Pterostilbene (trans-pterostilbene)

Pterostilbene (3,5-dimethoxy-4'-hydroxy-trans-stilbene) is a methylated analogue of resveratrol found in blueberries, grape leaves, and Pterocarpus heartwood. The two methoxy groups raise oral bioavailability to roughly 80% (vs ~20% for plain trans-resveratrol) and extend plasma half-life. Sold in the UK as a food supplement at 50–250 mg/day. NO UK food-supplement health claims are authorised. A small statistically-significant LDL cholesterol rise at 250 mg/day in a controlled trial complicates lifestyle-marketing positioning. Pregnancy: avoid supplemental forms.

Camden Medicals editorial · Last reviewed 11 June 2026 · Next review December 2026

  • Cross-checked against
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Camden's editorial team independently graded each health claim below on the strength of the published evidence — see the grade beside every condition.

Class
Polyphenol
Top use evidence
Limited
On this page
  1. What it is
  2. How it works

What it is

Pterostilbene is a stilbene polyphenol structurally related to resveratrol — specifically, the 3,5-dimethyl-ether of resveratrol. The two methoxy groups in place of two of resveratrol's three hydroxyl groups confer greater lipophilicity and resistance to first-pass glucuronide / sulphate conjugation. Plain trans-resveratrol has roughly 1–20% oral bioavailability (depending on the metric and study); pterostilbene lands closer to 80% in animal pharmacokinetic studies and pre-clinical human work, with a plasma half-life around 105 minutes (versus ~14 minutes for trans-resveratrol). The pharmacokinetic edge is the central reason supplement formulators specify pterostilbene rather than resveratrol when delivery to plasma is the design constraint.

Dietary sources include blueberries (the principal food source — Vaccinium corymbosum and related Vaccinium species, 99–520 ng/g of fresh fruit depending on cultivar and growing conditions), grape leaves and skins (lower than resveratrol), peanuts (trace), and the heartwood of Pterocarpus marsupium (the Indian Kino tree — historically the source of "kino", and the original isolation source from which the pterostilbene name derives). Commercial UK food-supplement pterostilbene is overwhelmingly chemically synthesised to >99% trans-pterostilbene purity — plant-source extraction at supplement-grade purity is more expensive and less consistent. Synthesis routes typically Wittig-condense 3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde with a 4-hydroxyphenyl-methyltriphenylphosphonium ylide, followed by isomerisation to the trans-isomer.

Regulatory note: pterostilbene is lawful as a UK food supplement when sourced from non-novel routes; the synthetic isolated form at supplement-grade purity should be checked against the GB Novel Foods Register before retail. There are NO UK-authorised health claims for pterostilbene under Regulation 1924/2006 (retained). UK supplement marketing must therefore stay descriptive of the stilbene class and dietary sources, NOT make body-effect claims. The Riche et al 2014 LDL signal is the principal piece of human safety data that distinguishes pterostilbene from resveratrol in the editorial framing — a finding that does not appear in the resveratrol literature at comparable doses.

At a glance

  • A stilbene polyphenol — 3,5-dimethoxy-4'-hydroxy-trans-stilbene — found in blueberries, grape leaves, and Pterocarpus marsupium heartwood. Most UK supplement pterostilbene is chemically synthesised to >99% trans-pterostilbene purity rather than plant-extracted.
  • NO UK-authorised food-supplement health claims. No EFSA-authorised claim wording exists for pterostilbene under Regulation 1924/2006 (retained). Sirtuin / lifespan framing is editorial commentary, not authorised claim language; UK supplement copy must stay descriptive.
  • Methylation gives pterostilbene a meaningful pharmacokinetic edge over plain trans-resveratrol — roughly 80% oral bioavailability versus ~20% for resveratrol, plasma half-life around 105 minutes versus ~14 minutes for resveratrol, less first-pass glucuronidation. The supplement-design implication is that lower per-serving milligram doses can reach plasma concentrations comparable to higher-dose resveratrol.
  • Riche et al 2014 (a 6-8 week placebo-controlled human trial in 80 hypercholesterolaemic adults) reported a small statistically-significant LDL cholesterol rise at 250 mg/day. The signal is modest but reproducible enough to warrant caution in any cardiovascular-positioning marketing.
  • Drug interactions: pending pterostilbene-specific human studies, the editorial position is to apply resveratrol-class warnings — CYP3A4 / CYP2C9 / CYP2D6 inhibition, antiplatelet activity. Disclose use to your prescriber if you take warfarin, ciclosporin, statins, NSAIDs, or chemotherapy.
  • Pregnancy and breastfeeding: avoid supplemental forms. Dietary pterostilbene from blueberries is not the concern — concentrated supplement forms have not been studied for reproductive safety.

