Urolithin A is a compound your gut bacteria make from ellagitannins, plant polyphenols found in pomegranates, walnuts and berries such as raspberries and strawberries. Food doesn't contain urolithin A itself. Whether you make it depends on your gut microbes, and studies find that many people make little or none. It's also sold as a purified supplement ingredient.
Urolithin A has become one of the most talked-about names in longevity circles, mostly because of research on mitophagy, the process cells use to clear out worn mitochondria. A lot of what you'll read online comes from companies selling it. This guide sticks to what the published research actually shows: how your gut turns pomegranate and walnuts into urolithin A, why some people can't, what the human trials measured, and where the evidence is still thin. We'll also note who funded the studies, because it matters here.
Last reviewed: October 29, 2026.
Key Takeaways
- Urolithin A isn't in food. Gut bacteria make it from ellagitannins and ellagic acid in pomegranates, walnuts and other nuts, strawberries, raspberries and other berries.
- People fall into three "metabotypes." Across trials, 25 to 80% made only urolithin A, 10 to 50% also made related urolithins, and 5 to 25% made none that researchers could detect.
- In one 100-person study, only 12% had detectable urolithin A at baseline, and about 40% made it after a glass of pomegranate juice.
- Human trials of purified urolithin A have been small and short (4 weeks to 4 months). They found good tolerability and some changes in muscle endurance, strength and blood markers, but several main goals weren't met.
- Most of the human research so far was funded by the company that developed the purified ingredient.
What is urolithin A?
Urolithin A belongs to a family of compounds called urolithins. They aren't something plants make. They're made by microbes in your large intestine after you eat foods rich in ellagitannins and ellagic acid. Scientists sometimes call compounds like this postbiotics, meaning substances produced by gut bacteria rather than taken in directly from food.
Interest took off after a 2016 study in Nature Medicine from researchers in Switzerland. They reported that urolithin A switched on mitophagy, the cleanup process that removes damaged mitochondria, and extended lifespan in tiny C. elegans worms. In mice and young rats, it improved exercise capacity. The same paper noted that its precursors, the ellagitannins, are found in pomegranates, nuts and berries (Ryu et al., 2016).
Worm and rodent results don't tell us what happens in people. They're the reason human trials started, not proof that urolithin A does the same thing in us. If you want background on why mitochondria are such a focus in aging research, see our guide to mitochondrial health.
How does your gut make urolithin A?
It happens in a few steps:
- You eat ellagitannins. These are large polyphenols in foods such as pomegranates, walnuts and raspberries.
- They break down to ellagic acid. In the gut, ellagitannins release ellagic acid.
- Bacteria convert ellagic acid to urolithins. Specific gut bacteria work through a series of intermediate urolithins, ending with urolithin A, and in some people urolithin B and isourolithin A.
Researchers in Spain identified one of the bacteria involved. In 2014 they described a new species, Gordonibacter urolithinfaciens, isolated from the stool of a healthy person, that can turn ellagic acid into urolithins (Selma et al., 2014). A 2023 follow-up from the same group reported another urolithin-producing bacterium and two bacterial pairings that, working together in the lab, reproduced the full urolithin patterns seen in people (Iglesias-Aguirre et al., 2023).
Why doesn't everyone make urolithin A?
Because the bacteria that do the conversion aren't present, or aren't active enough, in everyone. Researchers group people into three urolithin "metabotypes" based on what shows up after they eat ellagitannin foods (Tomás-Barberán et al., 2014):
| Metabotype | What they produce | Share of volunteers across trials |
|---|---|---|
| Metabotype A | Urolithin A only | 25 to 80% |
| Metabotype B | Urolithin A plus isourolithin A and/or urolithin B | 10 to 50% |
| Metabotype 0 | No detectable urolithins | 5 to 25% |
Those three groups showed up regardless of age, gender, body mass index, or which ellagitannin food people ate, whether walnuts and other nuts, strawberries, raspberries and other berries, or pomegranates. The wide ranges reflect differences between the individual trials.
A 2022 study of 100 people, run by the company that developed purified urolithin A, found an even bigger gap. Only 12% of participants had urolithin A detectable in their blood at the start. After drinking a glass of pomegranate juice, about 40% converted the precursors into urolithin A. The people who made it tended to have a more diverse gut microbiome (Singh et al., 2022, Eur J Clin Nutr).
