Urolithin A
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Dr. Rhonda Patrick discusses microdosing nicotine, GlyNac benefits, intermittent fasting and hair loss, and cold & flu relief.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
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Nootropics Omega-3 Fasting Pregnancy Curcumin Sauna Time-Restricted Eating Protein Supplements Urolithin ADr. Rhonda Patrick discusses microdosing nicotine, GlyNac benefits, intermittent fasting and hair loss, and cold & flu relief.
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Rhonda Vitamin D Gut Ketosis Insulin Resistance Fasting Sulforaphane Intestinal Permeability NRF2 Urolithin ADr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
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Dr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
Topic Pages
News & Publications
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Aging impairs mitochondrial function, disrupting the heart’s energy supply. Over time, this energy shortfall undermines cardiac cell function, driving the heart’s gradual decline. A recent study found that supplemental urolithin A—a bioactive compound derived from pomegranates and walnuts—boosts mitochondrial health and reduces pro-inflammatory lipids called ceramides, ultimately enhancing cardiac function.
Researchers investigated the effects of supplemental urolithin A in models of natural aging in mice and heart failure in rats and assessed its effects on plasma ceramide levels in healthy older adults. Mice received 50 milligrams per kilogram of urolithin A daily (in food) for eight weeks, rats received 50 milligrams per milliliter (in water) for 24 hours following a simulated heart attack, and the older adults took 1 gram of urolithin A (via supplement) or a placebo daily for two to four months.
Supplemental urolithin A improved systolic and diastolic cardiac function in models of natural aging and heart failure—an effect of the restoration of mitochondrial structure and enhanced mitophagy at the cellular level. Four months of urolithin A supplementation in healthy older adults significantly lowered plasma ceramides.
Ceramides are a class of bioactive lipids that contribute to cardiovascular disease by promoting inflammation, insulin resistance, and lipid accumulation in arteries. Elevated ceramide levels are linked to a higher risk of atherosclerosis and adverse cardiac events.
Urolithin A is a byproduct of gut microbial metabolism of ellagic acid, a bioactive compound found in pomegranates and walnuts. The capacity to form urolithin A from ellagic acid varies considerably from person to person (depending on gut microbial composition) and decreases with age. Pterostilbene, a compound found in blueberries and some supplements, boosts urolithin A conversion. Learn more in this clip featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick.
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Pomegranate juice as a neuroprotective for infants at risk of hypoxia in the womb: differences in white matter and functional connectivity in brain www.sciencedaily.com
From the article:
“Our study provides preliminary evidence suggesting potential protective effects for newborns exposed to pomegranate juice while in utero,” said senior author Terrie Inder
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Polyphenols are known to cross the blood-brain barrier, and studies in animal models have demonstrated protective effects against neurodegenerative diseases. To date, no clinical studies had evaluated the potential effects of giving pregnant women pomegranate juice to protect the brains of at-risk newborns.
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Women were randomized to receive 8 ounces of pomegranate juice daily or a taste/calorie matched placebo that was polyphenol free. Women drank the juice daily from enrollment until delivery. The team measured several aspects of brain development and injury, including infant brain macrostructure, microstructural organization and functional connectivity.
While the team did not observe differences in brain macrostructure, they did find regional differences in white matter microstructure and functional connectivity.
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A high-polyphenol diet is protective against age-related brain shrinkage. www.eurekalert.org
“The effect of diet on age-related brain atrophy is largely unproven.
This 18-month clinical trial longitudinally measured brain structure volumes by magnetic-resonance-imaging…Abdominally obese/dyslipidemic participants were randomly assigned to (1)-healthy dietary guidelines (HDG), (2)-Mediterranean (MED) diet, or (3)-Green-MED diet (MED diet higher in polyphenols and lower in red/processed meat). All subjects received free gym memberships and physical activity guidance. Both MED groups consumed 28g/day walnuts (+440 mg/d polyphenols). The Green-MED group consumed green-tea (3-4 cups/day) and Mankai (Wolffia-globosa strain, 100g frozen-cubes/day) green shake (+800mg/day polyphenols).
Compared to younger participants, atrophy was accelerated among those ≥ 50 years. In subjects ≥50years, HOC decline and LVV expansion were attenuated in both MED groups, with the best outcomes among Green-MED diet participants, as compared to HDG. Similar patterns were observed among younger subjects. Improved insulin sensitivity over the trial was the strongest parameter associated with brain atrophy attenuation (p<0.05). Greater Mankai, green-tea and walnuts intake and less red and processed meat were significantly and independently associated with reduced HOC decline (p<0.05). Elevated urinary levels of the Mankai-derived polyphenols: urolithin-A (r = 0.24;p = 0.013) and tyrosol (r = 0.26;p = 0.007) were significantly associated with lower HOC decline.
