A natural compound produced after eating pomegranates may improve a hard-to-treat form of heart failure. The finding comes from a study published in Science Advances.

Researchers at King’s College London tested urolithin A in animal models. The compound improved measures of heart function by up to 80 per cent. It helped the heart relax and cut harmful scarring.

The condition is called HFpEF. The heart can pump normally but becomes too stiff to relax and fill with blood. It accounts for about half of all heart failure cases.

Urolithin A is made by gut bacteria after people eat pomegranates, walnuts and some berries. The study also tested it in engineered human heart tissue grown from stem cells.

The results are early. The strongest findings came from animal models, not patients. Clinical trials are needed before the compound can become a treatment, the researchers said. The study was funded by the British Heart Foundation. Senior author Joseph Burgoyne said the findings could open a new route to treat this difficult condition. More work is needed before patients can benefit.