Cetylated Fatty Acids (Celadrin)

Q: Do cetylated fatty acids help knee arthritis?

Small trials found less pain and better knee bending than placebo, and a 2026 meta-analysis of 7 studies found modest gains in pain and function but not stiffness.

Q: Do the creams work?

A 72-person hand trial found less pain than placebo cream over 6 weeks, and a 40-person knee trial found better mobility; pooled knee data favoured capsules over creams.

Q: Are cetylated fatty acids safe?

Trials reported few, mild side effects, and EFSA judged them safe for adults at up to 1.6 g a day. They have not been tested in pregnancy, breastfeeding or children.

Q: How much cetylated fatty acid is too much?

EFSA set a safe intake of 1.6 g a day for adults, based on animal toxicity data. The oral trials used 1,050 to 1,500 mg a day, just under that level.

Q: Can I take cetylated fatty acids with blood thinners?

There are no interaction studies. A 24-person uncontrolled study of a glucosamine-plus-Celadrin product found changes in platelet aggregation in some people, possibly reduced clotting, so tell your prescriber if you use aspirin, clopidogrel or warfarin.

Q: How do they compare with meloxicam?

In a 48-person trial, 350 mg three times a day gave similar knee scores to meloxicam, with no placebo group for comparison.

Q: What are cetylated fatty acids?

A mixture of esterified fatty acids. Celadrin is a well-known branded mix, sold as capsules and creams.

Also called CFA, cetylated fatty acid, Celadrin, cetyl myristoleate, CMO, esterified fatty acids.

Best grade C across 9 graded outcomes Fatty acid Last checked Oct 21, 2026

We earn a commission if you buy through links on this page. It never changes our grades or rankings. How we make money →

The short answer

From 12 sources

Cetylated fatty acids have small but consistent joint trials. Oral capsules eased knee-arthritis pain and improved knee bending versus placebo in trials of 60 and 64 people, and a 2026 meta-analysis found modest gains in pain and function. Creams helped hand and knee pain in short trials. Several trials were run by product makers.

Every graded outcome on this page

9 rows · line = participants

Grade CKnee osteoarthritis pain, motion and functionKnee arthritisn 357
Grade CHand osteoarthritis pain and functionHand arthritisn 72
Grade CKnee range of motion and function in osteoarthritisKnee arthritisn 64
Grade CKnee osteoarthritis pain and range of motionKnee arthritisn 60
Grade CKnee mobility and function with a topical creamKnee arthritisn 40
Grade DSub-acute or chronic musculoskeletal pain and NSAID useJoint painn 562
Grade DKnee osteoarthritis symptoms with a short cream courseKnee arthritisn 113
Grade DKnee osteoarthritis symptoms vs an anti-inflammatory drugKnee arthritisn 48
Grade DPain and function with a cream containing mentholJoint painn 28
6 more graded outcomes, in the evidence chapter

Key facts

What it is: A mixture of esterified fatty acids sold as oral capsules (such as Celadrin) and creams^2,4
Knee pain (oral, 60 people): Pain fell 1.7 cm vs 0.6 cm on placebo over 60 days at 1.5 g a day³
Pooled evidence: Small improvements in pain, knee motion and function across 7 studies (357 people); stiffness did not change²
Creams: Twice-daily cream lowered hand-arthritis pain vs placebo over 6 weeks; hand function did not differ⁷
Doses tested: 1,050 to 1,500 mg a day by mouth for 30 to 68 days; creams twice daily^3,5,6
EU safety assessment: EFSA judged cetylated fatty acids safe as a novel food at up to 1.6 g a day for adults¹¹

What it is

Cetylated fatty acids are fatty acids such as myristoleate and oleate bonded to cetyl alcohol, sold as capsules and creams for joints.

How it works

Proposed

Cetylated fatty acids are proposed to protect the joint lining and stabilize cell membranes; the human trials measured pain and movement, not a mechanism.²

Forms, side by side

2 forms named in our sources. The rest show what our data holds, and say plainly where it holds nothing yet.

