Roll Call

Phenylethylamine (PEA) — answers to PEA

Synthetic

Hasn’t appeared in a scanned product yet.

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A naturally occurring trace amine found in the body and in foods like chocolate, structurally related to amphetamine-class stimulants but far weaker in effect.

Why it’s used

Taken by some for reported effects on mood or energy.

What the evidence says

Oral PEA is broken down very quickly by an enzyme in the gut and liver, and there is little clinical trial evidence in humans supporting mood or energy claims from oral supplementation. No NIH ODS fact sheet or major systematic review addresses it.

Where we looked

There was no paper to cite here, so this is the search instead — run it yourself and see what we saw.

  • PubMed: 3 records · searched August 2026"Phenylethylamine"[Title/Abstract] AND ("dietary supplements"[MeSH] OR supplementation[Title/Abstract] OR supplement[Title/Abstract] OR supplements[Title/Abstract] OR "oral administration"[Title/Abstract]) AND (randomized controlled trial[pt] OR clinical trial[pt] OR meta-analysis[pt] OR systematic review[pt]) AND humans[MeSH]
  • PubMed: 2570 records · searched August 2026"Phenylethylamine"[Title/Abstract]

This says what this database holds under these terms. It is not a finding that no research exists.

Context

Its rapid breakdown after oral intake is a recurring point in the pharmacological literature and complicates interpreting any reported effects from supplement-level doses.

Insufficient dataToo little has been studied to say either way.

Educational information, not medical or safety advice. Consult a professional for allergies or medical concerns.