Supplement
Phenylethylamine (PEA) is a compound your body makes naturally, where it helps release dopamine and norepinephrine and is linked to mood regulation. People mostly look at it for mood, but no clinical trials of PEA supplements have been run, so the evidence is very limited. Oral PEA is broken down within minutes by an enzyme called MAO-B, so very little appears to reach the brain, and the mood, focus and exercise ideas rest on mechanism alone.
- Updated
- How we grade
- Best evidence
- Grade D
- Conditions studied
- 2
- Outcomes
- 3
- Graded outcomes
- 0003
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
General
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mood Enhancement Endogenous PEA is mechanistically linked to mood regulation via catecholamine release and TAAR1 agonism, with low urinary PEA levels associated with depression. However, no clinical trials exist for oral PEA supplementation, and oral PEA has a <5 minute half-life due to rapid MAO-B metabolism, resulting in negligible brain penetration. Evidence is entirely mechanistic/theoretical. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect |
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attention and Focus Altered PEA signaling has been associated with ADHD in mechanistic studies, and endogenous PEA modulates dopamine and norepinephrine pathways relevant to attention. No clinical trials of oral PEA supplementation for attention exist, and the rapid MAO-B degradation of oral PEA makes supplementation ineffective without co-administered MAO inhibitors (which carry safety risks). | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect |
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exercise-Induced Euphoria Endogenous PEA levels increase during exercise and are mechanistically implicated in the 'runner's high' phenomenon via catecholamine release. Some pre-workout supplements include PEA, but no clinical trials demonstrate that oral PEA supplementation enhances exercise performance or mood during exercise, as the fundamental oral bioavailability limitation (rapid MAO-B destruction) remains unaddressed. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect |
Key findings
- Mood EnhancementImproves (the measure goes up)
- Attention and FocusImproves (the measure goes up)
- Exercise-Induced EuphoriaImproves (the measure goes up)
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Third-party tested Phenylethylamine products. The evidence above is limited, so read it before you buy.
- Grade D
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