Cetylated Fatty Acids (Celadrin) forms compared

2 forms

Cetylated Fatty Acids (Celadrin) forms compared: 2 forms by 3 attributes. Empty cells are labelled No data yet, or Not graded in the evidence row.
2 forms	Oral capsules (Celadrin and other CFA blends)	Topical cream (with or without menthol)
Absorption in people	Not measured in the cited trials; effects were tracked through pain and movement scores.^3,4	Applied to the skin over the joint; systemic levels were not measured.^6,7
GI tolerance	Mild adverse events in 4 of 30 people at 1.5 g a day for 60 days, with no withdrawals; none reported at 1,050 mg a day for 30 days.^3,5	No skin reactions with CFA cream over 6 weeks in the hand trial (two in the placebo group).⁷
Studied for	Knee osteoarthritis pain and motion	Knee and hand osteoarthritis

Oral capsules (Celadrin and other CFA blends)
Absorption in people
Not measured in the cited trials; effects were tracked through pain and movement scores.^3,4
GI tolerance
Mild adverse events in 4 of 30 people at 1.5 g a day for 60 days, with no withdrawals; none reported at 1,050 mg a day for 30 days.^3,5
Studied for
Knee osteoarthritis pain and motion
Topical cream (with or without menthol)
Absorption in people
Applied to the skin over the joint; systemic levels were not measured.^6,7
GI tolerance
No skin reactions with CFA cream over 6 weeks in the hand trial (two in the placebo group).⁷
Studied for
Knee and hand osteoarthritis

What the human research says

Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form line shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.

Trial map

9 graded outcomes, largest study first

9 graded outcomes: 8 improved, 1 mixed. The largest, a 2025 observational study of 562 people on Sub-acute or chronic musculoskeletal pain and NSAID use, found an improvement.

By sizeTable

1Sub-acute or chronic musculoskeletal pain and NSAID use

Improved · Grade D · Observational, 562 people, 2025

Italian adults (mean age 49) prescribed oral CFA by 120 primary care physicians

Dose, result and source

Every graded outcome on this page, largest study first
Outcome	Found	People	Study	Who was studied
Sub-acute or chronic musculoskeletal pain and NSAID use	Improved	562	Grade D · Observational, 2025	Italian adults (mean age 49) prescribed oral CFA by 120 primary care physicians
Knee osteoarthritis pain, motion and function	Improved	357	Grade C · Meta-analysis, 2026	Adults with knee osteoarthritis in 5 RCTs and 2 pre-post studies
Knee osteoarthritis symptoms with a short cream course	Improved	113	Grade D · Open-label trial, 2018	Adults with knee osteoarthritis at Italian rheumatology centres (median age 70)
Hand osteoarthritis pain and function	Improved	72	Grade C · RCT, 2025	Adults over 40 with hand osteoarthritis in Thailand (36 per group)
Knee range of motion and function in osteoarthritis	Improved	64	Grade C · RCT, 2002	Adults with chronic knee osteoarthritis (33 CFA, 31 placebo)
Knee osteoarthritis pain and range of motion	Improved	60	Grade C · RCT, 2025	Adults with grade 3-4 knee osteoarthritis and moderate pain (mean age 66, 85% female) in Georgia
Knee osteoarthritis symptoms vs an anti-inflammatory drug	Mixed	48	Grade D · RCT, 2023	Adults with knee osteoarthritis in Shiraz, Iran
Knee mobility and function with a topical cream	Improved	40	Grade C · RCT, 2004	Adults with knee osteoarthritis (20 per group)
Pain and function with a cream containing menthol	Improved	28	Grade D · Open-label trial, 2005	Adults with knee osteoarthritis (10) or elbow (8) or wrist (10) arthritis pain

Every graded row

9 rows

Form tested

Showing 9 of 9 outcomes. Human trials only.

