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Urolithin A
Bottom line
In our scoring, Urolithin A rates mixed evidence: the evidence is mixed for muscle strength. Our top-scored product is Urolithin A 500mg (84/100), about $1.10 a day at a clinical dose of 500 mg/day is the studied floor. Bottom line: promising but not settled, so manage expectations. This is our opinion, not medical advice; talk to your clinician before starting.
Urolithin A is one of the few genuinely new supplement ingredients that arrived with real human trials attached, and that alone makes it worth understanding.
- Evidence
- Mixed Evidence
- Category
- Energy & Performance
- Best form
- Mitopure (the exact material used in the trials)
- Effective dose
- 500 mg/day is the studied floor
- Lab tested
- 5 of 6 products
- Category
- Energy & Performance
- Best form
- Mitopure (the exact material used in the trials)
- Effective dose
- 500 mg/day is the studied floor
- Lab tested
- 5 of 6 products
Key takeaways
- →One of the few new ingredients with real RCTs: 500 mg/day improved muscle strength (~12% in one 4-month trial) and endurance in older and middle-aged adults.
- →It is a postbiotic your gut normally makes from pomegranate, berry, and walnut compounds - but only ~30-40% of people produce a meaningful amount, which is the reason to supplement it directly.
- →Double Wood (~$1.10/day) is our Top Pick: the clinical 500 mg dose from a GMP facility at roughly a quarter of Timeline Mitopure's price. Mitopure (~$4.17/day) is the exact trial-validated material and the only NSF Certified for Sport option.
- →Not a proven longevity or 'anti-aging' supplement - the human data is muscle and mitochondrial biomarkers over weeks to months, not lifespan. Skip 1,500 mg+ label claims and the diacetate form.
What Is Urolithin A?
Urolithin A is one of the few genuinely new supplement ingredients that arrived with real human trials attached, and that alone makes it worth understanding. Here is the honest version: 500 mg a day has improved muscle strength and endurance in controlled trials, mostly in older and middle-aged adults, and it does something measurable to your mitochondria. What it has not done is prove it makes you live longer or feel dramatically more energetic. Buy the clinical 500 mg dose, and know that the branded form (Mitopure) is the exact material used in the studies but costs roughly four times a generic that delivers the same molecule.
The muscle evidence is the strongest part. In a 4-month randomized trial of middle-aged adults, 500 mg/day improved hamstring muscle strength by about 12% versus placebo (Singh 2022), and a separate trial in older adults found better muscle endurance and improved blood markers of mitochondrial health (Liu 2022). The first-in-human study showed the compound is safe, absorbed well, and switches on a gene signature tied to mitophagy - the cellular housekeeping process that recycles worn-out mitochondria (Andreux 2019). A small 2024 trial in resistance-trained athletes at 1,000 mg/day found improvements on some strength and endurance measures too (Zhao 2024). These are real, repeated signals, not a single hopeful study.
The honest caveats matter just as much. Several of these trials missed their primary endpoints even while secondary muscle and mitochondrial measures improved, so the picture is "promising and consistent" rather than "settled." Nobody has shown urolithin A extends human lifespan, reverses aging, or delivers the kind of energy jolt the marketing implies. Where it fits the current moment: rapid weight loss on a GLP-1 medication or in any calorie deficit costs you muscle and stresses your mitochondria, and urolithin A's mechanism (protecting mitochondrial quality in muscle) is a sensible companion to protein and creatine for that specific job. That is a mechanistic case we find reasonable, not a claim proven in GLP-1 users yet.
One quirk explains why a supplement exists at all: your gut bacteria make urolithin A from the ellagitannins in pomegranates, berries, and walnuts, but only an estimated 30-40% of people carry the microbes to produce a meaningful amount. A supplement skips the lottery and delivers the molecule directly, which is the entire rationale for taking it rather than just eating more pomegranate.
