Urolithin A boosts immune health by renewing aging mitochondria, increasing naïve T cells, and reducing inflammation in just four weeks of supplementation.
I'm a big fan of pomegranates. A Spanish company markets 50 products in the European Union, all endorsed by the Miguel Hernández University's Food Quality and Safety Group. This study, along with others conducted in recent years by prestigious universities worldwide, has demonstrated that the pomegranate peel has 10 times more antioxidant capacity than the edible part. Spain produces 95% of the pomegranates grown in Europe. We consume the Mollar and Wonderful varieties.
The Wonderful pomegranate is harvested from late September to late October, and its intense red color is immediately noticeable. It's worth noting that its seeds are softer than those of the Wonderful California variety, and its size ranges from 600 to 800 grams. https://imagensubir.infojardin.com/subes/images/bfi1268276066n.JPG
Renowned chefs and figures of great national and international popularity are the godfathers of the Elche melograno. More than twenty Michelin-starred chefs have visited our fields to make the symbolic cut that marks the beginning of each season.
Pomegranate is a rich source of many phenolic compounds, including ellagitannins (punicalagin, punicalin, pedunculagin, galagic acid, ellagic acid, ellagitannin, and gallotannins), anthocyanins (cyanidin, delphinidin, and pelargonidin glycosides), flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol, and luteolin glycosides), and phenolic acids such as caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, coumaric acid, ferulic acid, syringic acid, vanillic acid, phlorodizine, and rutin. Ellagitannins and the predominant phenolic compounds punicalagin, gallic acid, and ellagic acid contribute significantly to health benefits, including anti-cancer properties (prostate cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, skin cancer, leukemia), improved cardiovascular health, metabolic disease management, diabetes prevention and control, relief of menopausal symptoms, hormonal balance, increased libido in both sexes, and skin nourishment.
Pomegranate peel extract inhibited influenza virus activity by combating viral polymerase, viral RNA replication, and viral protein expression, but it did not affect hemagglutination inhibition or virucidal activity. This study demonstrated that the antiviral effect of the extract on the influenza virus is likely associated with the inhibition of viral adsorption and viral RNA transcription.
The peel extract exhibited anti-adenovirus activity. Furthermore, this extract, with its high phytoconstituent content, could be a promising source of natural compounds of medicinal importance.
The antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antimicrobial, antihypertensive, and anticancer mechanisms of punicalagin from pomegranate peel have been investigated. Punicalagin, isolated primarily from the pomegranate fruit, is a natural polyphenolic compound with significant commercial value for assessing the properties of pomegranates. Pomegranate extracts, obtained from the peel, contain 30% punicalagin.
Punicalagin is the main antioxidant found in abundance in pomegranate peel. Research has shown that pomegranate polyphenols not only have a strong antioxidant capacity but also inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria such as V. cholerae, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus. Punica cereus, E. coli, and S. citrinum inhibit the virulence factor of fungi such as A. ochraceus and P. citrinum.
Punicalagin exerts a positive effect on pulmonary conditions. Data showed that punicalagin inhibited the production of TNF, IL-1β, and IL-6 and decreased protein concentration and myeloperoxidase activity. Punicalagin may exert negative regulatory effects, in part, by suppressing p38 MAPK and/or pathways.
Pomegranate exerts antiproliferative, antiinvasive, and antimetastatic effects, induces apoptosis through modulation of Bcl-2 proteins, increases p21 and p27, and downregulates the cyclin-cdk network. Furthermore, pomegranate inhibits the activation of inflammatory pathways, including, but not limited to, the NFκB pathway.
Punicalagin has an antidiabetic effect, showing improvement in hyperglycemia and HbA1c; improved insulin levels, HOMA-IR levels, and lipid profiles; and normalized levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. Punicalagin also reduced the increase in MDA and H2O2 levels; normalized GSH, SOD, and CAT levels in the heart; and improved serum markers of cardiac function, including troponin T levels and CK-MB and LDH activities.
Punicalagin protected the heart against apoptosis, necrosis, inflammation, and DNA damage by improving redox status, suppressing caspases and p53, and increasing Bcl-2. Punicalagin has strong therapeutic potential for treating and regulating diabetes and attenuating its associated cardiac complications.
Punicalagin protects against methionine-induced homocysteine and brain damage by suppressing apoptosis through modulation of apoptotic mediators and maintaining DNA integrity.
Punicalagin increased nitric oxide production in endothelial cells by decreasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and increasing activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity was significantly inhibited. The dual action of punicalagin as a nitric oxide synthase inducer and ACE inhibitor demonstrated an antihypertensive effect.
