Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disorder that primarily affects individuals over the age of 65 and is the leading cause of dementia in older adults. Research indicates that Mediterranean and MIND diets may protect against Alzheimer’s, potentially due to lower intake of inflammatory saturated fats and sugars and higher consumption of vitamins, minerals, omega-3s, and antioxidants. Since Alzheimer’s is associated with elevated oxidative stress, increased antioxidant intake might be especially beneficial. Antioxidants counteract free radical damage, possibly mitigating disease effects.
A recent study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia explored urolithin A, a natural compound produced by gut bacteria when they process certain polyphenolic compounds found in pomegranates.
Urolithin A has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, along with other potential benefits for brain health. Researchers treated various Alzheimer’s mouse models with urolithin A for 5 months to assess long-term effects on brain health.
Using three mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease, they combined urolithin A treatment with behavioral, electrophysiological, biochemical, and bioinformatic experiments.
After five months of urolithin A treatment, they observed improvements in memory, protein build-up, cell waste processing, and DNA damage in the brains of Alzheimer’s mice.
Additionally, important markers of brain inflammation were reduced, making the treated mice more similar to healthy ones.
The study revealed that urolithin A treatment lowered the excessive activity of microglia, a type of immune cell in the brain. The mitophagy effects from urolithin A may be like those seen with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) supplements in Alzheimer’s disease. Some of the researchers in this study have connections to several companies, including ChromaDex, which is known for its NAD supplement. It’s unclear how these ties might influence the present study’s results.
Collectively the results mean that urolithin A can act as a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent to help clear amyloid beta, which prevents the onset of cognitive deficits associated with the pathological amyloid beta deposition and can regulate cellular energy homeostasis and cell death. The research indicates that urolithin A treatment shows potential as a new intervention for Alzheimer’s disease by addressing various pathological mechanisms like neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, lysosomal dysfunction, and DNA damage, potentially slowing down the progression of the disease.
However, research on urolithin A offers promise for Alzheimer’s intervention, additional studies, particularly clinical trials, are required to validate its efficacy and safety in humans. More research is needed to determine the best urolithin A doses, and the potential risks of long-term supplement use since both of these are unknown.
There could be risks associated with trying urolithin A pills for Alzheimer’s intervention since there is limited research on their safety and effectiveness. Experts stated that pomegranate seeds (arils) and peels are especially abundant in polyphenolic compounds that can be converted to urolithin A.
