What does Pterostilbene do?

Resveratrol cousin found in blueberries. Safe in short-term trials, but human benefits remain largely unproven.

Is Pterostilbene safe?

Most exciting benefits (anti-cancer, cardioprotection, joint health) are from lab and animal studies only — not proven in humans

Pterostilbene - Science-Based Research

What the Science Says

Pterostilbene is a natural polyphenol found in blueberries and grapes, and a close chemical cousin of resveratrol — but with better absorption and metabolic stability. In human trials, it has been studied mostly in combination with nicotinamide riboside (NR), where the pair showed modest reductions in liver enzyme markers (ALT and GGT) in people with fatty liver disease, and helped raise NAD+ levels in patients with acute kidney injury. Short-term use at doses of 10–200 mg/day appears safe with no reported adverse events, but most exciting findings — anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, joint protection — come from lab and animal studies, not human trials.

What It Doesn't Do

Won't cure or treat cancer in humans — all anti-tumor data is from cell lines and mice. Not proven to build or repair muscle — a clinical trial found no benefit for muscle recovery in elderly people. Doesn't reliably reduce body fat in humans — the obesity data is from rats. Not a proven treatment for fatty liver disease — it failed to reduce liver fat in the primary endpoint of its NAFLD trial. Don't assume it works like resveratrol just because they're similar — human evidence for both is thin.

Evidence-Based Benefits

Pterostilbene is a natural polyphenol found in blueberries and grapes, and a close chemical cousin of resveratrol — but with better absorption and metabolic stability. In human trials, it has been studied mostly in combination with nicotinamide riboside (NR), where the pair showed modest reductions in liver enzyme markers (ALT and GGT) in people with fatty liver disease, and helped raise NAD+ levels in patients with acute kidney injury. Short-term use at doses of 10–200 mg/day appears safe with no reported adverse events, but most exciting findings — anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, joint protection — come from lab and animal studies, not human trials.

Weak Evidence

Effective at: 10-200 mg daily (human safety established; optimal therapeutic dose unclear)

Source: auto-research

Absorption & Bioavailability

Good relative to resveratrol — pterostilbene's methoxy groups improve lipid solubility and metabolic stability, which is why it's often marketed as a 'better resveratrol.' However, human pharmacokinetic data from the provided studies is limited.

Red Flags to Watch For

Most exciting benefits (anti-cancer, cardioprotection, joint health) are from lab and animal studies only — not proven in humans
Human trials have mostly tested pterostilbene in combination with nicotinamide riboside (NR), making it impossible to isolate pterostilbene's individual contribution
The NAFLD trial failed its primary endpoint (liver fat reduction) — a key marketing claim is not supported
Optimal human dose is unknown — studies used widely varying doses with no clear dose-response relationship established
Over 1,000 supplement products contain it despite very limited standalone human clinical evidence

Products Containing Pterostilbene

See how Pterostilbene is used in these analyzed products:

NOVOS Core Clinical

Supplement

6/10 Overhyped

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Research Sources

PubMed
NIH DSLD

Effective Dosage