Does It Work? The Evidence
How A-F grades workUrolithin A earns a Mixed Evidence rating: the research is suggestive but not settled. Its best-supported uses so far are improves muscle strength and improves muscle endurance and physical performance (grade B), but the evidence across claims is mixed - each is graded on its own below.
Improves muscle strength
Singh et al. 2022 (Cell Reports Medicine): 4-month RCT, 88 middle-aged adults, ~12% increase in hamstring muscle strength at 500 mg/day vs placebo
Improves muscle endurance and physical performance
Liu et al. 2022 (JAMA Network Open): RCT in adults 65-90, 1,000 mg/day for 4 months improved muscle endurance (contractions to fatigue) and plasma mitochondrial biomarkers
Activates mitophagy / improves mitochondrial biomarkers
Andreux et al. 2019 (Nature Metabolism): first-in-human RCT, 500 mg and 1,000 mg induced a skeletal-muscle gene signature of improved mitochondrial and cellular health
Safe and well tolerated (short to medium term)
Andreux 2019 and subsequent RCTs: no serious adverse events at 500-1,000 mg/day over 4 months; long-term (beyond ~4 months) safety not yet established
Enhances athletic/exercise performance in trained people
Zhao et al. 2024 (J Int Soc Sports Nutr): 8-week RCT, resistance-trained athletes, 1,000 mg/day improved some strength/endurance indices; primary walking/ATP endpoints in other trials were not always significant
Extends lifespan or reverses aging in humans
No human trial has measured lifespan or aging reversal; longevity claims rest on preclinical and mechanistic data only
| Grade | Claimed Benefit | Key Studies | Our Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | Improves muscle strength | Singh et al. 2022 (Cell Reports Medicine): 4-month RCT, 88 middle-aged adults, ~12% increase in hamstring muscle strength at 500 mg/day vs placebo | Early Signal |
| B | Improves muscle endurance and physical performance | Liu et al. 2022 (JAMA Network Open): RCT in adults 65-90, 1,000 mg/day for 4 months improved muscle endurance (contractions to fatigue) and plasma mitochondrial biomarkers | Early Signal |
| B | Activates mitophagy / improves mitochondrial biomarkers | Andreux et al. 2019 (Nature Metabolism): first-in-human RCT, 500 mg and 1,000 mg induced a skeletal-muscle gene signature of improved mitochondrial and cellular health | Early Signal |
| B | Safe and well tolerated (short to medium term) | Andreux 2019 and subsequent RCTs: no serious adverse events at 500-1,000 mg/day over 4 months; long-term (beyond ~4 months) safety not yet established | Supported |
| C | Enhances athletic/exercise performance in trained people | Zhao et al. 2024 (J Int Soc Sports Nutr): 8-week RCT, resistance-trained athletes, 1,000 mg/day improved some strength/endurance indices; primary walking/ATP endpoints in other trials were not always significant | Conflicted |
| F | Extends lifespan or reverses aging in humans | No human trial has measured lifespan or aging reversal; longevity claims rest on preclinical and mechanistic data only | Not There Yet |
How to Choose: Forms, Doses & What Matters
Clinical dose: 500 mg/day is the studied floor; trials also used 1,000 mg/day for endurance endpoints
Best forms: Mitopure (the exact material used in the trials), generic urolithin A 500 mg, avoid urolithin A diacetate and 1,500 mg+ label claims
Take 500 mg once a day with a meal that contains some fat, which helps absorption of this fat-soluble compound. Trials that targeted endurance used 1,000 mg/day, so that is the upper end if muscle stamina is your goal. Consistency matters more than timing - the mitochondrial effects build over weeks, and the trials ran for 4 months, so give it a real trial period rather than judging it in a week. There is no need to cycle on and off.
Who Should Take Urolithin A?
This makes the most sense if you are an older or middle-aged adult noticing strength or stamina slipping, or someone losing weight on a GLP-1 medication or in a deliberate calorie deficit who wants to protect muscle and mitochondrial quality alongside protein and creatine. Endurance athletes are the other group with a plausible case. It is also more likely to matter if you rarely eat pomegranates, berries, or walnuts, since you may not be one of the roughly one in three people whose gut bacteria make urolithin A on their own.
