What is Palmitoylethanolamide
Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) is a fatty acid substance that is naturally made by our bodies and performs 3 critical functions:
- Protects cells
- Reduces inflammation
- Provides pain relief
Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) protects cells and tissues against damage caused by lack of oxygen (hypoxia), mechanical damage or damage caused by inflammation.
Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) increases the effect of regular pain killing medicines. PEA is also be known to protect the nerves in chemotherapy and may have an effective anti-tumour effect.
The combination of PEA and R-alpha lipoid acid have a synergetic positive effect on diabetes, cell protection and analgesia. In chronic and neuropathic pain, a combination of acetyl L-carnite and Vitamin D3 with PEA enhances the analgesic effect. Taking a low dose vitamin B complex also helps to improve the analgesic effect of PEA.
Health Benefits of Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA)
Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) is a naturally occurring substance with numerous reported health benefits. It improves brain function, eye health, gut function, and protects the heart. PEA has been used for decades to treat chronic pain and other immune system problems that cause inflammation and pain.
So Where does Palmitoylethanolamide come from?
This natural substance was first discovered by scientists in 1957. PEA is naturally produced as an endogenous fatty acid amide in the body. Fatty acid amines, which are combinations of fatty acids and amines are found in most parts of the body. They play a key role in the biochemical signalling process.
Palmitoylethanolamide PEA is also present in many types of food that we regularly consume such as peanuts, eggs, and milk.It is naturally present in the brain and spinal cord. Scientific studies have shown that hypersensitivity to pain which occurs wherever there is a constriction of the sciatic nerve in the body is largely caused by lower levels of naturally produced PEA in the spinal cord and brain. You can therefore assume that reduced levels of PEA may be linked to increased pain hypersensitivity.
Source: Self Hacked (https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/palmitoylethanolamide-pea/)
What are the key benefits of PEA to your body?
Let’s take a look at some of the reported key benefits of this endogenous fatty acid to your body.
Reduction or Elimination of Chronic Pain and Inflammation
One of the key benefits of PEA is that it significantly reduces pain intensity. In a study conducted to determine the effect of PEA on pain, it was found that patients who were given PEA as a supplement had less pain intensity than those who didn’t take the supplement. PEA also has been found to be effective in reducing pain levels among patients suffering from back pain and fibromyalgia syndrome. A study done on women who took PEA for a period of six months showed signs of reduced pain and improved sexual function. PEA has also yielded positive results in the treatment and management of pain caused by chemotherapy. It may also be used in the management of nerve pain.
PEA Protects the Brain
Medical studies have shown that stroke patients who take PEA have better recovery outcomes than those who don’t. This is because PEA improves brain status and cognitive skills. It also helps to enhance cognitive skills and social behaviour in autistic children.
PEA experiments done on mice have also yielded interesting results. Findings from the studies showed that PEA plays a key role in preserving brain cells and reducing brain cell death and inflammation in mice. It also helped in reducing seizure reduction which means PEA can be of great help in treating epilepsy.
PEA Protects the Heart Too
In medical studies conducted on mice, PEA helped to reduce cell death and heart tissue injury. The studies also showed that PEA lowers the inflammatory cytokines level. This means that PEA helps in keeping your heart in optimal condition and can lower blood pressure among hypertensive individuals.
PEA Is Great for Eye Health
Palmitoylethanolamide is also great for the health of your eyes too. Patients with eye diseases who use PEA achieve better recovery due to the supplement’s anti-inflammatory properties. PEA can even be used as a supplement for diabetic patients with nerve damage and glaucoma. Diabetic rats fed with PEA had reduced inflammation in the eye cells.
PEA is also quite beneficial to patients suffering from eye pressure that usually follows eye surgery. Studies have shown that the use of PEA on patients with tension glaucoma, helps to improve the visual field and reduce eye damage.
It Helps Gut Function
A healthy functional gut is essential for your overall wellness. After all, you are what you eat and everything you consume is processed in your gut. A problem in the gut will have repercussions in all the other parts of the body. My mom, who was not a medical specialist by any standards, usually said it all starts in the stomach and she was never wrong.
PEA can help a lot with gut function. Studies done on rats showed that PEA helps with the management and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. It also may help to protect the kidney from injury and lower blood pressure. The supplement was also found to be effective against irritable bowel movement syndrome in rats by normalizing intestinal movement. PEA also helps to keep your gut healthy and functional.
Other Health Benefits of PEA
As an effective anti-inflammatory supplement, PEA has numerous benefits on different types of conditions and diseases including osteoarthritis, lower back pain, sciatic pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, diabetic neuropathy, dental pain, vaginal pain, post-herpetic neuralgia, chronic pelvic pain, and fibromyalgia syndrome just to mention a few.
Diabetes and Painful Neuropathy
PEA has been shown is can provide relief from the symptoms associated with Diabetes.
Palmitoylethanolamide Has No Side Effects
PEA has been shown to be safe. It has zero side effects. Over 500 studies have been conducted on Palmitoylethanolamide over a period of more than 60 years and not a single side effect has been found. There were a few older patients who experienced mild stomach discomforts but it was later found that the problem was caused by a sweetener known as sorbitol added to the PEA supplement. Today’s PEA capsules don’t contain sorbitol or any other ingredient except pharmaceutical grade Palmitoylethanolamide encased in a vegetarian capsule.
PEA is a safe fatty acid with no overdose level. You can take as much as you like without fear of overdosing. In fact, unlike other pain medications, the more PEA you take, the more effective it becomes. It may also be taken together with other medications, however please consult your doctor about this.
Conclusion
Palmitoylethanolamide is a natural substance that has many health benefits for the brain, spinal cord, gut, and other parts of the body. As more research on PEA continues, more benefits of this endogenous compound may be revealed.
References
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26815246
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26491823
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26491823
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26706245
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26491593
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27616549
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26844976
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4667059/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24818658
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23917217
PEA is also be suitable as a painkiller for animals or pets.
