Research
Mixed
Stimulating mitophagy (the removal of damaged mitochondria) using compounds like spermidine or urolithin A can prevent age-related pathologies and extend lifespan in model organisms.
Dietary sources of spermidine (e.g., wheat germ, cheese) and urolithin A precursors (pomegranate) may support mitochondrial quality control. However, do not expect these to replace exercise or guarantee lifespan extension in humans based on current evidence.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Agents such as spermidine and urolithin A appear to stimulate mitophagy and thereby prevent age-related pathologies... certain naturally occurring compounds such as the polyamine spermidine appear to increase autophagy and mitophagy, resulting in an increase in lifespan and a protection from age-related diseases (87). Similarly, urolithin A... also stimulate mitophagy and appear to extend the lifespan of worms and improve muscle function in old mice (88).
Why this rating
Strong evidence in worms and mice, but human data is observational or based on surrogate markers (muscle function) rather than lifespan extension.
Source
The role of mitochondria in aging
Ji Yong Jang et al. · Journal of Clinical Investigation · 2018
DOI 10.1172/jci120842
narrative_reviewCited 360×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Mitochondrial dysfunction and the subsequent release of mitochondrial DAMPs (such as mtDNA and ROS) drive chronic sterile inflammation (inflammaging), which accelerates aging and age-related pathologies.Good
- A decline in mitophagy with age leads to the accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria, increased ROS, and functional decline, suggesting that restoring mitophagy could mitigate age-related deficits.Good
Related findings · Mixed
- Bariatric surgery (VSG and RYGB) is the most effective and sustainable treatment for obesity, producing marked and sustained weight loss that non-surgical interventions cannot match.Strong
- Severely protein-deficient diets (2–3% energy) induce lean body mass loss and metabolic imbalance, whereas adequate protein intake (0.66 g/kg/d minimum) is a prerequisite for maintaining muscle, bone, and physiological function.Strong
- For patients with Class III obesity (BMI >39.9 kg/m2), metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) is significantly more effective than any currently approved medication, with BilioPancreatic Diversion (BPD) showing the highest estimated weight loss.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →