Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) is a fatty acid amide the body makes naturally, described in research as cannabimimetic (acting somewhat like cannabinoids). As a supplement it is taken mainly for chronic and nerve pain.
Also known as: PEA, palmidrol, micronized PEA.
The trials in the meta-analyses used different amounts and preparations, and the abstracts give no single amount, so we do not list one.
It is sold in the US as a dietary supplement. Under the 1994 dietary supplement law (DSHEA), FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they are marketed, and the maker, not FDA, is responsible for safety and labeling.
What studies show: a 2023 meta-analysis of 11 double-blind trials (774 patients) found PEA reduced chronic pain scores compared with placebo or other treatments, and no major side effects were attributed to it; the authors said the best dose and form still need study (Lang-Illievich 2023). A 2017 meta-analysis of 10 studies found more pain relief than inactive controls but said the underlying trials and their side effect reporting were often of poor quality; one author was from Therapix Biosciences, a drug company (Artukoglu 2017).
Safety: no major side effects were attributed to PEA in the 2023 meta-analysis, though the 2017 analysis noted side effects were often poorly assessed. The sources here do not describe drug interactions.
We could not find a single published half-life or time to peak for PEA that applies to a supplement dose, so we do not list one.
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