The Effect of a Dispersible Palmitoylethanolamide (Levagen+) Compared to a Placebo for Reducing Joint Pain in an Adult Population – A Randomised, Double-Blind Study

Abstract

A commonality of all joint pain is the existence of inflammation. Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) is an endogenous saturated fatty acid derivative that down-regulates multiple proinflammatory and nociceptive pathways and known to inhibit mast and glial cell activity. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of PEA (Levagen+), for alleviating joint pain and improving quality of life in adults. A randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled study on adults reporting joint pain. 74 participants that received either PEA (n=35) or a placebo (n=39) daily for 2 weeks completed this study. The primary outcome was a self-assessed reduction in pain as assessed by a visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, completed in the morning and evening. VAS pain scores reduced over the 2 weeks of treatment in both groups. Morning VAS scores were significantly reduced from baseline in the PEA and placebo groups from day 3 and 4 respectively. VAS scores were significantly lower in the PEA group compared to the placebo group on day 14 (P<0.05). Evening VAS scores were significantly reduced from baseline in both the PEA and placebo groups from day 3. Total mood scores for both groups were similar at baseline but was significantly different at the end of the study, with the PEA group decreasing and the placebo group increasing. This study demonstrates that PEA may be a safe and effective option for reducing joint pain. Future studies should investigate whether long-term supplementation can show further improvements in pain scores.