Blackcurrant Seed Oil vs Blackcurrant Extract: What Is the Difference?
If blackcurrant is the taste of your childhood, you will remember the cordial, the jam, and the bush at the end of an allotment that stained every hand that picked it. The plant, Ribes nigrum, is native to northern and central Europe and northern Asia, and that stubborn colour is the point of it [2]. Blackcurrants are dense with anthocyanins, the dark plant dyes, and they carry four main ones, two of which are particular to the blackcurrant [2].
Today the same berry arrives as a capsule, and our pouch prints two numbers side by side: 30,000mg per capsule and a far smaller figure, 105mg [1]. This guide explains what the plant is, how the two numbers fit together and how the extract and the seed oil differ, so you know exactly what you are bringing into your daily routine.
Blackcurrant extract at a glance
- What it is: a concentrated extract of New Zealand blackcurrants, Ribes nigrum, in one vegan capsule a day.
- One capsule: 300mg of 100:1 extract, equal to 30,000mg of fruit, giving 105mg of anthocyanins.
- Standardised: the extract is 35% anthocyanins, as the ingredients list states.
- Five ingredients: the extract, microcrystalline cellulose, a hypromellose shell, rice starch and safflower oil.
- Price: £14.99 for 30 capsules, one month at about 50p a day.
BLACKCURRANT EXTRACT 30,000MG · 30 VEGAN CAPSULES
£14.99 · 30 servings · 1 capsule daily with water · 300mg of 100:1 New Zealand extract · 105mg anthocyanins · about 50p a day
SHOP NOW
What is blackcurrant? The bush behind the capsule
Botanically the blackcurrant is Ribes nigrum, a bush of cool northern climates [2]. For a supplement label, what matters most about it is the colour of its fruit.
Blackcurrant anthocyanins: four pigments, two of them its own
Blackcurrants are rich in polyphenols, 500 to 1,342mg per 100g, and most of those are anthocyanins, at 160 to 411mg per 100g [2]. There are four main ones, two built on delphinidin and two on cyanidin, and the two known as rutinosides are particular to the blackcurrant [2].
Blackcurrant 30,000mg on the label: fruit, extract and anthocyanins
The large number is a fruit equivalent. The pouch front and the panel both say New Zealand blackcurrant, so that is where the fruit was grown, and the panel adds (from 100:1 extract) 30,000mg, which means 100 parts of fruit were concentrated into 1 part of extract.
30,000mg of fruit ÷ 100 = 300mg of extract in the capsule · 300mg × 35% = 105mg of anthocyanins · £14.99 ÷ 30 = about 50p a day · seed oil: 1,000mg × 14% = 140mg of GLA.
Blackcurrant Extract 30,000mg, nutrition panel and ingredients [1]
So the capsule holds 300mg of extract, standing for 30g of fruit. The ingredients list adds that this extract is standardised to 35% anthocyanins, which is where the 105mg on the panel comes from. That is the number to read first.
Blackcurrant extract or blackcurrant seed oil: which is right for you?
They share a plant and a name, and almost nothing else. One is made from the fruit and counted in pigments, and the other is pressed from the seed and counted in fatty acids.
Blackcurrant extract: the fruit and its pigments
If it is the dark pigments of the fruit you are after, our Blackcurrant Extract 30,000mg gives 105mg of anthocyanins in one vegan capsule. A pouch lasts a month at about 50p a day.
Blackcurrant seed oil: GLA from the seed
If it is the oil you want, our Blackcurrant Seed Oil softgels give 1,000mg of cold-pressed oil with 140mg of GLA, an omega-6 fatty acid, in two softgels for about 22p a day. The softgel shell is bovine gelatin.
BLACKCURRANT SEED OIL 1000MG · 90 SOFTGELS
£9.99 · 45 servings · 2 softgels daily with water · 1,000mg of cold-pressed seed oil · 140mg GLA · about 22p a day
SHOP NOW
Here are the two labels side by side. Prices are correct at the time of writing.
1 capsule · 300mg of 100:1 New Zealand fruit extract, equal to 30,000mg of fruit · 105mg anthocyanins · vegan capsule
Choose if it is the pigments of the fruit you are after · 30 days · £14.99: about 50p a day
2 softgels · 1,000mg of cold-pressed seed oil · 140mg GLA, an omega-6 fatty acid · bovine gelatin shell
Choose if it is the oil of the seed you want, a different product from a different part of the plant · 45 days · £9.99: about 22p a day
Both blackcurrant products sit in our blackcurrant range and among our herbal supplements, and you will also find the seed oil with our oils.
Blackcurrant seed oil, starflower or evening primrose: three seeds with GLA
Other products in our omegas and fatty acids range also contain GLA. Our starflower oils give 380mg of GLA in two softgels or 274mg in two vegan LiCaps, and our evening primrose oils give 234mg in two softgels or 194mg in three vegan LiCaps [4]. For a blend, our Omega 3-6-9 Fish Oil combines fish, flaxseed and borage oils, with 210mg of GLA in three softgels, and our starflower oil guide sets starflower and evening primrose side by side [4].