Punicalagin showed toxic effects in colon cancer cell lines. In the presence of punicalagin, cytoplasmic ROS production decreased. Selective cytotoxicity, pro-apoptotic, autophagic, and downregulatory properties were demonstrated, indicating the therapeutic potential of this polyphenol. Autophagy flux analysis showed significant degradation of autophagosomes in the treated cells, demonstrating the involvement of autophagy.
The beneficial properties of Punica granatum in autoimmune diseases, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis are also considered, attributed to its high polyphenol content. The role of ellagic acid, punicalagins, urolithins, and punicic acid is particularly noteworthy, as they collectively reduce the production of pro-inflammatory mediators such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-17, among others, by blocking signaling pathways involving NF-κB and MAPK. This link is in Spanish but includes references in English.
Scientific literature has demonstrated that pomegranate extracts exhibit favorable modulation of various signaling pathways. These pathways encompass those involved in inflammation, angiogenesis, hyperproliferation, cell transformation, the initiation of tumorigenesis, and ultimately, a reduction in advanced metastasis and tumorigenesis. In this context, pomegranate extracts can be attributed to their high polyphenol content, which has been observed to possess inhibitory properties against specific signaling pathways associated with cancer.
Punicalagins are water-soluble and have High bioavailability. They are known to hydrolyze smaller phenolic compounds such as ellagic acid in vivo, where there is a potential mechanism through the hydrolysis of the mitochondrial membrane of cultured human colon cells. Ellagitannins belong to the so-called hydrolyzable tannins found in strawberries, raspberries, walnuts, pomegranates, oak-aged red wine, etc. Both punicalagins and their hydrolysis product, ellagic acid, have been reported to induce apoptosis in tumor cells.
The hydrolysis process: High molecular weight polyphenols, such as punicalagins, are not absorbed in the stomach or small intestine and reach the colon almost unchanged. Thus, modulation of the gut microbiota composition is primarily caused by the population of beneficial microorganisms in the human body. Gordonibacter and its species urolithinfaciens and pameleae are capable of transforming punicalagins and ellagic acid into urolithins.
The process begins with the ingestion of punicalagins in the form of peel extracts. Once ingested, the punicalagins, in the presence of hydrochloric acid (HCl) and the action of various microorganisms present in the gut, are transformed into ellagic acid.
Subsequently, several chemical reactions occur in the ellagic acid catabolic pathway (ellagic acid is naturally present in pomegranates and is a product of the digestion of degraded punicalagins). These reactions generate different catabolic intermediates (bioactive metabolites) called urolithins. Among the three metabolites that the gut microbiota can form, urolithin A was the most frequently detected in blood and urine, remaining even four days after the ingestion of pomegranate extracts.
Way past the time to bury the old - A Calorie is just a Calorie, doesn't matter much what you eat, it's all just fuel. Old science from way back claiming all kinds of things we pay for today. Compounds in breast milk junk, not needed but they are, they set the stage for a healthy gut. Fiber is just extra junk not necessary in our foods. Foods can be grown in dead sand as long as they get the three top fertilizers,(plus wads of chemicals Nature has never seen or dealt with before.)
Turns out more every day it does matter what we eat, when we eat, how we eat and how it was not only raised, but possibly prepared, or not prepared at all.
As we continue to learn more about what sets a solid Gut Foundation so as to feed the Mitochondria that supplies the fuels every cell need, function, complex systems need, looking forward for possibly more fine tuning and the ability to find the size to fit each and everyone of us.
I’m a subscriber and I also have your books. I would love for you to write something about snoring and its effects on the snorer and (in this case) his wife who gets no sleep if she’s in the same room. After years of observing I’m thinking he doesn’t get enough sleep either! Even if he’s sleeping in another room snoring. Snoring seems extremely detrimental to the snorers mental state and mood but no one really digs into it. He does everything his Dr. tells him to do but it doesn’t stop all night. Then he falls asleep off and on during the day. I care about him and how this is effecting his health and mine! Thank you
L-Theanine makes my mind race and gives me insomnia. I got some thinking it would calm my thoughts, but it has the opposite effect.
Every body is different.
I'm a big fan of pomegranates. A Spanish company markets 50 products in the European Union, all endorsed by the Miguel Hernández University's Food Quality and Safety Group. This study, along with others conducted in recent years by prestigious universities worldwide, has demonstrated that the pomegranate peel has 10 times more antioxidant capacity than the edible part. Spain produces 95% of the pomegranates grown in Europe. We consume the Mollar and Wonderful varieties.
