Pterostilbene for Anti-Aging Effects
Pterostilbene is promoted as a more bioavailable resveratrol analogue, but no human trial has measured aging outcomes.
Overview
Verdict
How It Works
Dosing & Protocol
Typical dose
- Recommended dose
- Studied at 50-250 mg/day for up to 8 weeks; no anti-aging outcome has been measured in humans
- Expected timeframe
- Not established
Protocol
- form
- Pterostilbene, a dimethylated analogue of resveratrol with higher oral bioavailability and a longer half-life
- duration
- The main human trial ran 6-8 weeks
- co factor
- Evidence is insufficient. Pterostilbene is pharmacologically more attractive than resveratrol - roughly 80% oral bioavailability versus 20%, and a half-life of around 105 minutes versus 14 - and preclinical work shows it activates SIRT1 and AMPK, reduces oxidative stress and extends lifespan in some invertebrate models. Human data amount to a small number of short trials measuring blood pressure, lipids and oxidative markers. The single notable finding, from Riche and colleagues, was that pterostilbene raised LDL cholesterol at 250 mg/day. No human trial has measured any aging endpoint - not epigenetic clocks, not functional decline, not morbidity, not lifespan.
- titration
- Not applicable - no dose has been shown to affect any aging outcome in people
- starting dose
- Not established. Human trials used 50-250 mg/day, most commonly 100 mg twice daily
Evidence
What the studies say
No studies are yet linked to both Pterostilbene and Anti-Aging Effects.
Safety
Caveats
Anti-aging is not a measurable clinical endpoint, and no supplement has been shown to slow human aging. The interventions with real evidence for healthspan are unglamorous: physical activity including resistance training, not smoking, limiting alcohol, sleep, maintaining social connection, controlling blood pressure and diabetes, and preventive care including cancer screening and vaccination. Commercial biological age tests have not been validated for guiding treatment decisions. Safety of pterostilbene: the specific finding to flag is that in the Riche trial, 250 mg/day raised LDL cholesterol by a clinically relevant margin, and the effect was attenuated when combined with grape extract - raising LDL is the opposite of a longevity intervention and is a reason for caution at higher doses. That trial also found small blood pressure reductions. Human safety data extend only to about 8 weeks, so longer-term safety is unknown, and no upper intake level exists. Like resveratrol, pterostilbene inhibits CYP enzymes in vitro and may have antiplatelet effects, so caution with anticoagulants, antiplatelet drugs and medications with narrow therapeutic windows, and stop before surgery. Avoid in pregnancy and breastfeeding, as no safety data exist.
Less likely to help if
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