Pomegranate compound restores stiff heart tissue in lab

The compound is called urolithin A. Your body produces it when gut bacteria break down specific plant compounds called ellagitannins, found in pomegranates, walnuts and raspberries. Not everyone produces urolithin A efficiently: it depends heavily on the composition of your gut microbiome. The compound was already known as an activator of mitophagy, the process by which damaged mitochondria are cleared from cells.

In this new research, reported by the study, researchers focused on a form of heart failure in which the heart muscle becomes too stiff to fill properly with blood, known as heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). This type is particularly difficult to treat and disproportionately affects older people. In animal models, urolithin A improved the degree to which heart tissue could relax. It also reduced fibrosis (scar tissue) and abnormal enlargement of the heart.

Does it work in humans?

Beyond animal models, the researchers also tested the compound in engineered human heart tissue, where relaxation similarly improved. That is a step beyond purely animal research, but clinical trials in people with HFpEF have not yet been conducted. These results are preliminary and should not be translated into supplement use without further evidence.

What remains unknown?

The optimal dose, safety profile and efficacy in humans are all still unknown. Additionally, not everyone converts dietary ellagitannins into urolithin A: gut microbiome composition largely determines whether your body can make this conversion at all. Urolithin A supplementation is being investigated, but remains in early clinical stages. The mitophagy mechanism offers a biologically plausible explanation, but the gap between lab findings and clinical practice is substantial. From a longevity perspective, the combination of mitochondrial renewal and potential cardioprotective effects is worth watching, though the science has not yet caught up with the enthusiasm.

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