Urolithins, the rescue of "old" metabolites to understand a "new" concept: Metabotypes as a nexus among phenolic metabolism, microbiota dysbiosis, and host health status

Tomás-Barberán FA, González-Sarrías A, García-Villalba R, Núñez-Sánchez MA, Selma MV, García-Conesa MT, Espín JC · Molecular Nutrition & Food Research

Sets out why two people eating the same pomegranate end up with different compounds in their blood. Urolithins — far better absorbed than the ellagitannins they come from — are produced by gut bacteria, and people sort into distinct metabotypes by which urolithins they make, a pattern the authors link to microbiota composition and health status.

Population

Human studies of ellagitannin metabolism

Intervention

Dietary ellagitannins and ellagic acid from pomegranate, berries and nuts

Comparator

Not applicable

Limitations

Review, and the metabotype-to-health-outcome link is association. No joint endpoint anywhere in it.