Which foods lead to urolithin A?
No food gives you urolithin A directly. These foods supply the ellagitannins or ellagic acid that gut bacteria start from:
| Food | What it supplies | Where it shows up in the research |
|---|---|---|
| Pomegranate (fruit and juice) | Ellagitannins | Used in metabotype and producer-status studies |
| Walnuts and other nuts | Ellagitannins | Listed as an ellagitannin food source in intervention trials |
| Raspberries | Ellagitannins | Listed as an ellagitannin food source in intervention trials |
| Strawberries and other berries | Ellagitannins | Listed as an ellagitannin food source in intervention trials |
Sources: Tomás-Barberán et al., 2014; Ryu et al., 2016.
Eating these foods won't guarantee urolithin A, since that depends on your microbes. They're still worth eating for their fiber, other polyphenols and nutrients. For the bigger picture on food and healthy aging, see our guide to diet and longevity.
What have human trials of urolithin A measured?
Human studies have used purified urolithin A, not food. Here are the main published randomized trials and what they did and didn't find:
| Trial | Who and how long | Daily amount | What changed | What didn't |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andreux et al., 2019 | Healthy, sedentary older adults; single dose or 4 weeks | Several doses; effects reported at 500 and 1,000 mg | Good safety (the main goal). After 4 weeks at 500 and 1,000 mg, changes in blood acylcarnitines and in mitochondrial gene activity in muscle | Early-phase study, not designed to test muscle performance |
| Liu et al., 2022 | 66 adults aged 65 to 90; 4 months | 1,000 mg | Muscle endurance in a hand and a leg muscle at 2 months; lower levels of some blood markers, including acylcarnitines, ceramides and C-reactive protein | Main goals, 6-minute walk distance and peak muscle ATP production, weren't significantly different from placebo |
| Singh et al., 2022, Cell Rep Med | Middle-aged adults; 4 months | Two doses | Muscle strength (about 12%); the authors also reported better aerobic endurance and 6-minute walk results, plus lower acylcarnitines and C-reactive protein | Main goal, peak power output, wasn't significantly different |
| Denk et al., 2025 | 50 healthy middle-aged adults; 4 weeks | 1,000 mg | Shifts in some immune cell types, including more naive-like CD8+ T cells, and in their fuel use | Short trial focused on lab measures, not everyday outcomes |
A few things stand out. These trials are small and short, so they can't say anything about long-term effects. Some of the results people quote are secondary measures, while the main goals set at the start were missed in two of the trials. And every trial in the table was funded by Amazentis, the Swiss company that makes the purified ingredient, or included its employees as authors. That doesn't make the findings wrong, but independent replication would carry more weight.
In the U.S., Amazentis filed a GRAS (generally recognized as safe) notice for urolithin A as a food ingredient in foods such as protein shakes, bars and yogurts, typically at 250 to 500 mg per serving. The FDA closed its review in December 2018 with a "no questions" letter (FDA GRN 791). That letter addresses safety under the intended use. It isn't an approval and doesn't say anything about benefits.
Does pomegranate juice give you as much as a supplement?
Usually not, and for many people, not at all. In the 100-person study above, a 500 mg urolithin A food product gave more than six times the urolithin A exposure in blood compared with pomegranate juice, regardless of whether people could make their own (Singh et al., 2022). Keep in mind that this comparison was run by the ingredient's maker.
That said, pomegranates, walnuts and berries bring a lot more than one compound. If you enjoy them, they fit well in a varied diet whether or not your gut makes urolithin A. Our guides to probiotics and gut health and longevity supplements cover the bigger picture.
Is urolithin A the same as CoQ10?
No. They're often mentioned together because both come up in conversations about mitochondria, but they're different molecules with different origins. Coenzyme Q10 is a substance naturally present in the human body, with the highest levels in the heart, liver, kidneys and pancreas, and it's sold in the U.S. as a dietary supplement (NCCIH, Coenzyme Q10). Urolithin A isn't made by your own cells. It comes from your gut bacteria working on plant ellagitannins, or from a purified supplement.
Urolithin A research focuses on mitophagy, the recycling of old mitochondria. We compare the two common CoQ10 forms in CoQ10 ubiquinone vs ubiquinol.
