July 20, 2023

You may have picked up on this if you're a regular listener, but there's this molecule that I've been pretty jazzed about over the past year: Urolithin A. It's found in tons of the best superfoods, like pomegranates, walnuts, and raspberries, and it's emerging as a serious player in the longevity and age-reversal space, sitting alongside stalwarts like NAD, C60, Astaxanthin, Spermidine, Fish Oil, peptides, stem cells.
Yet, I've realized that I haven't dug into the nitty-gritty about Urolithin A. Its sources, bioavailability, and dosing carry some nuances that I haven't fully explored on the podcast. As this supplement is growing in popularity and showing some incredibly promising benefits, it's about time I changed that.

So, I'm bringing in a heavy hitter: Dr. Anurag Singh. He serves as the Chief Medical Officer at Timeline Nutrition, where they develop nutritional and skincare products that focus on enhancing mitochondrial and cellular health. Their star player? A Urolithin A supplement known as Mitopure. Dr. Singh boasts an impressive background, with an M.D. in internal medicine and a Ph.D. in immunology. His resume includes time at both consumer health giants, like Nestlé, and nimble startups, such as Amazentis/Timeline.

This man is no stranger to science. With more than 40 articles published in top-tier journals, 15 patents to his name, and over 50 randomized clinical trials under his belt, he brings an extensive understanding of Urolithin A to the table. His research over the past decade has led to the launch of several consumer products. At Timeline, you have him to thank for what they call the “first and only purified Urolithin A supplement backed by 15 years of clinical research with human trials and consistent consumer use.”

So, strap in. We're about to dive deep into what Urolithin A is, why it's such a potent force for healthy aging, the subtle aspects of an effective Urolithin A supplement, and, most importantly, how you can incorporate this powerhouse molecule into your own wellness journey. If you're ready to test the waters with the products we discuss, click here and use the code BEN for a 10% discount on your purchase. 

During our discussion, you'll discover:

-Dr. Anurag Singh…05:28

• Urolithin A (use code BEN to save 10%)
  • Popular age reversal supplement
• Dr. Anurag Singh
  • MD in internal medicine
  • Ph.D. in immunology
  • Worked with different food companies, including Nestle
  • Worked with different startups, including Timeline Nutrition
• Worked on research and development of Urolithin A

-How Dr. Singh became interested in Urolithin A…07:41

• Worked as an internal medicine doctor
• Realized that for a lot of chronic conditions, it was too late to intervene
• Started researching natural compounds
• Was looking at bringing the biotech approach to nutrition
• Stumbled into Urolithin A

-What is Urolithin A?…08:25

• A metabolite found in food like pomegranate, walnuts, pecans, raspberries
  • Foods are full of antioxidants – polyphenols
• When digested, the gut microbiome releases this food metabolite called Urolithin A
  • It is a postbiotic vs. a pro or prebiotic
• Does the efficiency of Urolithin A depend on our own unique biome?
• Viome
• Genova Diagnostics
• Done several clinical trials all around the world
• The best producers are the French
  • Eating closer to the Mediterranean diet
  • Fruits, berries, nuts, cheese, wine, fermented foods
• 30-40% of people have a healthy gut microbiome
  • American population – only 10-12%
• Timeline has a blood test; finger prick blood swabbing 
  • Shows if your body is naturally producing Urolithin A
  • Looking at the presence of urolithin A in the blood
• Some people naturally produce Urolithin A, while there are those who don't produce it, like Dr. Singh
• Is it genetics or diet?

-The benefits of supplementing with Urolithin A?…14:54

• People should eat good sources of Urolithin A
• Those that cannot produce it need to take supplements
• It’s like vitamin C
  • We all know it is in orange juice, but still take the supplement
• Ranges of adequate Urolitihin A levels for mitochondrial benefits
• Dr. Singh has looked deeply into the microbiome and blood levels
• Published the results in Nature Metabolism Journal
• 500mg is when you start seeing positive effects
  • The compound rewires the mitochondria from poor to healthy 
• Functional benefits after 2 months of supplementation
  • Dietary exposure – from 10 to 100 nanograms per volume
  • Direct supplementation – an average of 300-400 nanograms

-What is Urolithin A doing in the body?…19:27

• Highly energetic cells, like skeletal muscle or neuron cells, are very active
  • Very high metabolic demand
• Healthy mitochondria accumulate oxidative stress and become damaged
  • You need to clean those faulty mitochondria
• NAD supplementation targets mitochondrial biogenesis, trying to grow healthier mitochondria
• Also CoQ10 or L-Carnitine or Fish Oil or C60 or Astaxanthin
• Need to clear out the waste in a process of mitophagy – autophagy of the mitochondria
• Urolithin A revs up mitophagy and cleans out the faulty mitochondria
• Mitophagy leads to a higher abundance of healthy mitochondria
  • It also improves the quality of mitochondria – cells are more energetic
• A number of control trials showing
  • Strength and endurance improved
  • 20% resistance to fatigue
• Up to 1000 milligrams have even greater benefits from a performance standpoint

-Side effects from a higher amount of Urolithin A…24:57

• Conducted a lot of safety tests
  • Thousands of people in randomized trials
• It's a very safe molecule, with no product-related adverse effects
• As a pure natural compound, it's very safe
• Certain people may have some allergies to some components
• GRAS – Generally Recognized As Safe