Grade CKnee osteoarthritis pain, motion and functionKnee arthritisModest pain and function gainsMeta-analysis · 7 studies
n 357 · 2026

Improved Pain (SMD -0.37), knee range of motion and physical function improved; stiffness did not. In subgroups, benefits were seen with oral capsules but not with creams.

Design: Meta-analysis, 7 studies, n = 357, 2026
Population: Adults with knee osteoarthritis in 5 RCTs and 2 pre-post studies
Form: Oral capsules or topical cream
Dose: Varied by study
Duration: Varied by study
Source: Reference 2 · PubMed 40737055 (opens PubMed)

Grade CHand osteoarthritis pain and functionHand arthritisLess pain, same functionRCT
n 72 · 2025

Improved Pain scores were lower than placebo at 6 weeks (2.2 vs 3.2, P < 0.05) and global assessment was better; the hand-function index (FIHOA) did not differ. No skin reactions with CFA.

Design: RCT, n = 72, 2025
Population: Adults over 40 with hand osteoarthritis in Thailand (36 per group)
Form: Cetylated fatty acid cream (vs placebo cream)
Dose: Applied twice a day
Duration: 6 weeks
Source: Reference 7 · PubMed 39920164 (opens PubMed)

Grade CKnee range of motion and function in osteoarthritisKnee arthritisBetter knee bending and functionRCT
n 64 · 2002

Improved Knee flexion rose 10.1 degrees vs 1.1 on placebo (p < 0.001) and the Lequesne index improved 5.4 vs 2.1 points; knee extension did not change in either group.

Design: RCT, n = 64, 2002
Population: Adults with chronic knee osteoarthritis (33 CFA, 31 placebo)
Form: Celadrin capsules (placebo: vegetable oil)
Dose: Dose not stated in the abstract
Duration: 68 days
Source: Reference 4 · PubMed 12180734 (opens PubMed)

Grade CKnee osteoarthritis pain and range of motionKnee arthritisLess pain, better bendingRCT
n 60 · 2025

Improved Pain fell 1.7 cm vs 0.6 cm on placebo (VAS, p < 0.005) and flexion improved 3.8 degrees more; the WOMAC difference (-3.7) was not significant (p = 0.108). 4 of 30 people reported mild adverse events.

Design: RCT, n = 60, 2025
Population: Adults with grade 3-4 knee osteoarthritis and moderate pain (mean age 66, 85% female) in Georgia
Form: Oral cetylated fatty acid supplement
Dose: 1.5 g a day
Duration: 60 days
Source: Reference 3 · PubMed 40855215 (opens PubMed)

Grade CKnee mobility and function with a topical creamKnee arthritisBetter mobilityRCT
n 40 · 2004

Improved Stair climbing, up-and-go time, knee range of motion and the medial step-down test improved with CFA cream and not with placebo; reach improved more than placebo.

Design: RCT, n = 40, 2004
Population: Adults with knee osteoarthritis (20 per group)
Form: Cetylated fatty acid cream (vs placebo cream)
Dose: Applied twice a day
Duration: 30 days
Source: Reference 6 · PubMed 15088305 (opens PubMed)

Grade DSub-acute or chronic musculoskeletal pain and NSAID useJoint painLess pain, no control groupObservational
n 562 · 2025

Improved Overall pain score fell 38.84% and interference with daily activities 44.53%; NSAID dose and frequency fell 19.7%, and 55.2% rated NSAID-related heartburn as improved.

Design: Observational, n = 562, 2025
Population: Italian adults (mean age 49) prescribed oral CFA by 120 primary care physicians
Form: Oral cetylated fatty acid food supplement
Dose: Not stated in the abstract
Duration: 30 days
Source: Reference 12 · PubMed 40462886 (opens PubMed)

Grade DKnee osteoarthritis symptoms with a short cream courseKnee arthritisLower symptom scores, no control groupOpen-label trial
n 113 · 2018

Improved Overall WOMAC scores and subscales fell after one week (p < 0.005), including in more advanced disease.