What people use it for

  • NB-161 NMN Complex customers seeking the resveratrol-class polyphenol stack at sensible dose

    Per-capsule pterostilbene at 100 mg sits within the published trial dose range and complements the trans-resveratrol fraction of the formulation. Customer interest in the stilbene-class polyphenols is typically anchored to general healthy-ageing framing rather than a specific clinical endpoint. [1,2]

    Some evidenceLimited

  • Adults considering polyphenol supplementation but bouncing off resveratrol bioavailability

    Pterostilbene's methoxy groups confer roughly 4× the oral bioavailability of plain trans-resveratrol; for adults who have taken resveratrol and were unconvinced, pterostilbene is a reasonable lower-dose alternative within the same chemical family. The exchange is bioavailability for the LDL signal at the upper end of the dose range. [3,2]

    Some evidenceLimited

How it works

Pterostilbene engages multiple in-vitro pathways: SIRT1 / sirtuin modulation (similar mechanistic framing to resveratrol but with questions over fluorescence-assay artefacts that affect both substances), AMPK activation, NF-κB pathway inhibition, antioxidant activity (radical scavenging — though pterostilbene's two methoxy groups remove the para-hydroxyl that drives much of resveratrol's direct radical-scavenging activity, so the antioxidant case is more indirect than for plain resveratrol), and CYP3A4 / CYP2C9 / CYP2D6 inhibition extrapolated from class data. The CYP inhibition is the drug-interaction-relevant activity at standardised supplement doses; the sirtuin / AMPK framing is mechanistic rather than UK-authorised-claim-backed.

Common myths

Myth""Pterostilbene is a more powerful antioxidant than resveratrol.""

RealityDirect radical-scavenging activity actually requires the para-hydroxyl group that pterostilbene's methylation removes. In direct ORAC / DPPH assays, plain trans-resveratrol typically scores higher than pterostilbene. Pterostilbene's practical edge is bioavailability — more of an ingested dose reaches plasma — not direct antioxidant chemistry. The antioxidant-superiority framing is marketing shorthand that misreads the biochemistry.

Myth""Pterostilbene activates sirtuins and extends lifespan.""

RealityThe sirtuin-activation framing for the stilbene class derives from Sinclair-laboratory work that has been challenged in independent replication on fluorescence-assay grounds. Lifespan-extension claims for pterostilbene in humans are not supported by clinical-outcome data and are not authorised under UK food-supplement claim rules. Healthy-ageing positioning is not lifespan-marketing language Camden uses.

Myth""It's a natural blueberry compound, so it must be safe at any dose.""

RealityNaturalness-as-safety arguments collapse against the Riche 2014 LDL signal at 250 mg/day. Dietary blueberry intake delivers low-microgram-to-milligram doses of pterostilbene; a 250 mg supplement delivers roughly 100,000× the dietary background level. Plant-derived constituents at concentrated supplement doses can have effects unknown at dietary intakes. Stay within the studied dose range and disclose use to clinicians. [2]

Myth""Pterostilbene cleanses cellular damage.""

RealityCellular-cleansing language is consumer-facing shorthand for autophagy / mitochondrial-quality-control concepts that have only in-vitro and animal evidence for pterostilbene. UK food-supplement marketing should not use cleansing language; it implies a body-effect claim that does not have authorised health-claim wording.

Myth""Better bioavailability means I can take a smaller dose and get more benefit.""

RealityBioavailability translates exposure (the area-under-curve in plasma) into a different functional dose, but the relationship between plasma exposure and any specific clinical endpoint is not linear and has not been quantified for pterostilbene endpoints in human trials. The supplement-design implication is that lower mg doses can reach trial-comparable plasma exposures — not that smaller doses deliver more clinical benefit. Stick to the published 50–250 mg/day range. [3]

🔬 Camden’s evidence review

The research Camden reviewed, graded on its strength. This is our own appraisal — it sits beneath the official guidance above, never above it.

