Palmitoylethanolamide

Palmitoylethanolamide or Palmitoylethanolamine or PEA is a naturally occurring fatty acid that is available as a supplement and may have benefits for chronic pain, fibromyalgia, and for some mast cell activation or neurological diseases.

PEA is not derived from marijuana but is an endocannabindiol-like compound that affects on some of the same pathways that marijuana compounds like THC and CBD do, and may have similar effects but without the potential for abuse found in THC or cannabis.

PEA is also known as palmitoylethanolamide powder, hydroxyethylpalmitamide, Impulsin, N-(2-Hydroxyethyl) hexadecanamide, N-(2-Hydroxyethyl)palmitamide, Palmitamide MEA, Palmitic Acid Monoethanolamide, um-PEA, Palmidrol, and under various brand names including Normast®︎.

Ultramicronized PEA
Ultramicronized PEA, also known as um-PEA or PEA-um is a form of palmitoylethanolamide available under the brand name Normast.

Theory
PEA has been suggested as a potential treatment for both Long COVID and ME/CFS, based on the common microvascular symptoms of Long COVID and supported by Scheibenbogen and Wirth's Unifying hypothesis of endothelial dysfunction as the cause of neurological symptoms in ME/CFS.

PEA is a Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor (PPAR) alpha agonist, a group of drugs with the potential to improve endothelial health and function in ME/CFS, as well as being anti-inflammatory.

Costs and availability
Available without a prescription, in the form of a powder, sublingual treatment, capsules and cream.

Normast
Epitech's Normast is probably the best known brand of PEA, and has been used for multiple clinical trials including for fibromyalgia pain, and unsuccessfully in spinal cord injury patients where it was found to be not statistically more effective than a placebo for nerve pain, spasicity, and insomnia, and for other chronic health conditions. Normast ultramicronized PEA and is manufactured in Italy.

Other brands
Brands of PEA other than Normast include Levagen or Levagen+, Optipea, PeaCURE, PeaPlex, PeaPure, Mirica, and Soothamide.

Buy online

 * Vitalitus - United States
 * Normast - ViaFarmacia, Italy, worldwide shipping
 * RS Supplements - Netherlands, worldwide shipping

Notable studies

 * 2002, The Palmitoylethanolamide Family: A New Class of Anti-Inflammatory Agents?
 * 2009, The potential benefits of palmitoylethanolamide in palliation: a qualitative systematic review (Full text)
 * 2012, New Targets in Pain, Non-Neuronal Cells, and the Role of Palmitoylethanolamide (Abstract)
 * 2014, Palmitoylethanolamide in CNS health and disease (Abstract)
 * 2021, The microvascular hypothesis underlying neurologic manifestations of long COVID-19 and possible therapeutic strategies (Full text)

Learn more

 * Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) - WebMD
 * PEA Frequently Asked Questions - Vitalitus