A compound called urolithin A, which the body produces after eating pomegranates, walnuts, and some berries, improved measures of heart function by up to 80% in animal models of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). This form of heart failure is notoriously difficult to treat because the heart muscle becomes stiff and cannot relax properly between beats.
In the study, urolithin A helped stiff heart tissue relax and reduced scarring and abnormal tissue accumulation. These effects directly target the mechanical problems that define HFpEF, offering a potential new avenue for therapy where existing drugs have limited success.
The findings come from a single animal study, so they do not yet prove the compound will work in humans. Still, the size of the improvement and the specific mechanism suggest urolithin A deserves further investigation as a possible treatment for this challenging condition. Human trials would be needed to confirm whether eating these foods or taking supplements could provide{