Urolithin A: Benefits For Health and Aging

Dr. Joseph Purita, M.D. Posted on January 7, 2025

Explore the benefits of urolithin A, a natural postbiotic compound produced in the gut that supports mitochondrial health and may hold benefits for muscle function, brain, heart, and skin health.

What makes urolithin A interesting is its potential beneficial impact on mitochondria, which are the powerhouses of your cells that help your body produce energy. Since your mitochondria are key players in so many of your body's functions, anything that helps them stay healthy will have a trickle-down effect, leading to many other notable benefits for your muscles, brain, heart, and overall health.³

Though gut bacteria can make urolithin A when you eat certain foods, not everyone can produce it. As such, some people choose to incorporate urolithin A supplements in their health regimen to reap its potential benefits.

What Is Urolithin A?

Urolithin A is a natural compound produced by gut bacteria when you eat or drink foods that contain ellagitannins, a type of polyphenol.¹ Ellagitannins are found naturally in nuts and fruits like pomegranates, certain berries, walnuts, and almonds.²

When ellagitannins reach your small intestine, they can be broken down and release a compound called ellagic acid, which your gut flora can change into urolithins, including urolithin A.⁴

Urolithins are postbiotics, which are byproducts of beneficial bacteria feeding on fiber that have a number of health benefits. Urolithin A is the first postbiotic found to stimulate mitophagy—the cleaning up and recycling of mitochondria.⁵

However, some people can't break down ellagitannins depending on their individual metabolism. What types and amounts of urolithins you produce depends on which bacteria live in your gut.⁶ In fact, one study showed that only about 40% of participants produced urolithin A after consuming pomegranate juice.⁷

Benefits Of Urolithin A

All of the benefits of urolithin A stem from how it improves mitochondrial health. Mitochondria are the key to everything in your body working better. They break down glucose and fatty acids from the foods you eat into smaller molecules, sparking a process that creates ATP, the energy of your cells.³

Over time, those hardworking mitochondria become worn down and damaged, making them less efficient. Old mitochondria can also create harmful substances that can damage DNA proteins, causing oxidative stress that leads to aging and disease.⁸

Cells can identify and tag mitochondria that no longer function well, triggering structures called autophagosomes to surround them and transport them to lysosomes. Here, they are broken down and reused to create brand-new, healthy mitochondria. This entire process is called mitophagy.⁷

Urolithin A can stimulate mitophagy, which makes it of particular interest to researchers since mitophagy starts to slow down as you age, making cells function less effectively.⁹ Declining cell function with age means less energy, more fatigue and inflammation, and increased risks for age-related diseases like arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, and heart disease.

However, diet and lifestyle modifications can help, including physical activity and eating an antioxidant-rich diet low in highly processed foods.¹⁰ Increasing your urolithin A levels is another way to boost cell function by improving mitochondrial health.

May Improve Muscle Function and Strength

One study on 40 to 65-year-olds found that urolithin A can increase muscle strength by about 12% compared to a placebo and improve several biomarkers of mitochondrial health.¹ The researchers believe the mitochondria in muscle cells could work more efficiently with the aid of urolithin A, meaning they can work harder and longer, so you get better results from strength training and slow down age-related strength loss.

Helps Manage Inflammation

The same study on muscle strength also found urolithin A lowered inflammation levels. Older, damaged mitochondria can create harmful substances that cause inflammation, so destroying them efficiently with the support of urolithin A can help manage inflammation levels.¹¹

Supports Cardiovascular Health

Your heart is a muscle that demands a lot of energy to function well, so the healthier your mitochondria, the better. Research also shows that urolithin A intake can boost blood vessel function, potentially by increasing bacteria that produce helpful compounds linked to blood vessel health.¹²

Promotes Brain Health and Cognitive Function

Another energy-hungry organ is your brain. More efficient and healthy mitochondria are better able to power your brain and don't release inflammation-causing substances. Keeping inflammation levels in the brain down helps ward off age-related cognitive decline and diseases like Alzheimer's.¹³

Encourages Healthy Skin

Emerging evidence shows promise for urolithin A in supporting healthy skin in a number of ways.

May boost collagen production for firmer, smoother skin.¹⁴
May protect against oxidative stress protection that causes skin aging.¹⁵
May encourage autophagy, turning over new cells for healthier looking skin.¹⁶
May promote better and faster cell regeneration in wound healing.¹⁴

Should You Supplement With Urolithin A?

The production of urolithin A in your colon depends on your individual microbiome and taking it as a dietary supplement can increase your levels so you gain the potential benefits. Always consult your healthcare provider first to ensure that supplementation with urolithin A is right for you.

Human clinical trials have shown that urolithin A can be safely administered in doses of up to 2000 mg per day with no serious adverse effects,^17,¹⁸ although you should never exceed the amount indicated by the dosing regimen on the product label. Check product labels for third-party testing certification to ensure quality standards.

Side Effects and Safety

There is some evidence that doses of up to 1000 mg per day can cause mild digestive upset or an increased incidence of headaches.¹ No adverse drug-drug interactions of urolithin A are currently known.

Natural sources of ellagitannins, including nuts and berries, are generally safe to consume in moderation. While pomegranates and their juice are fantastic sources of ellagitannins, some constituents of pomegranate juice may inhibit enzymes responsible for metabolizing certain medications, such as warfarin, which could cause adverse physiological effects.¹⁹ Additionally, ellagic acid can decrease blood glucose, which in combination with diabetes medications, may lower blood glucose to unsafe levels.²⁰

Takeaway

Urolithin A is a natural postbiotic compound produced in the gut when consuming foods rich in ellagitannins, such as pomegranates, berries, and nuts. It supports mitochondrial health, benefiting muscle function, and brain, heart, and skin health. However, not everyone naturally produces urolithin A, leading some to use supplements to harness its potential benefits for energy production and overall cellular health.

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