The following protocol is usually recommended for a course of PEA:

• 3 capsules a day, one with each main meal, for the first two months.
• 2 capsules a day for the following two months.
• 1 capsule a day thereafter until the end of the supplementation period.

If necessary, however, PEA can be taken on a continuing basis.

It’s advisable, throughout the supplementation period, to try to follow the measures below:

• Regular exercise whenever possible.
• Acupuncture.
• Massage therapy.
• Relaxation techniques such as meditation or visualisation.

The salicin and flavonoids present in white willow first and foremost benefit the plant itself. They improve its resistance to pathogens and insects which feed off its sap (phloem). More surprisingly, salicin also acts as a communicator between willow trees. When one tree is attacked by a virus, salicin is converted into methyl salicylate, an organic compound which is dispersed into the atmosphere and protects other plants from the danger to which it is exposed. It is a genuine signalling substance capable of activating defence genes in the tissues of neighbouring plants (20).

What’s more, because it contains anti-inflammatory compounds able to relieve pain in the herbivores consuming its leaves, shoots and bark, the plant is attractive to animals, thus increasing the dispersal of its seeds. This may therefore be an evolutionary strategy designed to increase its expansion and survival.

Following ingestion, PEA is rapidly distributed throughout the body. One study even showed that some of the palmitoylethanolamide molecules reach the brain (3), with a relatively diverse distribution (the cerebral cortex, hypothalamus and white matter are the areas in which most PEA is found).

Are there any contraindications associated with taking PEA?

Over the course of twelve clinical studies conducted since 1972, researchers have not found PEA supplementation to produce any particular side-effects (4) - hardly surprising given that palmitoylethanolamide is produced naturally by the body’s cells.

Nor have any drug interactions been identified to date. However, anyone suffering from kidney or liver problems is advised to start with 400mg daily (1 capsule) and gradually increase the dose over subsequent weeks.

These safety indications only apply to supplements made from pharmaceutical grade palmitoylethanolamide such as our product, PEA. Avoid palmitoylethanolamide of unknown origin to prevent any nasty surprises.

Unlike aspirin, willow bark has been shown in clinical trials to have almost no adverse side-effects (21). In particular it has a far weaker anti-platelet effect. Nevertheless, those suffering from gastritis, coagulation problems, haemophilia, kidney disorders or stomach ulcers should seek medical advice before taking willow extract.

In addition, those with an aspirin allergy or hypersensitivity could well find the same problem with willow bark.

It’s estimated that around 80% of the salicin in willow bark extract is absorbed following ingestion. It is then metabolised into saligenin by gut flora, and subsequently converted into salicylic acid (22). It is thus salicin which comes into contact with the digestive tract and not salicylic acid as is the case with aspirin.