potassium and fiber. Large prospective cohorts and meta-analyses show higher citrus and total fruit intake is associated with modestly reduced cardiovascular disease and ischemic stroke risk (roughly 9-12% for citrus), but these data are for citrus broadly, not pomelo specifically. The lipid-lowering, antioxidant, hepatoprotective and neuroprotective effects attributed to naringin and total pomelo flavonoids come overwhelmingly from cell and rodent studies, not human trials. No randomized controlled trials establish clinical benefit of pomelo itself. The overall human evidence is therefore preliminary and largely extrapolated from generic citrus epidemiology and mechanistic work. Pomelo is a nutritious, hydrating, low-calorie whole fruit, best regarded as a healthful component of a fruit-rich diet rather than a proven therapeutic food. Its most clinically important property is a grapefruit-like potential to alter drug metabolism.

What is the typical dose of Pomelo?

1 cup sections (~190 g); a whole medium fruit yields several cups of edible flesh

Is Pomelo safe? Any cautions or side effects?

Like grapefruit, pomelo contains furanocoumarins that inhibit intestinal CYP3A4 and P-glycoprotein, raising blood levels of many medications; documented cases include marked elevation of tacrolimus and a measured increase in cyclosporine exposure in human pharmacokinetic study, and it can affect statins, calcium-channel blockers (e.g. felodipine), and other CYP3A4 substrates. Patients on these drugs should avoid pomelo and pomelo juice. It is acidic and may aggravate reflux in sensitive people; potassium content warrants moderation in advanced kidney disease. Otherwise generally safe as food.

How many studies support Pomelo?

NutriDex cites 11 sources for Pomelo, graded "Preliminary".

Does Pomelo interact with any medications?

Yes — known or theoretical interactions include: CYP3A4 drugs (some statins, CCBs, immunosuppressants) (caution). This is educational and not exhaustive; always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Pomelo with any medicine.

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). Pomelo (Citrus maxima): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 26 Jun 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/pomelo

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_pomelo,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {Pomelo (Citrus maxima): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/pomelo},
  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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