Some fruits and nuts have potential anti-aging powers and urolithin might be the key.
Johan Auwerx at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland with his team investigated a metabolite called urothin A (UA) which is produced when we consume strawberries, pomegranate juice and walnuts. They looked at the effect of UA on aging in both certain types of worms and rats and mice.
The worm in question, Caenorhabiditis elegans, is often used to study cell behaviour. The researchers found that worms given UA lived an average of 45 per cent longer and aged mice increased their running endurance by a further 42 per cent than their younger counterparts. The UA appeared to benefit the muscle cells directly by strengthening them – there was no further change in actual muscle mass or any muscle building observed to improve their athletic performance. The aged mice improved other aspects of performance like their desire to exercise more by 57 per cent with a 9 per cent increase in their gripping strength. Rats incidentally, improved their running abilities by 65 per cent which might not be good news for either cats or food environment officers.
At the biochemical level, urolithin A might encourage muscle cells to remove damaged mitochondria which supply energy for cells to live from various food metabolites. That process known as mitophagy is important in keeping cells active. Encouraging the removal of defunct organelles like mitochondria prompts new ones to form by division and multiplication which means energy is delivered to the cell more efficiently and effectively.
The Swiss team think it might rejuvenate the elderly just that much more and be a potent therapy in making them more agile. It might also be a useful sports aid in helping to promote endurance and protect muscles from damage.
Irrespective of taking urolithin A directly, one fruit in particular, the pomegranate appears particularly good at producing urolithin A when it components in the juice are metabolised. The fruit was long held to have magical and mythical properties by the ancient Egyptians and Greeks as a means of promoting rebirth. May be this tantalising promise has some small basis in fact.
Pomegranates like many fruits and nuts are rich in polyphenols which have strong antioxidant properties. Gut bacteria are known to convert polyphenols to ellagitannins and one in particular, punicalin has interesting health benefits. Urolithin A is produced probably by our gut bacteria if not by our own cells directly. The other interesting aspect would be to check whether tart cherry juice produces similar components as this is also associated with improving muscle recovery.
Ryu, D., Mouchiroud, L., Andreux, P. A., Katsyuba, E., Moullan, N., Nicolet-dit-Félix, A. A., … & Aebischer, P. (2016). Urolithin A induces mitophagy and prolongs lifespan in C. elegans and increases muscle function in rodents. Nature Medicine. DOI: 10.1038/nm.4132
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