-Timeline’s Urolithin A vs. similar products…26:42

• Some companies claim their probiotics can naturally increase the production of Urolithin A
• Seed Synbiotic
• Dr. Singh ran clinical trials in the nutrition industry for 20 years
• The gut microbiome is very complex
• Direct calibrated supplementation leads to better and more consistent real-life results
• Three pillars of human health:
  • Regular exercise
  • A good diet rich in fiber, probiotics, vitamins, and minerals
  • Advanced calibrated supplementation to boost cellular health
• Is there anything that particularly differentiates Timeline’s Urolithin A? (use code BEN to save 10%)
• A whole array of patents protecting health benefits
• The way they deliver the molecule
  • Coated in soft gels that are rich in MCT's to enhance absorption

-Urolithin A in skin products…32:05

• Very common question is how do you measure mitochondrial health?
  • More energy, less fatigue
• It’s not a youth pill
  • It’s hitting the pathways that are important for cellular health and recycling
• Skin cells have a lot of mitochondria
  • Started looking into its effects on skin
  • Saw the same effects as in muscle cells
• Formulated day and night creams
• The result is improved cellular energy and less inflammation in the skin
• Oral consumption vs. direct transdermal application
  • Making sure skin mitochondria gets Urolithin A (use code BEN to save 10%)
• Podcast with Bryan Johnson
  • A Step-By-Step Blueprint For Longevity: The Most Advanced Age Reversal Strategies Known To Humankind, With Bryan Johnson.
• Bryan Johnson's Blueprint

Other compounds for age reversal…25:57

• Biogenesis booster molecules NR, NMN
• Dr. Singh also likes CoQ10
• The literature about it is mixed
• A molecule that directly goes into mitochondria
• It’s important in the whole sort of energy metabolism pathways
• The best things for autophagy and mitophagy are:
  • Regular exercise
  • Intermittent fasting
• A study about low doses of aspirin
  • Induces cellular autophagy mechanisms in a similar way that fasting does

-Dr. Singh’s typical day in terms of age reversal strategies…38:30

• Dr. Singh's priority list to improve mitochondrial function
  1. Regular physical activity
     • 10,000 steps a day
  2. Two healthy meals a day with intermittent fasting
  3. Avoiding stress
  4. Sleep has a big impact on mitochondrial function at the cellular level
  5. Advanced nutritional supplementation
     • Urolithin A (use code BEN to save 10%)
     • Spermidine
• How does Dr. Singh prioritize sleep?
  • Stops looking at his phone screen after work
  • Plays with his kids
  • Goes to bed around 10:30
• Ion Layer transdermal NAD
• Creatine
• No trials for Urolithin A for sleep deprivation
  • Anecdotally, people say they wake up earlier and feel refreshed

-The use of Urolithin A for workouts…43:10

• It takes about a few hours for it to start absorbing
• Peaks in the blood about six to eight hours after taking it
• 1g for recovery
• The study on athletes was only focused on recovery
  • Showed profound effects on recovery and muscle damage
• Best to take during training or post-workout

-What combines best with Urolithin A?…45:14

• Evidence-based:
  • MCTs
  • High protein
• CoQ10
• Aminos
• Kion Protein
• The blend of Urolithin A and whey protein by Timeline (use code BEN to save 10%)
• Developing protein shakes
• Running trials with injured athletes
• Boosts muscle mass and muscle quality and energetics

-Current Timeline Nutrition Urolithin A studies…48:21

• Dr. Singh, as an immunologist
  • Believes there's a big impact on the immune system
  • Also, a big impact on gut health
• A paper put out last year in the journal Immunity
  • The data is pretty remarkable
  • Use in post-cancer patients
  • Impact on cognitive health
  • The protection of stem cells
• Other studies

-Can you excessively turn over mitochondria?…51:20

• You can’t overdo mitophagy
  • Take faulty mitochondria and put them into healthier mitochondria
• It’s a modulator of mitochondria
• Blood test by Timeline 
• Mitopure is the highly pure form of Urolithin A (use code BEN to save 10%)

-Benefits of Urolithin A on the brain…55:32

• Timeline Nutrition has been approached by the National Institute of Aging
  • They study the best effects of natural compounds on neuron cells
  • Mitophagy decline in neuron cells in diseases like Alzheimer's and Urolithin A is one of the top inducers and really is neuroprotective
• Combining with
  • Methylene blue (use code BEN to save 10%)
  • Red light therapy
• Combining with ketone esters
• Qualia Mind
• Nootopia (use code BEN10 to save 10%)
• Future research – how to stack Urolithin A with smart drugs and nootropics

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Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.

Resources from this episode:

– Dr. Anurag Singh:

• Timeline (use code BEN to save 10%)
• Mitopure Challenge

– Podcasts:

• A Step-By-Step Blueprint For Longevity: The Most Advanced Age Reversal Strategies Known To Humankind, With Bryan Johnson.

– Other Resources:

• NAD 
• CoQ10 
• L-Carnitine 
• Fish Oil 
• C60 
• Astaxanthin
• NR
• NMN
• Spermidine
• Ion Layer Transdermal NAD
• Creatine
• Aminos
• Kion Protein
• Ketone Esters
• Qualia Mind
• Nootopia (use code BEN10 to save 10%
• Methylene Blue (use code BEN to save 10%)
• Red Light Therapy
• Seed Synbiotic
• Viome
• Genova Diagnostics

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Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for Anurag Singh or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!