How a Compound in Pomegranates May Help with Alzheimer's Symptoms

Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a role in many neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s. With such illnesses, the process of clearing out aged or damaged mitochondria, called mitophagy, can become impaired. A new study shows that a substance found in a popular fruit may help, though.

Research recently published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia investigated how Urolithin A (UA) – a compound that occurs naturally in pomegranates – may help with Alzheimer’s symptoms, as it’s known to induce mitophagy. The study involved administering UA to mice with Alzheimer’s, and the findings showed the mice had improved brain function and Alzheimer’s pathology.

Vilhelm Bohr, study co-author and Affiliate Professor at the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Copenhagen, says, “Our study on mouse models with AD shows that urolithin A, which is a naturally occurring substance in pomegranates, can alleviate memory problems and other consequences of dementia.

“Even though the study was conducted on mouse models, the prospects are positive. So far, research has shown promising results for the substance in the muscles, and clinical trials on humans are being planned.”

In this research, Bohr and his team found that long-term UA treatment significantly improved learning, memory, and olfactory function in mice with Alzheimer’s. It also reduced levels of amyloid beta and tau, improved cellular lysosomal function, and removed weak and damaged mitochondria from the brain roughly as well as nicotinamide riboside, or NAD supplements, which have also been found to help with Alzheimer’s.

The team is currently unsure which dosage is appropriate for treating Alzheimer’s symptoms, though Bohr says it would likely be more than a pomegranate a day. The substance is already available as a supplement. More research needs to be done into potential side effects, though.

Bohr says, “The advantage of working with a natural substance is the reduced risk of side effects. Several studies so far show that there are no serious side effects of NAD supplementation. Our knowledge of urolithin A is more limited, but as I mentioned, clinical trials with Urolithin A have been effective in muscular disease, and now we need to look at Alzheimer’s disease.

“If we are going to eat something in the future to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s, which we talk a lot about, we have to make sure there are no significant side effects.”

You can read the whole study here.