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Urolithin A

Well Researched

Urolithin A is a small molecule your gut bacteria normally make from ellagitannins (pomegranate, walnut, certain berries) — and its job is…

Aliases (7)

Mitopure · UA · Amazentis UA · urolithin-A · 3 · 8-dihydroxy-6H-dibenzo[b · d]pyran-6-one

TYPICAL DOSE

500 mg

Daily

ROUTE

Oral (capsule)

Oral

CYCLE

continuous

Continuous / daily

STORAGE

Room temp; cool dry place

Room temp

Overview

What is Urolithin A?

Urolithin A is a metabolite produced by gut bacteria from ellagitannins (in pomegranates, walnuts, berries). Only ~40% of people produce sufficient urolithin A from diet, prompting the development of direct-supplement forms (Mitopure / Timeline Nutrition).

Key Benefits

Induces mitophagy (clearance of damaged mitochondria), improves muscle function and endurance in aging adults (clinical trials), may extend healthspan, reduces inflammation, and supports muscle recovery.

Mechanism of Action

Activates mitophagy via PINK1/Parkin and other mitophagy regulators, selectively removing dysfunctional mitochondria while stimulating mitochondrial biogenesis. The net effect is a healthier mitochondrial pool, enhanced cellular energetics, and improved muscle performance.

Pharmacokinetics

PeakHalf-life

Approximate curve — visual aid only, not data-precise PK

▸Brand options3 known

MitopureUAAmazentis UA

StatusNot regulated. **FDA self-affirmed GRAS status (Mitopure, 2019; FDA "no questions" letter GRN 791)** for use up to 1000 mg/day in food and beverages. Sold OTC as a dietary supplement / functional ingredient. Not on WADA prohibited list. EU Novel Food authorized (EFSA 2021). Health Canada NHP licensed.

Research Protocols

Disclaimer: These are commonly discussed research protocols and not medical advice.

Goal

Dose

Frequency

Solo Use

Cycle

Goal:Defer until 23andMe + bloodwork (June 2026)

Dose:—

Frequency:—

Solo:—

Cycle:—

Peptide Interactions

mots-c

Synergistic

Different mitochondrial layer — MOTS-c is metabolic-signaling (AMPK activation, exercise-mimetic), UA is quality-control (mitophagy + biogenesis). Mechanisti…

ss-31

Synergistic

(Elamipretide): Cardiolipin stabilization + ETC efficiency. Different mitochondrial layer (structural/functional vs turnover). Mitochondrial peptide stack tr…

nad-plus

Synergistic

(NMN, NR, NAD+ precursors): Substrate for sirtuin/PARP activity. Synergistic with UA via different mechanism (substrate provision vs damaged-mitochondria cle…

spermidine

Synergistic

Both induce autophagy (spermidine is broad-spectrum autophagy inducer; UA is selective mitophagy). Mechanistically additive; some longevity protocols stack b…

Coenzyme Q10 / ubiquinol

Synergistic

Electron transport chain support. Different mechanism from UA but compatible — Q10 supports the *function* of mitochondria; UA improves the *population quali…

Idebenone

Synergistic

Synthetic Q10 analog. Same logic as ubiquinol — different layer, compatible.

Creatine

Synergistic

(the user already running): Phosphocreatine energy buffering. Compatible; no interaction.

Cardio training itself

Synergistic

UA's mitophagy effect plus exercise-induced mitochondrial biogenesis are mechanistically additive. Best-case use of UA is in trained populations who are alre…

No documented contraindications for stacking.

Avoid

UA is unusually clean on interaction profile.

Theoretical caution:

Avoid

stacking with high-dose anti-inflammatory regimens (concurrent NLRP3-targeted drugs, high-dose curcumin + boswellia + omega-3 megadose) is unstudied — likely…

Quality Indicators

✓

Tested third-party COA

Reputable brands publish a Certificate of Analysis for identity, potency, and contaminant testing.

✓

GMP-certified manufacturing

Look for cGMP / NSF / USP certifications on the label.

Proprietary blends

Avoid products that hide individual ingredient amounts inside a "proprietary blend."

✗

No origin or sourcing info

Unbranded or no-COA capsules from anonymous sellers carry quality and adulteration risk.

What to Expect

Week 1
Baseline tolerability. Most chronic-use supplements have no acute signal.
Week 2-4
Subtle baseline shift — sleep quality, mood, recovery markers.
Week 4-8
Reach steady state. Re-assess subjective + objective markers.
Month 3+
Long-term maintenance dose if benefit confirmed; otherwise stop.

Side Effects & Safety 4

Side Effects

1Mild GI (occasional nausea, soft stool, bloating in first 1–2 weeks). Usually self-resolves. Lower-frequency than placebo in some trials — UA is genuinely well-tolerated.
2Headache (rare, 1–3% in trials, indistinguishable from placebo).
3Mild GI persistence (uncommon beyond week 2).
4Subjective fatigue or "off-day" in a small subset during first 1–2 weeks (paradoxical; possibly mitophagy-driven temporary mitochondrial turnover before biogenesis catches up).

When to Stop

No reported SAEs in human trials at doses up to 1000 mg/day for 4 months. Andreux 2019, Singh 2022, Liu 2022 all clean.
Theoretical: Excessive mitophagy could in theory stress cells with already-marginal mitochondrial reserve (mitochondrial disease patients); not seen in any trial population. Not relevant for healthy adults.
Theoretical: Inflammation suppression via NLRP3 could theoretically interact with infection-fighting capacity; no clinical signal.
First 2 weeks of any new cycle: monitor GI tolerance. Take with food if any nausea.
No cumulative-cycle concerns — multi-year continuous use has not produced safety signals in long-term Mitopure user data.
Drug interactions: essentially none documented (see Drug Interactions).
Pregnancy / lactation: No data. Avoid.
Mitochondrial disease patients: Theoretical concern, not validated. Discuss with specialist.
Active malignancy: Theoretical concern (mitophagy and cancer biology have bidirectional effects); some preclinical UA-anticancer signal in specific cancer models, but not validated for use in active cancer patients.
For the user: none of these apply.