The Wonderful pomegranate is harvested from late September to late October, and its intense red color is immediately noticeable. It's worth noting that its seeds are softer than those of the Wonderful California variety, and its size ranges from 600 to 800 grams. https://imagensubir.infojardin.com/subes/images/bfi1268276066n.JPG
https://www.wonderful-life.it/home/35/pianta-di-melograno-wonderful-one-tm.jpg
Renowned chefs and figures of great national and international popularity are the godfathers of the Elche melograno. More than twenty Michelin-starred chefs have visited our fields to make the symbolic cut that marks the beginning of each season.
http://www.granadaselche.com/images/4h.jpg
Pomegranate is a rich source of many phenolic compounds, including ellagitannins (punicalagin, punicalin, pedunculagin, galagic acid, ellagic acid, ellagitannin, and gallotannins), anthocyanins (cyanidin, delphinidin, and pelargonidin glycosides), flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol, and luteolin glycosides), and phenolic acids such as caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, coumaric acid, ferulic acid, syringic acid, vanillic acid, phlorodizine, and rutin. Ellagitannins and the predominant phenolic compounds punicalagin, gallic acid, and ellagic acid contribute significantly to health benefits, including anti-cancer properties (prostate cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, skin cancer, leukemia), improved cardiovascular health, metabolic disease management, diabetes prevention and control, relief of menopausal symptoms, hormonal balance, increased libido in both sexes, and skin nourishment.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/punicalagin
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/punicalagin
(2008 to 2019)
http://www.zumodegranada.com/pdfebook/Punicalagin_%20the%20pomegranates%20natural%20antioxidant.pdf (2020)
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.jafc.4c05428 (2025)
Pomegranate peel extract inhibited influenza virus activity by combating viral polymerase, viral RNA replication, and viral protein expression, but it did not affect hemagglutination inhibition or virucidal activity. This study demonstrated that the antiviral effect of the extract on the influenza virus is likely associated with the inhibition of viral adsorption and viral RNA transcription.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6925405/ (2019)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7103433/ (2020)
The peel extract exhibited anti-adenovirus activity. Furthermore, this extract, with its high phytoconstituent content, could be a promising source of natural compounds of medicinal importance.
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/143844571.pdf (2018)
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1569141/full (2025)
https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/3/1603 (2026)
The antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antimicrobial, antihypertensive, and anticancer mechanisms of punicalagin from pomegranate peel have been investigated. Punicalagin, isolated primarily from the pomegranate fruit, is a natural polyphenolic compound with significant commercial value for assessing the properties of pomegranates. Pomegranate extracts, obtained from the peel, contain 30% punicalagin.
Punicalagin is the main antioxidant found in abundance in pomegranate peel. Research has shown that pomegranate polyphenols not only have a strong antioxidant capacity but also inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria such as V. cholerae, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus. Punica cereus, E. coli, and S. citrinum inhibit the virulence factor of fungi such as A. ochraceus and P. citrinum.
Punicalagin exerts a positive effect on pulmonary conditions. Data showed that punicalagin inhibited the production of TNF, IL-1β, and IL-6 and decreased protein concentration and myeloperoxidase activity. Punicalagin may exert negative regulatory effects, in part, by suppressing p38 MAPK and/or pathways.
Pomegranate exerts antiproliferative, antiinvasive, and antimetastatic effects, induces apoptosis through modulation of Bcl-2 proteins, increases p21 and p27, and downregulates the cyclin-cdk network. Furthermore, pomegranate inhibits the activation of inflammatory pathways, including, but not limited to, the NFκB pathway.
Punicalagin has an antidiabetic effect, showing improvement in hyperglycemia and HbA1c; improved insulin levels, HOMA-IR levels, and lipid profiles; and normalized levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. Punicalagin also reduced the increase in MDA and H2O2 levels; normalized GSH, SOD, and CAT levels in the heart; and improved serum markers of cardiac function, including troponin T levels and CK-MB and LDH activities.
Punicalagin protected the heart against apoptosis, necrosis, inflammation, and DNA damage by improving redox status, suppressing caspases and p53, and increasing Bcl-2. Punicalagin has strong therapeutic potential for treating and regulating diabetes and attenuating its associated cardiac complications.
Punicalagin protects against methionine-induced homocysteine and brain damage by suppressing apoptosis through modulation of apoptotic mediators and maintaining DNA integrity.
Punicalagin increased nitric oxide production in endothelial cells by decreasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and increasing activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity was significantly inhibited. The dual action of punicalagin as a nitric oxide synthase inducer and ACE inhibitor demonstrated an antihypertensive effect.
