The quest for anti-aging solutions has since dominated the medical and scientific communities. Every now and then, a phenomenal and revolutionary discovery occurs every few years, and they tend to create a massive transformation in the pharmaceutical and food industries.
One of these discoveries is slowly taking the scientific world by storm, and it comes in the form of Urolithin A.
What is Urolithin A, what does it do, and what do clinical trials reveal? Let’s take a look:
What is Urolithin A?
Urolithin A is a metabolite compound, which belongs to the class of organic compounds known as benzo-coumarins. It is the end product produced from the consumption of food that contains ellagitannins (polyphenols) and is metabolized by the body’s gut bacteria. In other words, Urolithin A is produced when an individual ingests food sources containing ellagitannins.
Urolithin A does not occur naturally in its end form. Ellagitannin food sources, like certain types of berries and pomegranate, must be metabolized with gut bacteria to be created. In order for the compound to have viable applications, it has to be manufactured in a lab, or in other words, artificial Urolithin A must be produced so that it can be utilized.
Scientific studies have shown that Urolithin A possesses anti-ageing properties. It is said to aid in muscle mass formation, features anti-inflammatory properties, and has even shown potential in improving cognitive health in ageing individuals.
Urolithin A Food Sources
As mentioned, Urolithin A in its end form does not appear naturally. It is not known to be found in any food sources. However, the precursor to the compound can be found in certain fruits and nuts. Food sources that contain ellagitannins such as pomegranate, raspberries, strawberries, cloudberries, and walnuts are some examples.
The ellagitannins in these fruits and nuts are hydrolyzed in the gut to produce ellagic acid, which is then further processed in the gut and metabolized with gut microflora into Urolithin A.
It is important to note that Urolithin A does not always occur when ingested. Some people’s guts do not have a healthy mix of microflora needed to convert ellagic acid into Urolithin A. This means that not everyone will produce Urolithin A in their gut if they eat pomegranate, walnuts, or berries. It all depends on the gut bacteria present in your body.
Urolithin A Manufacturing Process
Bioavailable Urolithin A is manufactured in a laboratory setting. This means that for Urolithin A to have the capacity to be used on products, it is made synthetically in a lab or factory.
The synthetic version of Urolithin A is identical in structure to the natural compound. They are manufactured and purified using several steps to arrive at a well-defined and highly pure end product, with at least 97% purity. After which, they are then micronized further to create an even more homogenous compound.
Once this homogenous and pure compound is made, it can then be used as an ingredient added to breakfast cereals, cereal bars, protein shakes, protein bars, yoghurt, vitamin water, food supplements, and can come in the form of bulk powder from Urolithin A wholesale suppliers.
Urolithin A Benefits
Studies have shown that Urolithin A can improve muscle strength and endurance in ageing individuals. Recent research shows that preliminary evidence presents promising benefits of Urolithin A, which include the following:
-Anti-aging
-Anti-inflammatory
-Anticarcinogenic
-Antioxidant
-Antiglycative
-Antimicrobial
Urolithin A is also strongly seen as a supplement to protein products to enhance the effects of exercise, as well as to reduce obesity.
Urolithin A Clinical Trials
The first human clinical trial for synthetic Urolithin A was conducted in 2019. The first clinical trial was conducted and published by Amazentis and researchers from the EPFL and SIB. The study was held in Lausanne, Switzerland and it included 60 healthy elderly subjects who were given oral Urolithin A over a span of 4 weeks.
The study was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled research and the results revealed promising effects of the compound. The study concluded that Urolithin A is a safe and bioavailable compound that effectively promotes systemic plasma acylcarnitines associated with mitochondrial function. The study shows evidence that Urolithin A does promote mitophagy in human subjects.
Anticarcinogenic effects of Urolithin A was also revealed in a study conducted in 2018 by researchers from the University of Louisville. The research was conducted by Balaji Chandrasekaran and others, and it was conducted in August of 2018. The research was an investigation of the therapeutic effects of Urolithin A on prostate cancer treatment. The results of the study showed that oral ingestion of Urolithin A significantly suppressed cell proliferation, which suggests that the compound could be a potential chemo-protective and therapeutic agent for a certain type of prostate cancer, which is CRPC, or castration-resistant prostate cancer.
Urolithin A Mechanism of Action
The compound’s mechanism of action is it induces mitophagy. Mitophagy is the process by which the body performs selective recycling of mitochondria through the process of autophagy.
Autophagy is the process that recycles defective mitochondria following stress or damage. It also prevents defective mitochondria from releasing toxins and free radicals in the body.
In young individuals, mitophagy occurs naturally but slows down with age. The result is that the body starts to lose its power to clean up damaged mitochondria, releasing more toxins and free radicals in the body, causing ailments and diseases. It also leads to loss of skeletal mass, and tissue weakening, and thus, loss of muscle mass as well.
The production of Urolithin A in the body or the ingestion of the artificial version of the compound can re-establish the body’s autophagic ability. This means it can help to clean mitochondria, as well as reduce the amount of damaging free radicals that induce nerve cell death. Nerve cell death is known to cause debilitating neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
Urolithin A Dosage
Food and supplement companies are looking to use Urolithin A as an ingredient to add to their products, or as a sole product itself in the form of supplements. The first company to launch a clinically proven product using Urolithin A as an ingredient is Amazenti, the very company which spearheaded the first human clinical trial on the compound.
Their product is called Mitopure powder, and the recommended daily dosage is at 500mg per day. They recommend taking Mitopure powder every day for 4 months for optimal results.
Urolithin A Side Effects
In the aforementioned human clinical trial, no adverse side effects were reported. In investigations over a series of preclinical and clinical studies, there seems to be evidence of support to the safety of Urolithin A use.
No toxicological effects have been reported, even in studies that involved the highest dose given to rats in such studies.
Urolithin A is set to transform the anti-aging industry. Clinical studies are still in their early stages but most trials reveal positive results with no adverse side effects. From food to supplements, Urolithin A is bound to be the next new superfood discovery that everyone should be taking.