Design: Open-label trial, n = 113, 2018
Population: Adults with knee osteoarthritis at Italian rheumatology centres (median age 70)
Form: Cetylated fatty acid cream
Dose: Two applications a day
Duration: 1 week
Source: Reference 9 · PubMed 30874246 (opens PubMed)

Grade DKnee osteoarthritis symptoms vs an anti-inflammatory drugKnee arthritisSimilar to meloxicamRCT
n 48 · 2023

Mixed Total WOMAC and Oxford Knee Scores did not differ from meloxicam at 2, 4 or 8 weeks after treatment; both groups improved from baseline. No adverse events with CFA.

Design: RCT, n = 48, 2023
Population: Adults with knee osteoarthritis in Shiraz, Iran
Form: Oral CFA capsules vs meloxicam 15 mg (no placebo)
Dose: 350 mg three times a day
Duration: 30 days
Source: Reference 5 · PubMed 38282946 (opens PubMed)

Grade DPain and function with a cream containing mentholJoint painBetter function, no control groupOpen-label trial
n 28 · 2005

Improved Knee patients improved stair climbing and up-and-go performance by about 12% with less pain; elbow and wrist patients improved local muscular endurance. Grip strength did not change.

Design: Open-label trial, n = 28, 2005
Population: Adults with knee osteoarthritis (10) or elbow (8) or wrist (10) arthritis pain
Form: Cetylated fatty acid cream with menthol
Dose: Applied twice a day
Duration: 1 week
Source: Reference 8 · PubMed 15903393 (opens PubMed)

What the numbers add up to

Each point is worked out from the data and the sources numbered on this page, with the arithmetic shown under it. It adds no new data and is not medical advice.

Small effects, short trials

The largest placebo-controlled trials enrolled 60 to 72 people for 6 weeks to about 2 months; the pooled pain effect was modest (SMD -0.37).^2,3,4,7

Pain improved more than function scores

The 2025 oral trial and the hand-cream trial both found less pain, but WOMAC and hand-function scores did not beat placebo.^3,7

Studied doses

Doses used in research, shown against the official limits. They describe the studies, not a recommendation for you.

Studied doses in research, not advice. These are amounts used in research, not personal advice. Your clinician or pharmacist can say what fits you.

Doses studied in human trials

Doses studied in human trials ranged from 350 mg three times a day for 30 days to 1.5 g a day for 60 days by mouth; cream trials used two applications a day for 1 to 6 weeks.^5,3,7,9

When trials measured an effect

2 outcomes

How long trials ran before effects were measured
Outcome	Measured at	Basis
Joint function with creams	Within 1 week (uncontrolled studies); 30 days in the placebo-controlled knee trial	Function and WOMAC scores improved after one week of twice-daily cream in two uncontrolled studies; the controlled knee-cream trial measured at 30 days.^8,9,6
Knee pain and motion with capsules	Day 60 to 68 (end of trial)	The placebo-controlled oral trials measured pain and knee flexion at 60 and 68 days.^3,4

Interactions and safety

Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.

What Cetylated Fatty Acids meets

1 cited row

Medicines 1

Cetylated Fatty Acids1 medicine · 0 supplements

Supplements and foods 0

No supplement rows in our sources.

Measured in a human study

Interactions

1 agent

Published interactions, grouped by kind
Agent	What the source says	Evidence
Medicines1
Antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugse.g. aspirin, clopidogrel, warfarin	In 24 healthy adults, 2 weeks of a glucosamine-plus-Celadrin product (about 1,500 mg a day) changed platelet aggregation in some people: 5 had at least a 20% change with ADP, and 6 and 7 showed significant changes with collagen and arachidonic acid; the P2Y12 assay was unchanged. Glucosamine may have contributed, and use with blood thinners has not been studied.¹⁰	PK study

Check with what you take

Kept on this device only

Add what you take. We list every interaction our evidence profiles cite between Cetylated Fatty Acids and your picks, and between your picks.

