Mitophagy activator

Urolithin A is not something plants make. It is what some people's gut bacteria make out of the ellagitannins in pomegranates, walnuts and berries, and only about one person in seven produces enough of it to show up in blood without a supplement. Synthetic urolithin A was identified as the first natural compound to induce mitophagy — the pathway that clears worn-out mitochondria. Four randomised trials have now tested it in people. The two muscle trials both missed their primary endpoint and both reported gains on secondary measures; a 2025 trial found changes in T-cell composition and metabolism; and a trial in trained runners found no performance benefit.