Pterostilbene
Snapshot
| Indications | Contraindications |
|---|---|
Pterostilbene is a dimethylated analogue of resveratrol found primarily in blueberries, with greater lipophilicity and cellular uptake than its parent compound6. It participates in sirtuin signaling7. It is taken for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory support, most often paired with nicotinamide riboside to raise nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) in older adults. The pairing has also been studied for liver enzyme markers in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and for menopausal symptoms.
Pterostilbene alone lowered blood pressure in adults with raised cholesterol2. In aged mice, a 2025 study found pterostilbene improved implantation and live birth rates; no human trial has tested this. Capsules dominate the products listing pterostilbene; see Form comparison.
The most consequential caution is lipid-related: low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol rose with pterostilbene alone in one trial, an effect not seen with grape extract2. Per United States product labeling, some labels ask users of prescription diabetes medication to consult a health care professional first5.
Last updated October 16, 2026. Read how we make monographs.
In the full monograph
35 sources, 25 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.
Sources
- 1Repeat dose NRPT (nicotinamide riboside and pterostilbene) increases NAD+ levels in humans safely and sustainably: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govDellinger, Santos, Morris et al. · NPJ aging and mechanisms of disease · 2017 · Pubmed
- 2Pterostilbene on metabolic parameters: a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trial.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govRiche, Riche, Blackshear et al. · Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2014 · Pubmed
- 3Nicotinamide riboside and pterostilbene reduces markers of hepatic inflammation in NAFLD: A double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govDellinger, Holmes, Hu-Seliger et al. · Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) · 2023 · Pubmed
- 4An Open-Label Single-Arm, Monocentric Study Assessing the Efficacy and Safety of Natural Pterostilbene (Pterocarpus marsupium) for Skin Brightening and Antiaging Effects.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govMajeed, Majeed, Jain et al. · Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology · 2020 · Pubmed
- 5US product labelsdsld.od.nih.govWarnings printed on US dietary supplement labels with this ingredient, from the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements' Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD). Manufacturers' precautions, not evidence of harm
- 6Occurrence, Bioavailability, Anti-inflammatory, and Anticancer Effects of Pterostilbene.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govLin, Leland, Ho et al. · Journal of agricultural and food chemistry · 2020 · Pubmed
- 7Nicotinamide riboside with pterostilbene (NRPT) increases NAD+ in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI): a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, stepwise safety study of escalating doses of NRPT in patients with AKI.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govSimic, Vela Parada, Parikh et al. · BMC nephrology · 2020 · Pubmed