Urolithin A
Also sold as: UA · Direct urolithin A · Mitopure
A gut-microbial metabolite of ellagitannins, also sold as a purified supplement. Human research concerns muscle function and mitochondrial biomarkers rather than proven life extension.
Longevity Energy
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Research
- Energy: Selected muscle-endurance measures improved in older adults; primary walking, peak-power and ATP outcomes were often null. General fatigue relief is unestablished.
- Longevity: Human lifespan extension is unestablished. Small trials show selected muscle and immune biomarkers, not reduced mortality or slower clinical aging.
REALITY CHECK // Mitochondrial marketing runs ahead of the functional results. The independent review of five studies and 250 healthy participants found a narrow muscle signal but no effect on maximal ATP production, mitochondrial biogenesis or dynamics, physical performance, anthropometry or cardiovascular outcomes. Most pivotal studies are small and several involve the manufacturer; neither longer life nor universal athletic benefit is established.
Levels: how we grade evidence. Grey = evidence of no benefit; amber = evidence it makes this goal worse.
Ratings are self-reported by a self-selected group of users: how it felt, not proof that it works.
Check your bottle
Compare what your label says with what was used in trials. This is a trial range, not a personal prescription.
Enter the amount from your label to see the result.
How it was studied
UPPER LIMIT // No EFSA or NIH tolerable upper intake level is established in this dossier. Human trials up to 1000 mg/day for four months are not a long-term safety ceiling; animal toxicology and a GRAS context cannot establish that ceiling.
Summary
The narrow human signal is muscle strength or local muscle endurance, largely in sedentary middle-aged or older adults. A four-month trial reported about 12% greater strength, a secondary endpoint; peak power was not significantly improved. In adults aged 65-90, local muscle endurance improved but six-minute walking distance and maximal muscle ATP production did not differ significantly from placebo. Several pivotal trials have manufacturer involvement.
Mechanism
Urolithin A is investigated as an inducer of mitophagy, the cellular removal of damaged mitochondria. Changes in acylcarnitines and muscle gene expression show biological activity, not proof of greater ATP output or a clinical anti-aging effect. Gut conversion of food ellagitannins varies substantially between individuals.
Typical studied dose
The major four-month muscle trials used 500 or 1000 mg/day of direct urolithin A in middle-aged adults, and 1000 mg/day in older adults. Early safety research examined exposure up to four weeks. These studied amounts are context, not a universal daily recommendation.
Upper limit
No EFSA or NIH tolerable upper intake level is established in this dossier. Human trials up to 1000 mg/day for four months are not a long-term safety ceiling; animal toxicology and a GRAS context cannot establish that ceiling.
Popular stacks with Urolithin A
Not enough stack data yet. A combination with Urolithin A appears here once 5 people rate the same set.
Forms and label traps
| Form on label | Active content | Studied range / day | Absorption & GI tolerance | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purified urolithin A used in key trials Best for: Comparison with the directly studied material. |
Extract weight · ~100% marker | 500–1000 mg | Plasma exposure documented in early human research. Generally tolerated in the short human trials. |
Studied standard [DOSSIER // REFERENCE] This is pure urolithin A, not a 100% botanical marker claim. Compare full declared UA mass. |
| Generic urolithin A powder or capsules Best for: Products with independently documented identity and purity. |
Unstandardized: active content unknown | no comparable trial range | Same molecule if identity and purity are confirmed; product equivalence has not been tested here. No independent product-specific tolerability trials supplied. |
Caution [DOSSIER // CHECK_FORM] Source products report variable purity, roughly 98-99%; do not apply a universal 99% conversion. Trial comparison disabled without verified composition. |
| Pomegranate, walnuts and ellagitannin precursors Best for: Dietary exposure, without assuming a supplement-equivalent dose. |
Unstandardized: active content unknown | no comparable trial range | Microbiome-dependent conversion to urolithin A. Food tolerance depends on the individual. |
Caution [DOSSIER // CHECK_FORM] No defensible conversion from grams of food or ellagitannins to mg of UA is supplied. |
Common label traps
- TRAP_01 // MITOPHAGY MEANS LONGER LIFE
Cellular mechanisms and biomarker changes do not establish lifespan extension in humans. - TRAP_02 // MORE ATP IS PROVEN
The older-adult trial did not significantly improve maximal ATP production; the independent review also found no ATP effect. - TRAP_03 // PATENTED MEANS A SUPERIOR MOLECULE
The patented product has trial and standardization advantages. No head-to-head trial proves superiority over equally pure generic urolithin A. - TRAP_04 // POMEGRANATE EQUALS A CAPSULE
Microbial conversion varies; food exposure cannot be converted into a fixed supplement dose.
Other outcomes studied
Outside the five leaderboard goals. Same evidence levels as above.
- MIDDLE-AGED MUSCLE STRENGTH Limited · benefit
Sedentary adults aged 40-64: about 12% strength improvement as a secondary result after four months; primary peak power was not significant. Manufacturer involvement limits confidence.
PMID 35584623 - OLDER-ADULT MUSCLE ENDURANCE Limited · benefit
Adults aged 65-90: local contraction endurance improved; primary six-minute walking distance and maximal ATP production were null.
PMID 35050355 - RESISTANCE-TRAINED MEN Limited · benefit
A small eight-week trial reported muscle and biomarker signals; this cannot establish a general athletic effect.