Who Should Avoid It?
Not for everyone
Side Effects & Safety
Product Scores
6 products scored on dosing accuracy, third-party testing, cost per effective dose, and label transparency.
The Scorecard: 6 Products Compared
Urolithin A 500mg
Double Wood
$32.99 ÷ 30 days at 500mg/day (1 serving × 500mg)
The cleanest budget way to take the clinically studied molecule at the clinical dose. In our view this is the sensible default for most people who want urolithin A without paying the branded premium.
Prices checked 2026-07-05. Cost shown is per clinically effective daily dose, not per pill.
Urolithin A 500mg
aeternum
$58.65 ÷ 60 days at 500mg/day (1 serving × 500mg)
The lowest cost-per-dose option for pure urolithin A. The brand's ISO 17025 testing claim is a reasonable signal, though it is not independently listed the way USP or NSF products are.
Prices checked 2026-07-05. Cost shown is per clinically effective daily dose, not per pill.
Mitopure Urolithin A Softgels
Timeline
$124.99 ÷ 30 days at 500mg/day (1 serving × 500mg)
The gold-standard material with real third-party sport certification. In our view the quality is genuine, but the price is only justifiable if the trial pedigree or NSF certification specifically matters to you.
Prices checked 2026-07-05. Cost shown is per clinically effective daily dose, not per pill.
Liposomal Urolithin A
Codeage
$99.99 ÷ 30 days at 500mg/day (1 serving × 500mg)
A reasonable product if you specifically want the extra polyphenols, but you pay a premium for a bundle whose synergy is unproven.
Prices checked 2026-07-05. Cost shown is per clinically effective daily dose, not per pill.
Renual Urolithin A
Pure Encapsulations$67.99 ÷ 15 days at 500mg/day (2 servings × 250mg)
Good Mitopure material in a well-made capsule, but a single serving delivers half the studied dose, so hitting the clinical amount is the most expensive route here. Better as a low-dose maintenance option than a full clinical dose.
Prices checked 2026-07-05. Cost shown is per clinically effective daily dose, not per pill.
Urolithin A 500mg (Diacetate)
Nutri
$29.99 ÷ 15 days at 500mg/day (1 serving × 500mg)
The diacetate ester is marketed as more stable, but it is not the material used in the published trials, and the small bottle makes the real monthly cost higher than it looks.
Prices checked 2026-07-05. Cost shown is per clinically effective daily dose, not per pill.
Full Comparison
| Category | Urolithin A 500mg Double Wood | Urolithin A 500mg aeternum | Mitopure Urolithin A Softgels Timeline | Liposomal Urolithin A Codeage | Renual Urolithin A Pure Encapsulations | Urolithin A 500mg (Diacetate) Nutri |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand Score | 84/100Winner | 82/100 | 80/100 | 68/100 | 62/100 | 60/100 |
| Dosing & Form | 25/25Winner | 25/25 | 25/25 | 23/25 | 14/25 | 17/25 |
| Purity | 15/25 | 15/25 | 24/25Winner | 14/25 | 19/25 | 16/25 |
| Value | 22/25 | 23/25Winner | 7/25 | 12/25 | 9/25 | 8/25 |
| Transparency | 22/25 | 19/25 | 24/25Winner | 19/25 | 20/25 | 19/25 |
| Cost/Day | $1.10 | $0.98Winner | $4.17 | $3.33 | $4.53 | $2.00 |
| Dose/Serving | 500mg | 500mg | 500mg | 500mg | 250mg | 500mg |
| Form | Capsule (250 mg x 2) | Capsule (500 mg each) | Softgel (Mitopure branded urolithin A) | Capsule (liposomal, with resveratrol/betaine/CoQ10) | Caplique capsule (Mitopure, with resveratrol/CoQ10) | Capsule (urolithin A diacetate, 250 mg x 2) |
| Third-Party Tested | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | No | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Proprietary Blend | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is urolithin A and where does it come from?
