Trehalose is a natural sugar (a disaccharide). In animal studies it switches on autophagy, the cell's clean-up system, which led to trials in people.
Also known as: mycose, tremalose, alpha,alpha-trehalose.
Studies used 100 g a day by mouth for 12 weeks (Kaplon 2016), 30 g an hour during cycling (de Oliveira 2024), and 0.75 g per kg into a vein weekly for 24 weeks (HEALEY 2025). These are study protocols, not a recommendation.
Trehalose is taken by mouth as a sugar; the ALS trial below tested it as an investigational drug given into a vein.
What studies show: in the HEALEY ALS Platform Trial (161 people with ALS), weekly IV trehalose for 24 weeks did not slow disease progression compared with placebo, and the authors concluded it is unlikely to work at that dose (HEALEY 2025). In 32 healthy adults aged 50 to 77, 100 g a day by mouth for 12 weeks improved small-artery function by about 30% compared with maltose, but only in those whose weight stayed stable (Kaplon 2016). In 13 cyclists, 30 g an hour during a long ride improved a 20-minute time trial versus water, but not versus other carbohydrates (de Oliveira 2024).
Safety: in the ALS trial, serious adverse events occurred in 16% on trehalose and 7% on placebo, and 12% versus 2% stopped early; no death was judged related to the drug (HEALEY 2025). Trehalose is a sugar and adds calories. The sources here do not describe drug interactions.
We could not find a single published half-life or time to peak for trehalose that applies to a supplement dose, so we do not list one.
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