Breakdown: FAAH and NAAA

Two enzymes break palmitoylethanolamide down. Both split it into palmitic acid and ethanolamine, which are ordinary substances in the body.

FAAH

Fatty acid amide hydrolase. It breaks down several related molecules. It works faster on anandamide than on palmitoylethanolamide.

NAAA

N-acylethanolamine acid amidase. It breaks down palmitoylethanolamide much more effectively than anandamide.

Which enzyme matters more depends on the tissue or cell type studied.

How fast

In rat liver tissue, palmitoylethanolamide had a half-life of about 25 minutes. In people, a single 300 mg dose roughly doubled the plasma level at two hours, and the level returned to normal by four to six hours.

What is not known

Rankin and Fowler 2020 state that there are no published data on the route or rate of elimination from the body. It is also not known how much of a dose is broken down before it is excreted.