Oleamide
Also called cis-9-octadecenamide, cis-9,10-octadecenoamide, oleic acid amide, oleylamide.
Best grade D across 2 graded outcomes Other Last checked
The short answer
From 3 sourcesOleamide is a fatty acid amide that induced sleep in rodents. Its only human trial, funded by the dairy company Meiji and run by its researchers, randomized 60 Japanese adults aged 50 to 75 with self-noticed memory decline to 60 micrograms a day, a white-mold milk culture or placebo for 12 weeks. Memory screening scores improved versus placebo; sleep scores did not.
Every graded outcome on this page
2 rows · line = participantsKey facts
- Memory
- 60 μg/day for 12 weeks improved MCI Screen memory scores and immediate and delayed recall vs placebo in older Japanese adults1
- Sleep
- Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores did not differ significantly from placebo, though they improved within the oleamide group1
- Funding
- The trial was funded by Meiji Co., Ltd., and four of the six authors were Meiji employees; the same trial tested a white-mold milk culture from Meiji's researchers1
- Dose
- The studied amount is tiny: 60 micrograms (0.06 mg) a day1
- Origin
- First isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of sleep-deprived cats; synthetic oleamide induced sleep when injected into rats2
What it is
Oleamide is a fatty acid amide made in the body and found in camembert-type fermented dairy, first identified as a sleep-inducing lipid in animals.
How it works
ProposedOleamide is an endogenous lipid that builds up in cerebrospinal fluid during sleep deprivation in rats. In animal and lab studies it enhances GABA-A and serotonin receptor currents and acts partly through cannabinoid pathways. It is broken down by the enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase. How an oral dose acts in people is unknown.32
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.
Oleamide forms compared
2 forms| 2 forms | Capsules | Milk-based culture of Penicillium camemberti (white mold) |
|---|---|---|
| Absorption in people | No human absorption data in our sources.1 | No human absorption data in our sources.1 |
| GI tolerance | No adverse events related to the test foods over 12 weeks.1 | No adverse events related to the test foods over 12 weeks.1 |
| Studied for | Memory and sleep | Memory and sleep (dose equal to 60 μg/day oleamide) |
- Oleamide capsules
- Milk-based culture of Penicillium camemberti (white mold)
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
2 graded outcomes, largest study first2 graded outcomes: 1 improved, 1 no effect. The largest, a 2024 randomized trial of 58 people on memory screening scores (MCI Screen) and word recall, found an improvement. 2 of the 2 enrolled only people aged 50 or over.
Bar: the ages a study enrolled (running to the edge when it states no upper or lower limit). Dot: only a mean age, counted as near your age within 5 years. Tick: the mean age inside a range.
1Memory screening scores (MCI Screen) and word recall: improved, 50–75
2Sleep quality (PSQI-J): no effect, 50–75
1Memory screening scores (MCI Screen) and word recall
Improved · Grade D · RCT, 58 people, 2024
Healthy Japanese adults aged 50-75 aware of their own cognitive decline
Dose, result and source| Outcome | Found | People | Study | Who was studied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memory screening scores (MCI Screen) and word recall | Improved | 58 | Grade D · RCT, 2024 | Healthy Japanese adults aged 50-75 aware of their own cognitive decline |
| Sleep quality (PSQI-J) | No effect | 58 | Grade D · RCT, 2024 | Healthy Japanese adults aged 50-75 aware of their own cognitive decline |
Every graded row
2 rowsDGrade DMemory screening scores (MCI Screen) and word recallMemoryBetter memory screening scoresRCT
n 58 · 2024
Improved The MCI Screen memory performance index improved vs placebo (p < 0.001), as did immediate and delayed free recall. Cognitrax scores rose in all groups. No adverse events related to the test foods.
- Design
- RCT, n = 58, 2024
- Population
- Healthy Japanese adults aged 50-75 aware of their own cognitive decline
- Form
- Oleamide capsules vs placebo (a third arm received a white-mold milk culture)
- Dose
- 60 μg/day
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Source
- Reference 1 · PubMed 38600994 (opens PubMed)
DGrade DSleep quality (PSQI-J)SleepNo difference vs placeboRCT
n 58 · 2024
No effect No significant differences among groups on the PSQI-J; within the oleamide group, overall score, subjective sleep quality and sleep latency improved from baseline.
