Let’s Examine the Potential Benefits:
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Palmitoylethanolamide has such a vast array of potential benefits that an entire series of articles could be written on it. For the purposes of this write up, we will attempt to touch on a variety of them but will keep the amount of detail brief for ease of readability and space constraints.
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Natural Pain Relief & Inflammation Support:
Palmitoylethanolamide is found naturally in the body and its levels increase when tissue damage occurs.
Palmitoylethanolamide has been shown to help reduce inflammation and pain associated with a variety of conditions including arthritis, neuropathic (nerve) pain, injuries, migraines, and chronic pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia, lower back pain, sciatica, and more.
One study found that when people took a daily supplement of 600 mg. of Palmitoylethanolamide, 88% reported being able to move around more comfortably and 82% reported a 50% or greater reduction in pain severity within 3 weeks.
A very interesting and unique aspect of Palmitoylethanolamide is that it helps support pain relief and inflammation in quite a few different ways, making it a multi-faceted approach to natural pain relief and inflammation support.
COX-2:
Research has shown that levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) are elevated during periods of pain and inflammation, including neuroinflammation.
Palmitoylethanolamide has been shown to work by inhibiting the production of inflammatory mediators, such as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). It has also been shown to stimulate the production of anti-inflammatory factors, such as IL-10.
Endocannabinoid System:
Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) is an endocannabinoid-like lipid mediator that plays an important biological role within cells in response to pain. It has extensively documented anti-inflammatory properties and is commonly used for supporting the relief of pain and inflammation.
Endocannabinoids are released by the body to help control the immune response when there is an injury or inflammation. Palmitoylethanolamide helps increase the levels of endocannabinoids in the body, ultimately leading to reduced pain and inflammation.
Nerve Pain:
Palmitoylethanolamide has been shown to reduce the release of inflammatory chemicals and reduce overall nerve inflammation. This makes it unique in its role of being able to help with certain types of pain that many other natural supplements aren’t able to, such as sciatica and carpal tunnel.
Palmitoylethanolamide has also been reported to inhibit the release of proinflammatory mediators from activated mast cells and reduce mast cell recruitment and activation at sites of nerve injury. Palmitoylethanolamide treatment has even been shown to inhibit microglial activation and mast cell recruitment to the spinal cord following peripheral nerve injury, spinal cord neuroinflammation, or spinal cord injury.
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Joint Health & Mobility:
Palmitoylethanolamide has been shown in numerous clinical studies to support a reduction in arthritis related pain, inflammation, and stiffness.
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Lower Back Pain & Sciatica:
Palmitoylethanolamide has been shown in studies to help with lower back pain and sciatica. In one study on people with lower back pain and sciatica, for every seven patients treated, approximately four received significant pain relief with PEA supplementation.
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Carpal Tunnel:
Palmitoylethanolamide has been shown to help with nerve pain, and a study on Palmitoylethanolamide in people with carpal tunnel syndrome found improved sleep and decreased pain with its use.
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Migraines:
Palmitoylethanolamide has been shown to effectively reduce pain during migraines in some people. The mechanism of action of Palmitoylethanolamide is not entirely clear but is thought to involve the regulation of inflammatory mediators such as prostaglandins and cytokines.
In a 2022 study, 25 patients with migraines were given Palmitoylethanolamide. The study found that the number of days with headaches decreased from 10 per month to 6.6 per month and that pain medication use was also reduced. Another study done on children over the course of three months showed that supplementing with Palmitoylethanolamide cut migraine frequency in half while also decreasing their severity.
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Cognitive Health & Nootropic Support:
Palmitoylethanolamide is a natural fatty acid that is made in the brain and has anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects.
Palmitoylethanolamide has been shown to stimulate healthy brain cells, reduce inflammation in the brain, and to help protect neurons from excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, and cell death induced by inflammatory mediators.
It has also been shown to help support neurobehavioral functions, including memory and learning, by reducing oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory marker expression as well as rebalancing glutamatergic transmission.
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Healthy Aging:
The term healthy aging can mean different things to different people, and many of the benefits of Palmitoylethanolamide discussed in this section may meet many people’s definitions.
Combating inflammation is a popular topic in terms of longevity and anti-aging discussion, and Palmitoylethanolamide has exciting potential for its natural anti-inflammatory potential.
In addition, Palmitoylethanolamide is believed to act as an anti-aging supplement by helping to protect cells from oxidative damage, which is a leading reason of why people age.
Oxidation occurs when cells are exposed to free radical activity and damage, which can lead to cell death. This can be contributed to by the way we eat, many of the bad habits that we may have, or other environmental factors such as air pollution, and much more. Palmitoylethanolamide may help to reduce this damage by scavenging free radicals and reducing overall inflammation in the body.
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Athletic Performance & Recovery:
Palmitoylethanolamide may support improved athletic performance and recovery by helping to reduce inflammation and promoting healing. It has also been shown to support improved protein synthesis.
