Last updated 30 October 2026
The idea is appealing. Eat a pomegranate, let your gut bacteria do the work, and your cells clear out their worn-out batteries.
Urolithin A is a compound some people's gut bacteria make from foods such as pomegranates, berries and nuts. In animals it helps cells recycle damaged mitochondria and has extended lifespan in worms (Ryu et al., 2016). In people, the trials so far are small, mostly funded by the company that sells it, and several missed their main goals (Liu et al., 2022; Singh et al., 2022). As of October 2026, urolithin A had not been authorised as a novel food in Great Britain (ACNFP, 2025).
This guide covers what urolithin A is, how it is meant to work, what the human trials actually found, the UK position and what is known about safety.
Mitochondria are the power stations inside your cells, and they wear out. Cells have a recycling system, called mitophagy, that clears damaged mitochondria so healthy ones can take over. With age, that system seems to slow down.
That is why energy production sits within the five systems that shape how well we age, and why it links closely to keeping your strength. Muscle is packed with mitochondria, and muscle loss with age is one of the clearest threats to independence later in life.
Urolithin A became interesting because it appears to switch mitophagy back on. The question is whether that matters in people.
Urolithin A is not found in food itself. Foods such as pomegranates, berries and nuts contain compounds called ellagitannins. Some gut bacteria convert these into urolithin A, which is then absorbed (Ryu et al., 2016).
Not everyone can do this well. In one study of 100 healthy US adults, only 12% had detectable urolithin A at the start, and around 40% converted the precursors efficiently after drinking pomegranate juice (Singh et al., 2021). That study was funded by the company that sells urolithin A. A larger study of 839 people found that age was the main factor shaping which gut bacteria people had for this conversion (Cortés-Martín et al., 2018).
The animal results are striking. The human results are more modest.
In the original 2016 study, urolithin A extended lifespan in worms and improved exercise capacity in older mice and young rats (Ryu et al., 2016). Several authors had ties to Amazentis, the company that later developed urolithin A as a supplement.
| Trial | Who and how long | Main goal | What it found |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andreux et al., 2019 | Healthy older adults, 4 weeks | Safety | Well tolerated. Changes in blood and muscle markers of mitochondrial activity, with no muscle function outcome reported |
| Liu et al., 2022 | 66 adults aged 65 to 90, 4 months | Walking distance and muscle energy production | Neither main goal was met. Some secondary markers improved |
| Singh et al., 2022 | 88 adults aged 40 to 64, 4 months | Peak power output | Main goal not met. Hamstring strength rose about 10 to 12% compared with placebo |
| Denk et al., 2025 | 50 adults aged 45 to 70, 28 days | Immune cell changes | Small rise in a type of immune cell linked with youthful immunity. No infection outcomes measured |
All four trials involved Amazentis as sponsor, funder or through company authors (Andreux et al., 2019; Liu et al., 2022; Singh et al., 2022; Denk et al., 2025). That does not make the results wrong, but independent replication matters.
The independent reviews are cautious. A 2024 systematic review of five studies in 250 people found effects on inflammation markers and some measures of strength and endurance, but no effect on physical function or mitochondrial energy production (Kuerec et al., 2024). A 2025 review by Newcastle University researchers, not yet peer reviewed, pooled three trials and concluded there is insufficient evidence to support urolithin A for improving muscle function in any population (Watts et al., 2025).
What the research does not show is that urolithin A slows ageing or extends life in people. No human trial has looked at those outcomes.
As of October 2026, urolithin A had not been authorised as a novel food in Great Britain. An application was received by the Food Standards Agency in 2022. Its advisory committee on novel foods first discussed it in September 2025 and asked for more information, including on the identity of the synthetic ingredient, nanoparticles, impurities and the human study (ACNFP, 2025).
Novel foods need to be authorised before they can be placed on the market in Great Britain (FSA, 2025). In the US, the Food and Drug Administration raised no questions about the company's conclusion that urolithin A is generally recognised as safe for certain foods (FDA, 2018).