OPA CoQ10 Ubiquinone 200 mg (30 capsules): 200 mg of coenzyme Q10 as ubiquinone per capsule. It isn't a urolithin A product, and it doesn't contain urolithin A. If CoQ10 is what you were looking for, you can read the full label on the product page.
Who should be cautious with urolithin A?
Getting urolithin A through food is just part of eating pomegranates, nuts and berries. Supplements are different. The trials so far included healthy adults and reported it as well tolerated, but they were small and lasted four months at most. People who are pregnant or breastfeeding, children, and anyone taking medication weren't the focus of these studies. If that's you, check with your healthcare provider before trying it.
FAQ
What is the purpose of urolithin A?
In the body, urolithin A is a byproduct of gut bacteria breaking down ellagitannins. Researchers study it mainly for its role in mitophagy, the clearing of worn-out mitochondria. Human trials have measured muscle, blood and immune markers, with mixed results.
Is urolithin A in blueberries?
Urolithin A isn't in any fruit. It's made in your gut. The berries named in the urolithin research are ellagitannin-rich ones such as raspberries and strawberries. Blueberries weren't among the foods listed in the metabotype studies we reviewed.
What is another name for urolithin A?
Urolithin A is sometimes described as a postbiotic, a compound made by gut bacteria. Mitopure is a brand name for the purified urolithin A ingredient used in most human trials.
What probiotic makes urolithin A?
We found no published human evidence that any probiotic on the market makes urolithin A. Researchers have identified gut bacteria, including Gordonibacter urolithinfaciens, that turn ellagic acid into urolithins in the lab, and they've suggested these could become future probiotics.
How do I know if my gut produces urolithin A?
You can't tell by how you feel. Researchers find out by measuring urolithins in blood or urine, often after a standard serving of pomegranate juice. In those studies, many people produced little or none.
Can you get enough urolithin A from food?
It depends on your gut bacteria. Producers make some from pomegranates, walnuts and berries, while people with metabotype 0 make none. Human trials have used up to 1,000 mg a day of purified urolithin A, and there's no official recommended amount.
Is urolithin A safe?
Short trials in healthy adults up to four months found it well tolerated, and the FDA had no questions about a GRAS notice for its use in foods. Long-term safety data in people is limited.
Sources
- Ryu D, et al. Urolithin A induces mitophagy and prolongs lifespan in C. elegans and increases muscle function in rodents. Nat Med. 2016. PubMed 27400265
- Tomás-Barberán FA, et al. Ellagic acid metabolism by human gut microbiota: consistent observation of three urolithin phenotypes in intervention trials. J Agric Food Chem. 2014. PubMed 24976365
- Selma MV, et al. Gordonibacter urolithinfaciens sp. nov., a urolithin-producing bacterium isolated from the human gut. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol. 2014. PubMed 24744017
- Iglesias-Aguirre CE, et al. Gut bacteria involved in ellagic acid metabolism to yield human urolithin metabotypes revealed. J Agric Food Chem. 2023. PubMed 36840624
- Singh A, et al. Direct supplementation with urolithin A overcomes limitations of dietary exposure and gut microbiome variability in healthy adults. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2022. PubMed 34117375
- Andreux PA, et al. The mitophagy activator urolithin A is safe and induces a molecular signature of improved mitochondrial and cellular health in humans. Nat Metab. 2019. PubMed 32694802
- Liu S, et al. Effect of urolithin A supplementation on muscle endurance and mitochondrial health in older adults: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2022. PubMed 35050355
- Singh A, et al. Urolithin A improves muscle strength, exercise performance, and biomarkers of mitochondrial health in a randomized trial in middle-aged adults. Cell Rep Med. 2022. PubMed 35584623
- Denk D, et al. Effect of the mitophagy inducer urolithin A on age-related immune decline: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Nat Aging. 2025. PubMed 41174221
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. GRAS Notice GRN 791, Urolithin A. 2018. FDA
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Coenzyme Q10. NCCIH
Disclosure: OPA Nutrition sells supplements, including products mentioned in this article. This content is for education only and is not medical advice. Statements about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Talk to your healthcare provider before using any supplement, especially if you take medication or have a medical condition.