- Design
- RCT, n = 58, 2024
- Population
- Healthy Japanese adults aged 50-75 aware of their own cognitive decline
- Form
- Oleamide capsules vs placebo
- Dose
- 60 μg/day
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Source
- Reference 1 · PubMed 38600994 (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.
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 a single dose level only: 60 micrograms (0.06 mg) of oleamide per day for 12 weeks. These are research doses, not recommendations.1
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 Oleamide meets
1 cited rowMedicines 1
Supplements and foods 0
No supplement rows in our sources.
- Reference summary
Choose a medicine or supplement above to read its cited rows here.
Also cited:
Sedatives and sleep medicines
ReviewReference summary
Sedatives and sleep medicines, for example Triazolam and other benzodiazepines: In rodents, oleamide shortened the time to fall asleep when combined with a below-threshold dose of triazolam. No human data exist.
Source 3, Neuropsychopharmacology (2001)
Interactions
1 agent| Agent | What the source says | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Medicines1 | ||
| Sedatives and sleep medicinese.g. Triazolam and other benzodiazepines | In rodents, oleamide shortened the time to fall asleep when combined with a below-threshold dose of triazolam. No human data exist.3 | Review |
Check with what you take
Kept on this device onlyAdd what you take. We list every interaction our evidence profiles cite between Oleamide and your picks, and between your picks.
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Add a supplement or medicine you take to check it against Oleamide.
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
4 groups- People using sedatives or sleep medicines
- Animal research shows oleamide adding to the effect of a benzodiazepine sleep drug; this has not been studied in people.3
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding and children
- The only human trial enrolled adults aged 50 to 75, so there are no safety data for other groups.1
- Long-term use
- Human data cover 12 weeks at 60 micrograms a day in about 20 people per group.1
- People with memory concerns
- The trial enrolled healthy people with self-noticed decline. It says nothing about dementia or diagnosed cognitive impairment.1
How to read the label
What to check on the Supplement Facts panel.
How to read the label
1 checksMicrograms, not milligrams
The trial used 60 μg (0.06 mg) a day. Check the unit on the label; amounts in milligrams are far above anything tested in people.1
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to common questions; the numbers link to the sources below.
Common questions
8 answersDoes oleamide help sleep?
Does oleamide help memory?
In one 12-week Meiji-run trial in older Japanese adults, 60 μg a day improved memory screening scores vs placebo. It has not been repeated.1
Is oleamide safe?
No adverse events were linked to it over 12 weeks at 60 micrograms a day. Higher amounts and longer use have not been studied in people.1
How much oleamide was studied?
Only one amount has been tested in people: 60 micrograms (0.06 mg) a day for 12 weeks, in adults aged 50 to 75.1
Does oleamide interact with sleep medicines?
In rodents, oleamide added to the effect of a low dose of the sleep drug triazolam. No human interaction studies exist, so interaction data are limited to animal work.3
Is oleamide safe in pregnancy or while breastfeeding?
There are no data. The only human trial enrolled adults aged 50 to 75.1
What is oleamide?
Is camembert a source of oleamide?
Oleamide forms when the white mold used for camembert, Penicillium camemberti, ferments milk. The trial tested a milk culture of that mold giving the same 60 micrograms a day; our sources do not give the amount in cheese.1
Sources
3 sources: trial abstracts, NIH fact sheets and reference databases. Numbers in the text link here.
Sources cited on this page
3 sources- 1Milk-based culture of Penicillium camemberti and its component oleamide affect cognitive function in healthy elderly Japanese individuals: a multi-arm randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.RCT Front Nutr, 2024 · PMID 38600994
- 2Chemical characterization of a family of brain lipids that induce sleep.Animal study Science, 1995 · PMID 7770779
- 3The hypnotic actions of the fatty acid amide, oleamide.Review Neuropsychopharmacology, 2001 · PMID 11682271
What changed
Every dated change to this page: what changed, who made it and why.
Change log
3 entries| Date | Change | Who and why |
|---|---|---|
| FAQ | Searched PubMed for new human oleamide trials (none since PMID 38600994). Added four FAQs on the studied amount, sleep-medicine interactions, pregnancy and breastfeeding, and camembert. | Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: A–Z page audit |
| all | Initial editorial evidence review (first draft). Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (titles and years taken from the record, none retracted) and the abstract read for each cited row. Studied doses are reported as research doses, not dosing advice. | Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: new page |
| key facts, evidence | Review fix: added the funding statement of PMID 38600994 ("This research received funding from Meiji Co., Ltd."). | Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: adversarial review |
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.