King's College London finds urolithin A improves heart function up to 80% in lab models

August 20, 2026 at 09:27 AM1 min

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King's College London researchers reported in Science Advances that urolithin A, a compound the body produces after eating pomegranates and walnuts, improved heart function by up to 80% in one form of heart failure. The effects were observed in animal models and in human heart tissue grown from stem cells. The authors said clinical trials are needed before the compound can be recommended for patients.

Key Facts

The study focused on heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), a form of heart failure with few effective treatment options.
Urolithin A is formed in the body from polyphenols present in pomegranates, walnuts, and some berries after processing by gut microbiota.
In laboratory tests, the compound increased relaxation of human heart tissue grown from stem cells and reduced fibrosis compared with controls.
Lead author Joseph Burgoyne said evidence is insufficient for people to consume pomegranates as a heart failure treatment and that human trials are required.

Animal and Cell Results

Urolithin A improved heart function by up to 80% in treated animals compared with animals that did not receive the compound. In laboratory experiments, the compound increased the ability of heart tissue to relax and reduced scarring, known as fibrosis, compared with a control group. Researchers also tested urolithin A on artificial heart tissue grown from human stem cells and found it significantly improved tissue relaxation.

Mechanism and Human Trials

The study found that urolithin A activates the protein PKGlα, which plays a role in blood vessel function and heart muscle relaxation. It acts on one specific amino acid in that protein, activating a signalling pathway that produces benefits for the cardiovascular system. Lead author Joseph Burgoyne said current evidence is insufficient to recommend pomegranates as a heart failure treatment and that human clinical trials are needed.