Oleoylethanolamide

Oleoyl ethanolamide

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Appetite and weight control^{1, 2} Cardiometabolic markers³ Gut microbiome and barrier⁴ Postprandial incretin response⁵ Fatty liver risk factors^{6, 7} Fatigue and mood⁸ Antioxidant capacity^{3, 9}	Pregnancy or nursing¹⁰ Under age 18¹⁰ Milk allergy¹⁰

Oleoylethanolamide (OEA) is an endogenous lipid derived from oleic acid that signals satiety and fat handling after a meal.^{1, 2} Supplementation is used for appetite and weight management in adults with overweight or obesity. It is also used for cardiometabolic markers and gut health, with exploratory work in fatigue and mood.

An exploratory trial in veterans with Gulf War illness found less fatigue and better mood but no change in cognition or pain⁸. In a 2023 pilot study of fasting in healthy adults, OEA rose during fasting and, with three other metabolites, mimicked fasting's effects on human macrophages and extended roundworm lifespan; no human trial has tested longevity. Three products listing OEA appear in the label database, all multi-ingredient capsules or powders; see Form comparison.

Per United States (US) product labels, one of three advises consulting a physician before use with antidepressants, blood pressure or diabetes medications, or heart, liver, kidney, thyroid, or psychiatric conditions¹⁰.

Last updated October 17, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

42 sources, 31 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources