WASHINGTON (Dispatches) -- The supplement, urolithin A, may help improve or prolong muscle activity in people who are aging or who have diseases that make exercise difficult, research suggests.
Urolithin A is a byproduct of a person’s gut bacteria and a diet comprising polyphenols found in pomegranates, berries and nuts. Because diet, age, genetics and disease affect the makeup of the gut microbiome, people produce urolithin A at variable rates. The compound also is produced and sold by dietary supplement companies.
The lead author, David Marcinek, a professor of radiology at the University of Washington School of Medicine says that the oral supplement is relevant both to people with chronic diseases and people who want to be more active later in life. His research has focused on the role of mitochondria in aging and chronic disease.
Supplemental urolithin A has been shown in animal tests and molecular studies of humans to stimulate mitophagy, a process that Marcinek explained as “mitochondrial quality control.
The researchers studied a small cohort of people over age 65 who were randomized to receive a placebo or a daily supplement of 1,000 mg urolithin A for four months. Each of the 66 subjects was confirmed at the outset to have average or subpar capacity to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which mitochondria produce to help cells perform myriad functions.