  1. Cardiovascular markers (lipids, blood pressure)

    MixedEvidencemixed

    Riche et al 2014 (n=80, 6-8 weeks, hypercholesterolaemic adults) was the principal placebo-controlled human trial of oral pterostilbene at 50 mg/day and 250 mg/day with and without grape extract. The headline findings were small reductions in blood pressure at the higher dose, but a statistically-significant rise in LDL cholesterol at 250 mg/day. The LDL signal is reproducible enough across sub-analyses of the same dataset that cardiovascular-protective marketing positioning is editorially unsafe — the very cardiovascular-marker improvement at the lower dose is accompanied by a counter-signal at the higher dose, and the registry of pterostilbene-specific cardiovascular-outcome trials is empty. The published cardiovascular evidence is therefore mixed at best. [2]

  2. Cognitive function and ageing

    InsufficientEvidenceinsufficient

    Pre-clinical animal models (rodents) have explored pterostilbene for spatial memory, hippocampal function, and age-related cognitive decline. The mechanistic story is SIRT1 / AMPK activation parallel to resveratrol, with the bioavailability advantage. Human clinical-outcome data on cognitive endpoints is sparse-to-absent at the time of writing — no human trial measured a cognitive endpoint, so no pterostilbene-specific human citation can be offered here. UK supplement marketing should not claim cognitive benefit on pterostilbene-specific evidence.

  3. Glucose metabolism / insulin sensitivity

    InsufficientEvidenceinsufficient

    Pre-clinical signal is positive in rodent models of metabolic syndrome; translation to human glycaemic-endpoint trials is absent. The human safety trial (Riche 2013) recorded no adverse effect on glucose markers, but no human trial set a glycaemic endpoint for pterostilbene. Glucose-control marketing on pterostilbene-specific human evidence is editorially unsafe. [1]

  4. Cellular antioxidant / anti-inflammatory effects

    InsufficientEvidenceinsufficient

    In-vitro work shows pterostilbene engages NF-κB, Nrf2 / antioxidant-response-element, and pro-inflammatory cytokine pathways. This is cell-culture and animal evidence only; the translation from cell culture to a human clinical endpoint is the long-standing gap for stilbenes generally, and no human trial has measured an antioxidant or inflammatory endpoint for pterostilbene. Mechanism-of-action descriptions are appropriate; body-effect claims are not.

Safety

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Avoid supplemental pterostilbene in pregnancy. Concentrated supplement forms have not been studied for reproductive safety; dietary intake from blueberries is not the concern. The phytoestrogen-like activity of the stilbene class adds an additional precautionary signal in pregnancy.

Avoid supplemental pterostilbene during breastfeeding for the same reason — no reproductive-safety dataset, phytoestrogen-class consideration. Dietary blueberry intake is unaffected.

Talk to your GP, midwife, or pharmacist before starting any supplement during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Contraindications

  • Known hypersensitivity to stilbenes or to grape / blueberry constituents.
  • Use within 14 days of major surgery — the antiplatelet potential of the stilbene class warrants peri-operative pause.

Drug interactions

  • Anticoagulants and antiplatelets (warfarin, DOACs, aspirin, clopidogrel, NSAID-class drugs): pterostilbene is assumed to share resveratrol's antiplatelet activity at supplement doses. Disclose use to the anticoagulation team and avoid in the peri-operative window.
  • CYP3A4 / CYP2C9 / CYP2D6 substrates (statins, ciclosporin, certain anticonvulsants, certain chemotherapy agents): the stilbene class inhibits these enzymes in vitro at supplement-relevant concentrations. Pterostilbene-specific human drug-interaction studies are sparse; defer to the resveratrol class warning.
  • Hormone-modulating therapies (tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitors): the stilbene class has phytoestrogenic activity in some assays. Use under specialist supervision in oestrogen-sensitive contexts.
  • Diabetes medication (metformin, sulphonylureas, insulin): mechanistic AMPK activation could in principle lower glucose; however human-trial data on glucose endpoints is null. Be aware of any new pattern of hypoglycaemia and disclose use to the diabetes team.

This is not an exhaustive list. Always tell your prescriber and pharmacist about every supplement you take.

Common side effects

  • Mild gastrointestinal upset at higher per-day doses, particularly when taken on an empty stomach.

Rare side effects

  • Headache or dizziness at the upper end of the studied range.
  • Small but statistically-significant LDL cholesterol rise at 250 mg/day in placebo-controlled trial data — Riche et al 2014. Below-trial-range doses (~100 mg/day) have not been associated with this signal in published work.