The human trials so far have reported it as well tolerated. Doses of 500 mg and 1,000 mg a day were used for up to four months without safety concerns in the published trials (Andreux et al., 2019; Liu et al., 2022; Singh et al., 2022).
The UK assessment is still open, and the committee's questions about nanoparticles and impurities show there is more to check (ACNFP, 2025). Long-term data in people are missing, and there is little research in pregnancy, breastfeeding or people taking several medicines.
Only if your gut bacteria can make it. Pomegranates, berries and walnuts provide the raw materials, but how much urolithin A you end up with depends on your microbes (Singh et al., 2021; Cortés-Martín et al., 2018).
Those foods are worth eating anyway. A varied, plant-rich diet supports gut health in its own right, as our guide to fibre and fibremaxxing explains.
It is one of the more interesting ideas in longevity science, and one of the least proven in people. The best evidence for keeping your mitochondria and muscles working as you age is still exercise, particularly strength training and regular aerobic activity. Our guide to CoQ10 looks at another molecule studied for mitochondrial health.
Interesting science. Early evidence. Worth watching rather than chasing.
Speak to your GP or pharmacist before taking any new supplement if you take prescription medicines, are pregnant, trying to conceive or breastfeeding, or have a medical condition. Be aware that products sold online may not have been authorised for sale in Great Britain.
This guide is general information, not medical advice.
In animal studies it helps cells clear damaged mitochondria, a process called mitophagy, and it extended lifespan in worms (Ryu et al., 2016). Whether it has meaningful effects in people is not yet clear.
Trials have found changes in some blood markers and in strength, but main outcomes such as walking distance and peak power were not significantly better than placebo (Liu et al., 2022; Singh et al., 2022).
No food contains it directly. Pomegranates, berries and nuts contain ellagitannins, which some gut bacteria convert into urolithin A (Ryu et al., 2016).
No. In one study only 12% of adults had detectable levels at baseline, and around 40% converted the precursors efficiently after pomegranate juice (Singh et al., 2021).
As of October 2026, it had not been authorised as a novel food in Great Britain and was still under assessment (ACNFP, 2025).
Trials of up to four months reported it as well tolerated (Liu et al., 2022; Singh et al., 2022), but long-term data are missing and the UK assessment is ongoing.
Keep reading
Muscle loss with age and longevity, what the evidence shows
CoQ10 benefits and longevity, what the evidence shows
What is biological age, and can you slow it down?
References
ACNFP (2025). Minutes of the 173rd meeting, 24 and 25 September 2025, urolithin A. Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes. food.gov.uk
Andreux, P.A. et al. (2019). The mitophagy activator urolithin A is safe and induces a molecular signature of improved mitochondrial and cellular health in humans. Nature Metabolism, 1, 595–603. doi.org
Cortés-Martín, A. et al. (2018). The gut microbiota urolithin metabotypes revisited, the human metabolism of ellagic acid is mainly determined by aging. Food and Function, 9, 4100–4106. doi.org
Denk, D. et al. (2025). Nature Aging. doi.org
FDA (2018). GRAS notice GRN 000791, urolithin A. US Food and Drug Administration. fda.gov
FSA (2025). Novel foods. Food Standards Agency business guidance. food.gov.uk
Kuerec, A.H. et al. (2024). Ageing Research Reviews, 100, 102406. doi.org
Liu, S. et al. (2022). Effect of urolithin A supplementation on muscle endurance and mitochondrial health in older adults, a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open, 5(1), e2144279. doi.org
Ryu, D. et al. (2016). Urolithin A induces mitophagy and prolongs lifespan in C. elegans and increases muscle function in rodents. Nature Medicine, 22(8), 879–888. doi.org
Singh, A. et al. (2021). Direct supplementation with urolithin A overcomes limitations of dietary exposure and gut microbiome variability in healthy adults. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. doi.org
Singh, A. et al. (2022). Urolithin A improves muscle strength, exercise performance, and biomarkers of mitochondrial health in a randomized trial in middle-aged adults. Cell Reports Medicine, 3(5), 100633. doi.org
Watts, P. et al. (2025). medRxiv, preprint, not peer reviewed. doi.org
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