Can Eating Pomegranate Support Heart Failure Treatment? New Study Highlights

A compound produced by the body after consuming foods such as pomegranates, walnuts and some berries may offer a new approach to treating heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), according to new research conducted by King’s College London.

In experimental models, the compound urolithin A improved measures of heart function by up to 80%. Researchers also found that it reduced harmful scarring and enlargement of heart tissue. The findings could eventually lead to new treatments for a form of heart failure that remains difficult to manage.

What Is Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction?

HFpEF is a type of heart failure in which the heart's pumping ability, or ejection fraction, remains relatively preserved. The problem is that the heart muscle becomes stiff and has difficulty relaxing and filling properly.

This can cause symptoms such as breathlessness, tiredness, and reduced ability to exercise. Treatment can be challenging because there are fewer targeted therapies compared with some other forms of heart failure.

What Is Urolithin A?

Urolithin A is not simply a substance found in pomegranate itself. Instead, it is produced when certain compounds in foods, including pomegranates and walnuts, are processed by gut bacteria.

Importantly, not everyone produces the same amount of urolithin A after eating these foods because the conversion depends partly on an individual's gut microbiome.

Researchers have already been interested in urolithin A because of its links with healthy ageing and mitochondrial function, which is important for how cells produce energy.

Also Read: What Is The Life Expectancy With Heart Failure?

How Did The Compound Affect The Heart?

In animal models of HFpEF, researchers found that urolithin A improved measures of heart function by up to 80% compared with untreated models.

Laboratory experiments suggested that the compound helped the heart tissue relax more effectively. It also reduced fibrosis, or harmful scarring of the heart, and limited enlargement of heart muscle cells. These changes are associated with the development and progression of heart dysfunction.

The researchers identified a possible mechanism involving a protein called PKG1α, which plays a role in blood vessel function and relaxation of the heart muscle.

Researchers Also Tested Human Heart Tissue

The findings were not limited to animal experiments. Scientists tested urolithin A on engineered human heart tissue created using human stem cells. The laboratory model was designed to reproduce important features of human heart muscle.

The compound significantly improved the tissue's ability to relax, suggesting that the biological pathway identified in the experiments may also be relevant to human heart function. However, this remains laboratory evidence rather than proof that the treatment will work in people with HFpEF.

Also Read: Can Heart Failure Be Reversed?

Does Eating Pomegranate Treat Heart Failure?

No, the findings should not be interpreted as evidence that eating pomegranates can prevent, reverse, or treat heart failure.

Although the body can produce urolithin A after consuming certain foods, the amount produced varies between individuals. Researchers have also stressed that there is currently not enough evidence to recommend pomegranates as a treatment for HFpEF.

Pomegranates can still form part of a balanced diet, but they should not replace prescribed heart medicines or medical care.

Final Word

Urolithin A is a compound that can be produced in the body after eating foods such as pomegranates and has been shown to improve measures of heart function by up to 80%. Besides, it may also help with reduced heart scarring and help heart tissue relax. However, these are early findings, not evidence that pomegranate or urolithin A can currently treat heart failure. Further human research is needed before the compound can be considered a treatment.