Urolithin A is a compound your gut bacteria produce from ellagitannins, which are found in pomegranates, berries, walnuts, and some teas. It is technically a postbiotic (a beneficial molecule made by gut microbes). Only an estimated 30-40% of people carry the specific bacteria needed to produce meaningful amounts, which is why it is sold as a supplement - taking it directly bypasses the need for the right gut microbiome.
Does urolithin A actually work?
For muscle strength and endurance, the evidence is genuinely promising: multiple randomized controlled trials at 500-1,000 mg/day have shown improvements in muscle strength, endurance, and mitochondrial biomarkers, mostly in older and middle-aged adults. It is more established than most novel longevity ingredients. But several trials missed their primary endpoints, and no study has shown it extends lifespan or reverses aging, so it is best described as a well-supported muscle and mitochondrial-health ingredient rather than a proven anti-aging compound.
Is Timeline Mitopure worth the extra money over a generic?
Mitopure is the exact urolithin A material used in the human trials and is the only option here that is NSF Certified for Sport, which matters if you are a tested athlete or want maximum dosing confidence in a new ingredient. But it costs roughly four times a generic that delivers the same 500 mg of urolithin A. In our view, if you simply want the clinically studied molecule at the clinical dose, a GMP-made generic like Double Wood delivers it at a fraction of the price. The premium buys the trial pedigree and third-party sport certification, which is a defensible but steep upgrade.
How much urolithin A should I take?
500 mg per day is the dose used in most human trials and the practical floor for a benefit. Trials targeting muscle endurance used 1,000 mg/day. Doses of 1,500 mg or 2,000 mg that some products advertise exceed anything tested in humans and are label inflation, not a better dose. Take it with food that contains fat for better absorption.
Can I just eat pomegranates instead of taking a supplement?
Only if your gut bacteria can convert the ellagitannins into urolithin A, and roughly 60-70% of people cannot produce a meaningful amount no matter how much pomegranate they eat. If you are a non-producer, eating the fruit gives you the fiber and polyphenols but little urolithin A. A supplement delivers the finished molecule directly, which is the whole point of it existing as a product.
Is urolithin A useful for people on Ozempic or Wegovy?
The case is mechanistic and reasonable, not yet proven in that specific population. Rapid weight loss on a GLP-1 medication tends to cost lean muscle and stresses mitochondria; urolithin A's studied effects are precisely on muscle strength, endurance, and mitochondrial quality. That makes it a sensible companion to the two proven muscle-preservation tools - adequate protein and creatine - rather than a replacement for them. No trial has yet tested urolithin A specifically in GLP-1 users, so we frame this as a logical add-on, not an established one. Run any new supplement past the clinician managing your medication.
Related Reading
Sources
- Singh A, et al. Urolithin A improves muscle strength, exercise performance, and biomarkers of mitochondrial health in a randomized trial in middle-aged adults. Cell Rep Med. 2022;3(5):100633.
- Liu S, et al. Effect of Urolithin A Supplementation on Muscle Endurance and Mitochondrial Health in Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(1):e2144279.
- Andreux PA, et al. The mitophagy activator urolithin A is safe and induces a molecular signature of improved mitochondrial and cellular health in humans. Nat Metab. 2019;1(6):595-603.
- Zhao H, et al. Assessment of Urolithin A effects on muscle endurance, strength, inflammation, oxidative stress, and protein metabolism in resistance-trained adults. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2024;21(1):2419388.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance - Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
Scores and tiers are our independent opinion, formed by applying a published rubric to label data, third-party certifications, and the research record. They are not statements of objective fact about a product and not a lab test. Where we report a brand-specific fact, it comes from a cited source or a public certification; where verification is missing, we say so rather than assume a result.
FDA Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Dietary supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before starting any supplement regimen.