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Fatty acids, lipids & phospholipids

Oleamide

Oleamide ((Z)-octadec-9-enamide)

Oleamide is an endogenous fatty-acid amide sold as 100 mg capsules. Controlled human supplement evidence is very limited, so the catalog does not establish a sleep, calming, or cognitive benefit. Current products should be approached as experimental rather than as validated consumer supplements.

Isolated CompoundEndogenous CompoundLimited Human Evidence
Updated August 2026/4 min read/6 citations
Reviewed by the NootropicsIndex editorial team.Method: prioritize cited human research and official safety or regulatory sources; compare retailer-listed prices without endorsing products.Affiliate disclosure
01

What is it?

What Oleamide is

1

Oleamide is an endogenous fatty-acid amide. Current listed products are 100 mg capsules. Laboratory and animal literature does not establish a reliable consumer outcome or safety profile.

Evidence boundary6
Oleamide is better framed as an experimental isolated lipid than as a validated consumer product. A 12-week trial randomized 60 healthy Japanese adults aged 50-75 across three groups, including 60 micrograms daily of oleamide; that does not establish efficacy or safety for the listed 100 mg capsules.
02

Names, aliases and forms

Common NameOleamide
Chemical NamesOleic acid amide; (Z)-octadec-9-enamide; 9Z-octadecenamide
Cas Number301-02-0
03

Mechanisms of action

Endocannabinoid-linked signaling

4

Oleamide has been studied in laboratory models as an endogenous fatty-acid amide. Mechanistic findings do not establish a reliable supplement effect in humans.

Preclinical signaling findings

5

Laboratory studies explore several signaling systems. These findings are not evidence of a human sleep, calming, or cognitive benefit.

04

Potential effects and evidence map

Oleamide has laboratory and animal research, including receptor and sleep-related models. That does not establish a reliable outcome or safety profile for consumer supplementation, and it should not be presented as a validated sleep or nootropic product.

Effect domainMagnitudeGrade
Sleep quality6
UnknownConfidence: Low

One small 12-week microdose trial explored sleep-related outcomes, but it does not establish a benefit or safety profile for 100 mg consumer capsules.

Note This required card records a narrow human-evidence limit, not a demonstrated benefit.

1/5
D
05

Safety, side effects and risk profile

Sedation / impairment3
Confidence: Low

Direct human evidence does not characterize alertness, coordination, or reaction-time effects at consumer capsule doses.

Note An evidence gap is not proof of impairment.

1/5
D
Evidence uncertainty6
Confidence: High

The 2024 human trial used 60 micrograms daily for 12 weeks, far below listed 100 mg capsules; consumer-dose safety and duration remain uncertain.

Note The uncertainty supports careful interpretation, not a quantified harm prediction.

2/5
D
limited direct evidence3experimental context

Direct human supplement safety data are limited. Avoid assuming that animal findings predict drowsiness, reaction-time change, or next-day effects in people.

Sparse human data5do not normalize daily use

Long-term consumer use, tolerance, discontinuation effects, and functional effects have not been characterized well enough for confident guidance.

06

Practical buying and quality notes

  • The current active listings are 100 mg capsules in two package sizes. A duplicate 120-count catalog row should be resolved by inventory maintenance, but the listed substance identity is consistent.1
  • Compare the labeled substance, capsule count, and seller documentation. Do not infer safety or efficacy from a high-purity claim alone.1
07

FAQ

Is Oleamide a night-rest supplement?

3

Controlled human supplement evidence is too limited to establish oleamide as a night-rest product. Separate marketing from the mainly preclinical literature.

08

References

  1. PubChem Compound Summary for Oleamide, CID 5283387.
  2. Cravatt BF, Prospero-Garcia O, Siuzdak G, Gilula NB, Henriksen SJ, Boger DL, Lerner RA. Chemical characterization of a family of brain lipids that induce sleep. Science. 1995;268(5216):1506-1509.
  3. Basile AS, Hanus L, Mendelson WB. Characterization of the hypnotic properties of oleamide. Neuroreport. 1999;10(5):947-951.
  4. Leggett JD, Aspley S, Beckett SR, D'Antona AM, Kendall DA. Oleamide is a selective endogenous agonist of rat and human CB1 cannabinoid receptors. British Journal of Pharmacology. 2004;141(2):253-262.
  5. Boger DL, Henriksen SJ, Cravatt BF. Oleamide: an endogenous sleep-inducing lipid and prototypical member of a new class of biological signaling molecules. Current Pharmaceutical Design. 1998;4(4):303-314.
  6. Sasaki M, Oba C, Nakamura K, Takeo H, Toya H, Furuichi K. Milk-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. Front Nutr. 2024;11:1357920.
Note

This page is informational and summarizes available evidence. It is not medical advice, a recommendation, or a substitute for guidance from a qualified clinician.