A Green-MED, high-polyphenol diet, rich in Mankai, green tea and walnuts and low in red/processed meat is potentially neuroprotective for age-related brain atrophy."
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Compound derived from walnuts and pomegranates may boost mitochondrial and muscle health. www.eurekalert.org
As a person ages, mitochondrial function declines, driving many age-related conditions, including the progressive loss of muscle mass and strength. Findings from a recent study suggest that a compound derived from ellagic acid metabolism helps restore mitochondrial and muscle health in older adults.
Ellagic acid is a bioactive compound found in a wide variety of fruits, nuts, and vegetables, especially walnuts, pomegranates, and rose hips. Bacteria in the human gut break down ellagic acid to produce compounds called urolithins. Scientists have identified about 20 urolithins, but the most studied of these is urolithin A, which exerts potent anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties. The capacity to form urolithin A from ellagic acid varies considerably from person to person and decreases with age.
The randomized clinical trial involved 66 older adults (average age, 71 years) who had poor mitochondrial function. Half of the participants received 1,000 milligrams of urolithin A daily for four months; the other half received a placebo. The participants underwent muscle endurance tests and a timed walking test at the beginning of the study and again at various timepoints throughout the study. Study investigators measured ATP production in the participants' muscle and acylcarnitines, ceramides, and C-reactive protein (markers of mitochondrial health and inflammation) in the participants' blood.
At the end of the four-month study, participants who received the urolithin A supplement showed marked improvements in muscle endurance compared to those who received the placebo. Those who received the urolithin A also exhibited decreased levels of acylcarnitines, ceramides, and C-reactive protein.
These findings suggest that urolithin A, a compound derived from ellagic acid, promotes mitochondrial health and improves muscle endurance in older adults. Ellagic acid is a type of polyphenol. Learn more about polyphenols in our overview article.
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Consuming sugar-sweetened beverages increases the risk of early-onset colorectal cancer among young women. www.sciencedaily.com
Colorectal cancer cases and death rates in the United States have been declining since the 1980s, likely due to increased awareness and screening, which typically begins at age 50. However, the number of colorectal cancer cases in young adults – those between the ages of 20 and 49 years – is increasing. Findings from a recent study suggest that consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages increases the risk of early-onset colorectal cancer among young women.
Dietary factors play critical roles in colorectal cancer risk. Consumption of plant-based foods has been shown to decrease colorectal cancer risk. For example, ellagic acid, a bioactive compound present in walnuts and pomegranates, breaks down in the gut to yield urolithins, a class of compounds that exert anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. Conversely, evidence suggests that consumption of red meat increases colorectal cancer risk by 20 to 30 percent.
The participants in the present study included approximately 95,000 women who were part of the Nurses Health Study II, a prospective cohort study comprised of female nurses living in the United States during the period spanning 1991 and 2015. The nurses ranged in age between 25 and 42 years and were cancer-free when they enrolled in the study. Every two years, the women provide information about their demographics, lifestyles, and overall health, including whether they have been diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Every four years, they complete food frequency questionnaires that include questions about their dietary patterns. A subset of approximately 41,000 women provided information about their beverage intake during their teen years.
The authors of study found that 109 of the women in the study group developed early onset colorectal cancer. Women who drank two or more servings of sugar-sweetened beverages per day during adulthood were more than twice as likely to develop early onset colorectal cancer than women who consumed less than one serving per week. This risk was dose-dependent, with a 16 percent higher risk per daily beverage increase. If the women drank sugar-sweetened beverages during their teen years, their risk increased 32 percent for each serving per day increase. Replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with artificially sweetened beverages or milk decreased their risk of early onset colorectal cancer by 17 to 36 percent.
These findings suggest that consuming sugar-sweetened beverages during adolescence and adulthood markedly increases a woman’s risk of developing colorectal cancer. Dietary modifications that include consumption of artificially sweetened beverages or milk appears to reduce risk.
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Pomegranate is metabolized by gut bacteria to produce anti-inflammatory compound Urolithin A that prevents brain plaques. www.sciencedaily.com
Computational studies suggest urolithin A crosses the blood-brain barrier.
From the article:
Alzheimer’s disease is associated with ß-amyloid (Aß) fibrillation, a process in which amyloid proteins in the brain form clumps. To fight the formation of these fibrils, however, a molecule would have to cross the blood-brain barrier – a series of cell junctions that prevent certain substances from entering the brain. In previous work, the researchers showed that a pomegranate extract has anti-Alzheimer’s effects in animals, but they did not identify the compounds responsible.
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Computational studies found that polyphenols could not cross the blood-brain barrier, but that urolithins could. Urolithins are anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective compounds that are formed when ellagitannins, a type of polyphenol, are metabolized by gut bacteria. The researchers then showed that urolithins reduced Aß fibrillation levels in vitro.