Add a supplement or medicine

Most cited:

Add a supplement or medicine you take to check it against Cetylated Fatty Acids.

Starting from one medicine? The interaction checker rates how serious each pair is, on a curated list of 19 entries for 11 medicines. This cabinet has no severity rating: it lists every interaction row our supplement pages cite.

Who should be careful

3 groups

Pregnancy, breastfeeding and children: EFSA assessed cetylated fatty acids as safe for adults only (up to 1.6 g a day); no data exist for pregnancy, breastfeeding or children, and NCCIH notes many supplements have not been tested in these groups.^11,1
Medicines and surgery: NCCIH advises that supplements may interact with medications or pose risks before surgery, and to tell your health care providers about everything you use.¹
Bleeding risk and surgery: A small uncontrolled study of a glucosamine-plus-Celadrin product found changes in platelet aggregation in some healthy adults, so people on blood thinners or facing surgery may want to tell their clinician they use it.¹⁰

How to read the label

What to check on the Supplement Facts panel.

How to read the label

2 checks

Check the CFA amount, not the blend total

Oral trials gave 1,050 to 1,500 mg of cetylated fatty acids a day; some products add MSM or glucosamine, which were not part of these trials.^3,5

Capsule and cream evidence differ

In the meta-analysis subgroups, pain and function gains were seen with oral capsules, not creams, although a later hand trial found less pain with cream.^2,7

Have the bottle? Photograph its Supplement Facts panel and see each line, cetylated fatty acids (celadrin) included, beside the doses and forms the trials used in Label X-Ray.

Where to buy Cetylated Fatty Acids (Celadrin)

Products from brands we partner with that contain Cetylated Fatty Acids (Celadrin). Check the amount per serving against the doses studied above, and the label for other ingredients.

Cetylated Fatty Acids (Celadrin) products from partner brands

1 product Paid links · we earn a commission

HerbsProNOW Foods Celadrin & MSM, 120 Caps
3 capsules: 1,500 mg Celadrin (esterified fatty acids) plus 300 mg MSM; the 2025 oral trial used 1.5 g CFA a day without MSM
$22.48one-timeChecked Oct 15, 2026
Shop at HerbsPro (paid link, opens in new tab)

Frequently asked questions

Short answers to common questions; the numbers link to the sources below.

Common questions

7 answers

Do cetylated fatty acids help knee arthritis?

Small trials found less pain and better knee bending than placebo, and a 2026 meta-analysis of 7 studies found modest gains in pain and function but not stiffness.^2,3,4

Do the creams work?

A 72-person hand trial found less pain than placebo cream over 6 weeks, and a 40-person knee trial found better mobility; pooled knee data favoured capsules over creams.^7,6,2

Are cetylated fatty acids safe?

Trials reported few, mild side effects, and EFSA judged them safe for adults at up to 1.6 g a day. They have not been tested in pregnancy, breastfeeding or children.^3,7,11,1

How much cetylated fatty acid is too much?

EFSA set a safe intake of 1.6 g a day for adults, based on animal toxicity data. The oral trials used 1,050 to 1,500 mg a day, just under that level.^11,3,5

Can I take cetylated fatty acids with blood thinners?

There are no interaction studies. A 24-person uncontrolled study of a glucosamine-plus-Celadrin product found changes in platelet aggregation in some people, possibly reduced clotting, so tell your prescriber if you use aspirin, clopidogrel or warfarin.¹⁰

How do they compare with meloxicam?

In a 48-person trial, 350 mg three times a day gave similar knee scores to meloxicam, with no placebo group for comparison.⁵

What are cetylated fatty acids?

A mixture of esterified fatty acids. Celadrin is a well-known branded mix, sold as capsules and creams.^2,4

Sources

12 sources: trial abstracts, NIH fact sheets and reference databases. Numbers in the text link here.

