The answer so far
A change in a cell marker, a muscle test and a longer healthy life are three different outcomes. Each needs its own evidence.
Urolithin A is a compound that some gut microbes can make from substances in foods such as pomegranates. Small human trials have examined supplements and muscle measures, with mixed results. They have not shown that a supplement slows human ageing or extends life.12
On this page
Why are researchers interested?
Some gut microbes convert compounds derived from ellagitannins in foods such as pomegranate into urolithin A; people differ in how much they produce. Researchers study its possible effects on mitochondria, the structures that help cells make usable energy. Laboratory mechanisms and animal results can suggest a question, but they cannot establish a human longevity benefit. A supplement is a defined product, not necessarily equivalent to eating a food.2
What did a trial in older adults find?
In a 2022 double-blind trial, 66 adults aged 65–90 were randomly assigned a urolithin A product or placebo for four months. The two primary measures—distance walked in six minutes and a measurement of energy production in hand muscle—did not differ significantly between groups. Some secondary muscle-endurance tests favoured the supplement. Those findings are worth investigating, but secondary results in a small trial do not prove better daily function or a longer life. The supplement company Amazentis funded the study; an author disclosed company board and shareholder interests.1
What does the wider evidence show?
A 2026 review included five small randomized trials with 236 participants under its criteria. It could pool only two trials for the six-minute walk: the combined estimate did not establish a statistically significant benefit and was rated low certainty. Other strength, endurance and biological measures varied too much to pool in that analysis. A non-significant result does not rule out a benefit; the trials are too small and short to determine long-term effects or which people might benefit.2
Does a food-safety notice prove an anti-ageing claim?
No. In 2018 the US FDA responded that it had no questions about a company’s conclusion that a specified urolithin A ingredient was generally recognized as safe for certain intended food uses. That response concerns a particular food ingredient and proposed uses; it is not an approval of a medicine, proof of efficacy or a safety guarantee for every supplement, dose or person. Rules and product status differ by jurisdiction.3
What remains uncertain?
Short trials cannot detect every rare or delayed harm or establish safety in pregnancy, children or people with complex medical conditions. Product composition and interactions matter. Discuss a specific supplement with a healthcare professional if you take medicines or have a health condition. For another longevity claim and its separate evidence, see NMN and healthy ageing; for related food and exercise questions, see protein powders and muscle.2
Further reading
Trusted external resources selected to help explain this page. They open in a new tab.
- Urolithin A trial in older adults ↗Primary outcomes were not significantly different; some secondary muscle tests improved.
- Urolithin A and muscle outcomes: 2026 review ↗Five eligible small trials; pooled walking evidence was low certainty.
- FDA GRAS notice for urolithin A ↗A specified food use, not a medicine approval or a general efficacy finding.
Sources, kept close.
Selected supporting sources; this is not a complete literature review.
- Effect of Urolithin A Supplementation on Muscle Endurance and Mitochondrial Health in Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical TrialJAMA Network Open / PubMed · Primary randomized clinical trial, 2022
- Effects of Urolithin A supplementation on muscle health outcomes in humans from randomized controlled trialsFrontiers in Nutrition / PubMed · Systematic review and meta-analysis, 2026
- GRAS Notice 791: Urolithin AUS Food and Drug Administration · US food ingredient notice and FDA response, 2018