Punicalagin showed toxic effects in colon cancer cell lines. In the presence of punicalagin, cytoplasmic ROS production decreased. Selective cytotoxicity, pro-apoptotic, autophagic, and downregulatory properties were demonstrated, indicating the therapeutic potential of this polyphenol. Autophagy flux analysis showed significant degradation of autophagosomes in the treated cells, demonstrating the involvement of autophagy.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10408391003748100?src=recsys (2011)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2314808X15000664 (2015)
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/82206619.pdf (2015)
http://www.thejaps.org.pk/docs/v-27-2/22.pdf (2017)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0753332218310692 (2018)
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09540105.2019.1642857?src=recsys (2019)
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/229436263_Pomegranate_peel_and_fruit_extracts_A_review_of_potential_anti-inflammatory_and_anti-infective_effects (2020)
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ptr.6774 (2020)
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10408398.2020.1749825 (2020)
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/8/2430/htm (2020)
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1528897/full (2025).--
The beneficial properties of Punica granatum in autoimmune diseases, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis are also considered, attributed to its high polyphenol content. The role of ellagic acid, punicalagins, urolithins, and punicic acid is particularly noteworthy, as they collectively reduce the production of pro-inflammatory mediators such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-17, among others, by blocking signaling pathways involving NF-κB and MAPK. This link is in Spanish but includes references in English.
Scientific literature has demonstrated that pomegranate extracts exhibit favorable modulation of various signaling pathways. These pathways encompass those involved in inflammation, angiogenesis, hyperproliferation, cell transformation, the initiation of tumorigenesis, and ultimately, a reduction in advanced metastasis and tumorigenesis. In this context, pomegranate extracts can be attributed to their high polyphenol content, which has been observed to possess inhibitory properties against specific signaling pathways associated with cancer.
https://idus.us.es/bitstream/handle/11441/82115/TFG%20MAMEN%20170618%20DEFINITIVO.pdf;jsessionid=09BB0CF0BAFA1E3B45B5C3EA6C0933C1?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fsn3.4674 (2025)
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fsn3.70072 (2025)
Punicalagins are water-soluble and have High bioavailability. They are known to hydrolyze smaller phenolic compounds such as ellagic acid in vivo, where there is a potential mechanism through the hydrolysis of the mitochondrial membrane of cultured human colon cells. Ellagitannins belong to the so-called hydrolyzable tannins found in strawberries, raspberries, walnuts, pomegranates, oak-aged red wine, etc. Both punicalagins and their hydrolysis product, ellagic acid, have been reported to induce apoptosis in tumor cells.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16426830/ (2006)
https://cjes.guilan.ac.ir/article_8570_99f0ab1264a2ecd7fbd9cea1e632912e.pdf (2025).--
The hydrolysis process: High molecular weight polyphenols, such as punicalagins, are not absorbed in the stomach or small intestine and reach the colon almost unchanged. Thus, modulation of the gut microbiota composition is primarily caused by the population of beneficial microorganisms in the human body. Gordonibacter and its species urolithinfaciens and pameleae are capable of transforming punicalagins and ellagic acid into urolithins.
The process begins with the ingestion of punicalagins in the form of peel extracts. Once ingested, the punicalagins, in the presence of hydrochloric acid (HCl) and the action of various microorganisms present in the gut, are transformed into ellagic acid.
Subsequently, several chemical reactions occur in the ellagic acid catabolic pathway (ellagic acid is naturally present in pomegranates and is a product of the digestion of degraded punicalagins). These reactions generate different catabolic intermediates (bioactive metabolites) called urolithins. Among the three metabolites that the gut microbiota can form, urolithin A was the most frequently detected in blood and urine, remaining even four days after the ingestion of pomegranate extracts.
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jafc.7b02049 (2017)
Way past the time to bury the old - A Calorie is just a Calorie, doesn't matter much what you eat, it's all just fuel. Old science from way back claiming all kinds of things we pay for today. Compounds in breast milk junk, not needed but they are, they set the stage for a healthy gut. Fiber is just extra junk not necessary in our foods. Foods can be grown in dead sand as long as they get the three top fertilizers,(plus wads of chemicals Nature has never seen or dealt with before.)
Turns out more every day it does matter what we eat, when we eat, how we eat and how it was not only raised, but possibly prepared, or not prepared at all.
As we continue to learn more about what sets a solid Gut Foundation so as to feed the Mitochondria that supplies the fuels every cell need, function, complex systems need, looking forward for possibly more fine tuning and the ability to find the size to fit each and everyone of us.
Highly recommend viewing these interviews;
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2026/02/15/regenerative-agriculture-metabolic-wellness.aspx
and,
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2026/02/15/breaking-big-food-documentary.aspx?ui=0e08be60d9fe998b463417343a13d764df7bc33c941f38eec56a7183570705b0&sd=20120104&cid_source=prnl&cid_medium=email&cid_content=art1HL&cid=20260215&foDate=true&mid=DM1882991&rid=502919526
I’m a subscriber and I also have your books. I would love for you to write something about snoring and its effects on the snorer and (in this case) his wife who gets no sleep if she’s in the same room. After years of observing I’m thinking he doesn’t get enough sleep either! Even if he’s sleeping in another room snoring. Snoring seems extremely detrimental to the snorers mental state and mood but no one really digs into it. He does everything his Dr. tells him to do but it doesn’t stop all night. Then he falls asleep off and on during the day. I care about him and how this is effecting his health and mine! Thank you