PMID 39487653 - HIGHLY TRAINED RUNNERS Limited · no benefit
Running and recovery research has limited transferability outside highly trained men; a robust performance benefit is unestablished.
PMID 40839339 - EARLY MITOCHONDRIAL BIOMARKERS Limited · benefit
First-in-human research showed acylcarnitine and gene-expression changes; functional improvement was not its primary demonstration.
PMID 32694802 - IMMUNE AGING MARKERS Limited · benefit
One trial reported immune-marker changes; replication and clinically meaningful outcomes are needed.
PMID 41174221 - HEART FAILURE RESEARCH Limited · benefit
A small crossover trial in reduced-ejection-fraction heart failure is exploratory and does not support self-treatment.
PMID 38415449 - SYSTEMATIC MUSCLE SYNTHESIS Limited · benefit
Human RCT reviews describe a small muscle-focused evidence base rather than broadly proven anti-aging benefit.
PMID 39002645 PMID 42559151
Reader questions
What dose and timing were studied?
The key muscle studies used 500-1000 mg/day for four months. An optimal time of day is not established; these trial doses are not a personalized recommendation.
Is the patented product worth more?
Its strongest advantage is documentation and trial use. Equal-dose, equal-purity generic UA has not been shown inferior in a head-to-head human trial.
Can food replace direct UA?
Ellagitannin foods supply precursors, but microbiome-dependent production is too variable for a fixed capsule equivalence.
Is long-term use safe?
Short trials found no major toxicity signal, but safety beyond four to six months, pregnancy and breastfeeding is not established.
Stack interactions
- Caution Immunosuppressants [CAUTION // REVIEW_WITH_CLINICIAN]
Immune-marker effects create a reason for clinical review, but a drug interaction has not been demonstrated.
PMID 41174221 - Caution Anticoagulants and glucose-lowering drugs [CAUTION // REVIEW_WITH_CLINICIAN]
The dossier flags theoretical uncertainty, not a measured interaction. Do not infer either established harm or confirmed compatibility. - Caution CoQ10, PQQ, NR/NMN and creatine [CAUTION // REVIEW_WITH_CLINICIAN]
Common longevity stacks have no demonstrated UA synergy or antagonism in this dossier. - Caution Ellagitannins and ellagic acid [CAUTION // REVIEW_WITH_CLINICIAN]
These are precursors of the same metabolite. Combining them with direct UA does not imply linearly additive exposure.
Red flags: interactions and who should avoid it
Interactions
No direct clinical drug-interaction studies are indexed here. Immunosuppressants warrant review because immune markers change in research; effects with anticoagulants or glucose-lowering drugs remain theoretical. No demonstrated synergy exists with CoQ10, PQQ, NR/NMN or creatine.
Avoid or ask a doctor first if
Avoid self-directed use in pregnancy, breastfeeding or children because safety data are absent. Heart failure, cancer, immunosuppression and other clinical conditions require clinician review. Safety beyond four to six months and long-term accumulation remain uncertain.
Sources (PubMed, 10)
- Urolithin A improves muscle strength, exercise performance, and biomarkers of mitochondrial health in a randomized trial in middle-aged adults.
PMID 35584623 · 2022 · randomized controlled trialFour-month middle-aged trial: secondary strength improvement with null primary peak power.
- Effect of Urolithin A Supplementation on Muscle Endurance and Mitochondrial Health in Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
PMID 35050355 · 2022 · randomized controlled trialOlder-adult trial: local muscle endurance improved while primary walking distance and maximal ATP outcomes were null.
- Assessment of Urolithin A effects on muscle endurance, strength, inflammation, oxidative stress, and protein metabolism in male athletes with resistance training: an 8-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
PMID 39487653 · 2024 · randomized controlled trialEight-week resistance-training male-athlete research; small population-specific evidence base.
- Evaluating the Impact of Urolithin A Supplementation on Running Performance, Recovery, and Mitochondrial Biomarkers in Highly Trained Male Distance Runners.
PMID 40839339 · 2025 · randomized controlled trialHighly trained male-runner performance, recovery and biomarker research; limited generalizability.
- The mitophagy activator urolithin A is safe and induces a molecular signature of improved mitochondrial and cellular health in humans.
PMID 32694802 · 2019 · randomized controlled trialEarly human safety, plasma exposure and mitochondrial molecular signatures.
- Targeting aging with urolithin A in humans: A systematic review.
PMID 39002645 · 2024 · systematic review and meta-analysisIndependent human systematic review: narrow muscle effects and important null mitochondrial and functional findings.
- Effects of Urolithin A supplementation on muscle health outcomes in humans from randomized controlled trials.
PMID 42559151 · 2026 · systematic review and meta-analysisSystematic synthesis of human RCT muscle outcomes.
- Effect of the mitophagy inducer urolithin A on age-related immune decline: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.
PMID 41174221 · 2025 · randomized controlled trialExploratory immune-aging-marker trial, not proven clinical longevity.
- Evaluation of Urolithin A Efficacy in Heart Failure Patients with Reduced Ejection Fraction: A Randomized, Double-blind, Crossover, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial.
PMID 38415449 · 2024 · randomized controlled trialExploratory crossover research in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.
- Urolithins: a Comprehensive Update on their Metabolism, Bioactivity, and Associated Gut Microbiota.
PMID 35118817 · 2022 · narrative reviewGut microbial conversion and variability of dietary urolithin exposure.
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