Blackcurrant and bilberry: two dark berry extracts
Blackcurrant is not our only dark berry in a capsule: our bilberry extracts are one vegan capsule a day too, with 75mg of anthocyanidins from a 100:1 extract or 25mg from a certified organic 10:1 extract [4]. Note the measure: the bilberry labels state anthocyanidins, whereas the blackcurrant label states anthocyanins, so read each figure on its own label, and our bilberry guide explains the bilberry label in full.
Blackcurrant extract, tart cherry and cranberry: anthocyanins on each label
Two more of our fruit extracts count anthocyanins, just as the blackcurrant label does. Our Raw Tart Cherry Extract 15,000mg gives 12.5mg in one vegan capsule from a 60:1 extract of Montmorency tart cherries, and our Organic Cranberry Extract 52,500mg gives 52.5mg in three vegan capsules from a 50:1 extract [4]. For a full explanation of each label, see our tart cherry guide and our cranberry guide.
How to take blackcurrant capsules
The extract label says one capsule daily with water, and the seed oil label says two softgels daily with water [1]. Neither names a time of day, so choose a time that is easy to remember.
The colour of the allotment bush, in a label you can read
If you want the pigments of the fruit in a fixed daily amount, one capsule gives 105mg of anthocyanins for about 50p a day.
SHOP BLACKCURRANT EXTRACT 30,000MG
Blackcurrant extract FAQs
1. What are the benefits of blackcurrant extract?
No health claim is authorised for blackcurrant, anthocyanins or GLA on the Great Britain register, so we make none [3]. What we can tell you is what is in the capsule: 300mg of a 100:1 fruit extract with 105mg of anthocyanins.
2. How much blackcurrant extract is in one capsule?
Each capsule holds 300mg of extract, concentrated 100:1 from 30,000mg of blackcurrants, and it gives 105mg of anthocyanins.
3. What are blackcurrant anthocyanins?
They are the dark pigments of the fruit, natural plant dyes that also colour other purple and red fruits [2]. Our capsule declares 105mg of them.
4. Is blackcurrant seed oil the same as blackcurrant extract?
No. The extract comes from the fruit and is measured in anthocyanins, and the oil is pressed from the seed and measured in GLA, an omega-6 fatty acid. Their labels have nothing in common except the plant.
5. Does blackcurrant extract contain vitamin C?
Our label declares none: the extract is standardised to its anthocyanins, 105mg in each capsule. If it’s vitamin C from a fruit you’re after, our Organic Acerola Cherry 11,750mg gives you 80mg, 100% of the nutrient reference value (NRV), in a single vegan capsule [4].
6. Why New Zealand blackcurrant?
That is where the fruit behind our extract was grown, as the pouch front and the panel both state.
7. Are blackcurrant capsules vegan?
The extract capsules are: the shell is plant-derived hypromellose, the front says vegan capsules, and the extract sits in our vegan range. The seed oil softgels use a bovine gelatin shell, so if it’s GLA you’re after in a vegan form, take a look at our organic starflower or evening primrose oils in hypromellose LiCaps [4].
8. Can I take blackcurrant every day?
Yes: each label gives a daily amount, one capsule of the extract or two softgels of the seed oil, so both are made for daily use; just don’t take more than the label says [1]. Both labels also say: “This product is not intended for children, or pregnant or breastfeeding women. If you have a medical condition or are taking any medications, please consult with a doctor before use.” [1]
If you want the pigments of the fruit, take the Blackcurrant Extract 30,000mg at about 50p a day. If you want the oil of the seed and its GLA, choose the Blackcurrant Seed Oil at about 22p. With either one, the label tells you exactly what you get in each serving: 105mg of anthocyanins or 140mg of GLA [1].
References
Checked against the product labels, the GB Nutrition and Health Claims Register and the published review cited below, September 2026.
[1] Alpha01. Blackcurrant Extract 30,000mg (30 capsules) and Blackcurrant Seed Oil 1000mg (90 softgels): pouch fronts, nutritional information panels, ingredients, suggested use, caution and prices. Accessed 2026-09-20. View Source
[2] Ejaz A, Waliat S, Afzaal M, et al. Biological activities, therapeutic potential, and pharmacological aspects of blackcurrants (Ribes nigrum L): A comprehensive review. Food Science and Nutrition. 2023;11(10):5799-5817 (cited only for the plant’s origin and the pigments of its fruit; its health statements are not used). View Source
[3] Department of Health and Social Care. Great Britain nutrition and health claims (NHC) register, GOV.UK (blackcurrant, anthocyanin and GLA entries all non-authorised). Accessed 2026-09-20. View Source
[4] Alpha01. Starflower Borage 2000mg (90 softgels), Organic Borage Starflower Oil 1440mg (60 and 120 LiCaps), Evening Primrose Oil 1300mg (60 softgels), Organic Evening Primrose Oil 2160mg (60 and 120 LiCaps), Omega 3-6-9 Fish Oil 3600mg (120 softgels), Bilberry Extract 30,000mg and Organic Bilberry Extract 5,000mg (90 capsules), Raw Tart Cherry Extract 15,000mg, Organic Cranberry Extract 52,500mg and Organic Acerola Cherry 11,750mg (90 capsules): nutritional information panels and ingredients. Accessed 2026-09-28. View Source
Join 55K Subscribers
Get expert-backed wellbeing insights, product launches, and subscriber-only deals delivered to your inbox.
