Urolithin A_Dosage, benefits & legal status
Also known as Mitopure, UA, urolithin-A
The mitophagy supplement with two real trials, both of which missed.
Common vial size is what vendors typically sell, not a recommendation. Enter your own vial in the calculator.
What is Urolithin A?
Plain language first. The technical label stays, but it never stands alone.Overview
It tells cells to recycle their broken batteries.
Urolithin A is a small molecule your gut bacteria make from ellagitannins in pomegranates, walnuts and berries, and it triggers mitophagy, the process that clears out worn-out mitochondria.
What it's used for
An oral supplement taken for muscle and mitochondrial aging, with the most human data of any longevity compound sold this way.
How does Urolithin A work?
What it does in the body, and where.Urolithin A is not in the fruit. Your gut makes it, if you have the right bacteria.
- 01Ellagitannins arrive from pomegranate, walnuts or berriesThese are too large to be absorbed and do nothing on their own.
- 02Gut bacteria convert them to urolithin AOnly some people carry the bacteria that do this well. Estimates put the proportion who cannot at around two thirds, which is the main argument for taking it directly.
- 03It triggers mitophagyCells identify damaged mitochondria and break them down, clearing space for new ones.
- 04The biomarkers move more clearly than the function doesAcylcarnitines and C-reactive protein fell in the trials. Peak power output, six-minute walk distance and maximal ATP production did not.
A schematic of the compound's mechanism, not a diagnostic image.
What else is it used for?
Each use below carries its own evidence level. Approved means regulators have cleared it for that purpose. Investigational means it is in trials. Early research means it is being studied and is not established.
- Muscle strength and endurance in middle-aged and older adultsInvestigational
- Mitochondrial biomarkers such as plasma acylcarnitinesInvestigational
- General longevity and healthspanEarly research
The published record
Papers and trials about Urolithin A
280 papers tagged human · 177 not reviews or lab · 19 clinical trial publications
36 registered trials · 2 with posted results
Furthest stage reached: Phase 2, under way
Counted from Europe PMC indexing, not read by a person; a human tag can land on reviews, commentary or lab papers; clinical trial publications is the narrower count. 495 papers and 36 trials indexed in detail.
At a glance
Four things to know about Urolithin A
Evidence
Supplement
Category
Longevity and energy
Common vial
Varies
Half-life
Around 20 hours as the conjugated form
How much, and do you cycle it?
The range, and whether you take breaks.500 up to 1,000 mg per day, daily. Continuous in the trials Trial dose
Both randomized trials dosed daily for four months with no break. Nothing has tested whether the mitophagy effect persists after stopping, or whether cycling changes anything.
Around 20 hours as the conjugated formNo figure
Absorbed urolithin A is rapidly conjugated in the liver, so what circulates is mostly the glucuronide rather than the free molecule. Figures quoted for the free form and for the conjugate are not the same number, and we have not verified either against a primary pharmacokinetic paper.
You can compare this against the whole library to see where it sits.
What does it cost?
Typical dose and cost, in plain numbers.Urolithin A is not injected
It is taken by mouth (oral). The two doses tested in the ATLAS trial were 500 mg and 1,000 mg daily for four months. The older-adult trial used 1,000 mg daily. Both figures come from trials, not from a label, because there is no label.
How do you store it?
Before mixing, and after.Room temperature. Cool, dry, out of light.
Urolithin A is taken as a pill or capsule. Keep it in its original container at room temperature, away from heat, humidity, and direct sun. No fridge or mixing needed. Check the expiration date on the bottle.
What are the side effects and cautions?
Known cautions and warnings for this compound.Who should avoid it
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding, on absent data rather than known harm
- Any active cancer, since mitophagy effects on tumor cells are not characterized
- Children, who were not studied
Stop and get help
- Persistent stomach pain or diarrhea
- Any new or unexplained symptom that starts after beginning it
- Signs of an allergic reaction such as face or throat swelling, hives, or trouble breathing
Common effects
- Generally well tolerated in both trials
- Mild digestive upset
- No serious adverse events reported in either trial
Where this page says nothing is established, that means nobody has studied it, not that a compound is safe.
Is Urolithin A approved?
And where the numbers on this page come from.Not as a medicine. Urolithin A is sold without a prescription as a supplement, which is a different thing from being approved as a drug.
- Approval statusSupplementSold without a prescription as a dietary supplement. The FDA does not approve supplements before they are sold, and being easy to buy says nothing about whether it works.
- RouteBy mouth (oral)
- Checked24 August 2026
- DoseFrom published clinical trials. Not approved by a regulator for this dose.
- Vial sizeFrom what vendors typically list; not a recommendation.
- Sources
What has happened recently
Sold in the US as a dietary supplement, with no FDA approval for any use. The evidence deserves reading carefully rather than by headline. In the ATLAS trial, 88 middle-aged adults took 500 or 1,000 mg daily for four months, and the primary endpoint, peak power output, did not improve significantly. The widely quoted 12 percent gain was in hamstring muscle strength, a secondary measure. In the older-adult trial published in JAMA Network Open, 1,000 mg daily improved muscle endurance in hand and leg muscles, but six-minute walk distance and maximal ATP production, the measures the study was built around, did not reach significance. Both trials were sponsored by Amazentis, which sells the ingredient as Mitopure, and company employees appear among the authors of both.
You can compare this against the whole library, or read how to check a seller.
What else is like Urolithin A?
Others in Longevity and energy, side by side.If you're weighing Urolithin A, it's worth reading NAD+, MOTS-c, and Epitalon in the same class.
The mitophagy supplement with two real trials, both of which missed.
- Dose
- 500 up to 1,000 mg per day
- How often
- Daily
A cellular fuel taken for energy, focus, and anti-aging.
- Dose
- 50 up to 100 mg per dose (start low, increase slowly)
- How often
- 2-3x/week
A shot people use for energy, metabolism, and healthy aging.
- Dose
- 1 up to 5 mg per day (start low, increase slowly)
- How often
- Daily
A longevity peptide taken in short courses for sleep and anti-aging.
- Dose
- 5 up to 10 mg per day (start low, increase slowly)
- How often
- 10-20 day courses
Guides for this compound
- mcg vs mg: The Peptide Dosing Mistake to Avoid
Your vial says mg and your protocol says mcg. Here is the conversion and how to check it.
- How to Read a Peptide COA
What the purity number does and does not tell you, and how to spot an edited report.
- How to Vet a Peptide Vendor
Independent COAs, HPLC purity, and the red flags that mean walk away.
Sources
- Singh et al., ATLAS trial, Cell Reports Medicine(2022)Strength improved by about 12 percent, but peak power output, the primary endpoint, did not improve significantly.
- Liu et al., older adults, JAMA Network Open(2022)Muscle endurance improved; six-minute walk distance and maximal ATP production did not.
Beyond these, 531 records are indexed. Browse the records