Sources cited on this page

12 sources

1Using Dietary Supplements WiselyFact sheet National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), 2019 · nccih.nih.gov
2Effects of cetylated fatty acids on knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of real-world evidence.Meta-analysis Clin Exp Rheumatol, 2026 · PMID 40737055
3Effects of orally administered cetylated fatty acids on symptoms and functional capacity in patients with knee osteoarthritis: results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.RCT Eur J Clin Nutr, 2025 · PMID 40855215
4Cetylated fatty acids improve knee function in patients with osteoarthritis.RCT J Rheumatol, 2002 · PMID 12180734
5An Oral Form of Cetylated Fatty Acids versus Meloxicam for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomised Clinical Trial.RCT Mediterr J Rheumatol, 2023 · PMID 38282946
6Effect of a cetylated fatty acid topical cream on functional mobility and quality of life of patients with osteoarthritis.RCT J Rheumatol, 2004 · PMID 15088305
7Impact of topical cetylated fatty acid cream on hand osteoarthritis: a randomized, double-blind clinical trial.RCT Sci Rep, 2025 · PMID 39920164
8A cetylated fatty acid topical cream with menthol reduces pain and improves functional performance in individuals with arthritis.Open-label trial J Strength Cond Res, 2005 · PMID 15903393
9Short-Term Effect of Topical Cetylated Fatty Acid on Early and Advanced Knee Osteoarthritis: A Multi-Center Study.Open-label trial Arch Rheumatol, 2018 · PMID 30874246
10Effects of glucosamine and Celadrin on platelet function.Open-label trial Clin Lab Sci, 2010 · PMID 20218092
11Safety of Cetylated Fatty Acids as a Novel Food pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283.Guideline EFSA J, 2021 · PMID 34306218
12A Real-World Study of Cetylated Fatty Acids Food Supplement Administration in Italian Adults for Sub-Acute or Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain.Observational J Pain Res, 2025 · PMID 40462886

What changed

Every dated change to this page: what changed, who made it and why.

Change log

2 entries

Dated changes to this page
Date	Change	Who and why
Oct 21, 2026evidence; interactions; who should avoid; FAQ; questions; related	Added the 2025 Italian real-world study of oral CFA for musculoskeletal pain (562 people, uncontrolled; PharmaNutra employees among authors), the 2010 platelet-function study (new antiplatelet and anticoagulant interaction and a bleeding/surgery note) and the 2021 EFSA novel-food opinion (safe for adults up to 1.6 g a day, now cited for the pregnancy and children note). Time-to-effect rows, two FAQ items, three page questions and a goal-hub link. Interaction check: LactMed, LiverTox, NCCIH and MedlinePlus have no CFA entry; the platelet study is the only human interaction-relevant data found. PubMed search to October 2026 found no trial newer than the 2026 meta-analysis.	Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: A–Z audit against docs/supplements/AUDIT-STANDARD.md
Oct 15, 2026all	Initial editorial evidence review. Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (title, year, journal; none retracted) and each cited abstract read; numbers taken from the abstracts (full text or registry used only where noted). Funding disclosed per study: PharmaNutra S.p.A. (2025 oral trial, full text); no funding (2025 hand trial, full text); the 2023 and 2018 authors declare no conflicts; the 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2026 abstracts name no funder (disclosed as not stated). The 2005 balance paper (PMID 15705022) appears to report the same 40-patient cohort as the 2004 trial and is not counted. No CFA-specific page exists on our approved safety sources, so safety rows use only NCCIH general supplement guidance. Where to buy: NOW Foods Celadrin & MSM (label checked 2026-10-15).	Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: new page

Supplement & Nutrient Encyclopedia. Educational information only; it is not medical advice and does not replace a clinician. Dietary supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Statements about supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA.

Cetylated Fatty Acids (Celadrin)

Medicines 1

Supplements and foods 0

Antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs