Pomegranate compound improves heart function by up to 80% in study

A natural compound the body produces after consuming foods such as pomegranates may improve heart function by as much as 80% in experimental models of a form of heart failure that currently has relatively few treatment options.

Researchers at King's College London found that urolithin A, which is produced in the body after eating foods including pomegranates, walnuts and some berries, can help the heart relax more effectively. The compound also reduced scarring and limited harmful enlargement of the heart.

A Difficult Form of Heart Failure to Treat

The findings could eventually benefit nearly half a million people in the UK who have a form of heart failure in which the heart can still pump blood effectively but becomes too stiff to relax properly between beats. As a result, the heart has more difficulty filling with blood.