Pterostilbene

Supplements · Antioxidants · Supplement, Typed Supps

A plant antioxidant found in blueberries and grapes, chemically similar to resveratrol but absorbed by the body more easily.

Stage by stage

Intake (Capsule or blueberries/grapes): Taken orally, or consumed in small amounts from berries.
Small intestine (Absorbed): Absorbed more efficiently than resveratrol due to its methyl groups.
Bloodstream (Circulates): Carried through the blood to the liver and vascular tissue.
Liver & blood vessels (Lipid metabolism): Studied for modest LDL-lowering effects, with a blood-pressure caveat at higher doses.

What the evidence supports

Lowering LDL cholesterol — limited evidence. A placebo-controlled trial in people with high cholesterol found a modest LDL reduction at 50mg twice daily, but this comes from essentially one human trial — not a body of replicated evidence.
Evidence on Blood pressure effects at higher doses — limited evidence. The same trial found a small increase in blood pressure at 100mg twice daily that wasn't seen at the lower 50mg twice-daily dose, a signal worth taking seriously given how thin the human safety data still is.
Cognitive or neuroprotective benefits — insufficient evidence. Interest here is driven almost entirely by animal studies; there isn't yet meaningful human trial evidence for memory or brain-aging outcomes.

Typical dose

50–250mg per day in human trials; 50mg twice daily is the most-studied dose showing an LDL benefit without the blood-pressure increase seen at 100mg twice daily.

Upper limit: No established UL

Timing

Take with food; the best-studied dose (50mg twice daily) showed benefit without the blood pressure increase seen at 100mg twice daily.

Time to effect

Weeks: The one available human trial measured LDL changes over 6–8 weeks.

Common myth

“Pterostilbene is just a stronger, safer version of resveratrol.” In reality: It absorbs better in animal studies, but it has far less human safety and efficacy data than resveratrol, and the existing human trial found a blood pressure increase at a higher dose.