What is pomegranate’s anti-aging secret?

by Stepy — July 15, 2016

What is pomegranate’s anti-aging secret?

Pomegranates have often been touted as a miracle anti-aging food, but until now, scientific evidence has actually been weak. A team from École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, a research institute in Switzerland and the company Amazentis wanted to dig deeper into pomegranate’s benefits. So what is pomegranate’s anti-aging secret?

As we get older, cells struggle to perform their normal functions. Inner compartments called mitochondria are no longer to function properly, and they accumulate in the cells. Eventually this leads to the weakening of muscles and tissues, and also contributes to serious diseases.

The study abstract explained the following details:

The biological effects of urolithins remain poorly characterized, despite wide-spread human exposure via the dietary consumption of their metabolic precursors, the ellagitannins, which are found in the pomegranate fruit, as well as in nuts and berries. We identified urolithin A (UA) as a first-in-class natural compound that induces mitophagy both in vitro and in vivo following oral consumption. In C. elegans, UA prevented the accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria with age and extended lifespan. Likewise, UA prolonged normal activity during aging in C. elegans, including mobility and pharyngeal pumping, while maintaining mitochondrial respiratory capacity. These effects translated to rodents, where UA improved exercise capacity in two different mouse models of age-related decline of muscle function, as well as in young rats. Our findings highlight the health benefits of urolithin A and its potential application in strategies to improve mitochondrial and muscle function.

To summarize, a compound in pomegranates known as urolithin A reestablished the cells and mitochondria ability to function properly. “It’s the only known molecule that can relaunch the mitochondrial clean-up process, otherwise known as mitophagy,” says Patrick Aebischer, co-author on the study. “It’s a completely natural substance, and its effect is powerful and measurable.”

The study showing pomegranate’s anti-aging secret was published in the journal Nature Medicine.

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