How to take it

Timing
No timing data specific to pterostilbene. Take with food to support polyphenol absorption (lipophilicity benefit). Camden NB-161 is a delayed-release HPMC formulation taken once daily.

How to spot quality

Look for

  • trans-pterostilbene declared on the label and confirmed on the CoA — the cis-isomer fraction is non-bioactive and a high cis-fraction signals poor synthesis or storage degradation.
  • Synthesis route disclosed (most commercial pterostilbene is chemically synthesised — that is acceptable; plant-source extracts at supplement-grade purity are rarer and more expensive). Camden regards synthesis-route disclosure as a transparency marker rather than a quality discriminator.
  • Heavy-metal screen on the CoA when the source is plant-extract Pterocarpus marsupium or Vaccinium-extract material.
  • Per-capsule milligram dose within the 50–250 mg/day range across the daily-servings recommendation (so a 50 mg capsule "1–5 daily" is acceptable; a 500 mg capsule is outside the studied range).

Red flags

  • Generic "pterostilbene Xmg" with no trans-isomer percentage and no synthesis or extraction route declared.
  • Per-day dose recommendations above 250 mg without explicit reference to the LDL signal at that dose.
  • Cardiovascular / heart-protective marketing language not authorised under UK Regulation 1924/2006.
  • Lifespan-extension or healthy-ageing language without a UK-authorised claim wording (none exist for pterostilbene).
  • Mixed with high-dose resveratrol in a "lifespan-marketing stack" without a per-active CYP-interaction warning.

Where Camden lands · meets the bar

Camden Medicals sells one pterostilbene-bearing SKU — NB-161 NMN Complex 90 Delayed Release Capsules — under the Camden Medicals parent brand (the Camden TM filing is in prosecution; no -fera sub-brand is currently assigned to NB-161). Per capsule: 100 mg pterostilbene alongside NMN, trimethylglycine, quercetin, trans-resveratrol, and vitamin B12 in an HPMC delayed-release matrix taken once daily. The 100 mg dose sits within the Riche 2014 trial range (50–250 mg/day) and below the 250 mg LDL-signal upper. The supplement-grade pterostilbene used by Camden's manufacturer is chemically synthesised trans-pterostilbene; the CoA is verified per batch and stored against the SKU's compliance archive. PDP framing intentionally stays mechanistic (stilbene polyphenol family, dietary-source reference) rather than making any body-effect claim.

Commonly combined with

Other ingredients that share a biological pathway, cofactor relationship, or evidence-backed protocol with this one. Mechanisms below cite primary physiology — not folk pairing. Doses are literature ranges, not recommendations. Talk to your pharmacist or GP before changing your stack, especially if you take prescription medication.

Resveratrol (trans-resveratrol)

Limited evidence

Stilbene cluster — pterostilbene is the dimethylated resveratrol analogue with substantially higher oral bioavailability.

Pterostilbene methylation pattern (3,5-dimethoxy-4'-hydroxystilbene vs resveratrol's 3,5,4'-trihydroxystilbene) gives ~80% oral bioavailability vs resveratrol's ~20%. Same broad sirtuin / Nrf2 / mitochondrial-biogenesis signalling.

Evidence: Camden resveratrol covers cluster.

Doses studied: Use ONE — pterostilbene 50-250 mg OR resveratrol 100-500 mg daily.

Found in Camden: Clarifera™ NMN Complex 90 Delayed Release Capsules

NMN (β-Nicotinamide Mononucleotide)

Limited evidence

NAD+ + sirtuin cluster — NMN NAD+ precursor + pterostilbene sirtuin-activator framing.

NMN delivers NAD+ substrate; pterostilbene activates sirtuin-1 / sirtuin-3 (NAD+-dependent deacetylases). Mechanism complementary on sirtuin-activation axis. Camden NB-161 NMN Complex bundles both.

Evidence: Camden NB-161 cluster.

Doses studied: NMN 250-1000 mg + pterostilbene 50-100 mg daily.

Found in Camden: Clarifera™ NMN Complex 90 Delayed Release Capsules

Verifera™ is published by Camden Medicals — a UK supplement retailer. We have a commercial interest in some of the ingredients described here; we declare it on every page and our editorial process forbids adjusting copy to favour our own products. Read our editorial policy.

This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your pharmacist or GP before starting any supplement, especially if you take prescribed medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have an existing condition.

Suspected side effects can be reported to the MHRA via the Yellow Card scheme: yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk