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Limited evidenceLongevity & antioxidants

Trehalose

A glucose disaccharide used as a food sugar and studied as an autophagy activator. One small trial improved small-vessel function in older adults and one found it a useful low-glycemic exercise fuel; the anti-aging case is still mostly mouse work.

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What the science says

  • Microvascular function in middle-aged and older adults Limited evidence

    Thirty-two healthy adults aged 50–77 took 100 g/day of trehalose or an isocaloric maltose control for 12 weeks. Forearm blood flow responses improved by roughly 30% with trehalose, but only in the subgroup whose body weight stayed stable, and there was no effect on large-artery stiffness or on circulating markers of oxidative stress and inflammation.

  • Endurance fuel during prolonged exercise Limited evidence

    In a double-blind crossover trial, 13 male cyclists received trehalose (30 g/h), isomaltulose (30 g/h), maltodextrin (60 g/h) or water during 100 minutes of cycling followed by a 20-minute time trial. Only trehalose beat placebo for total work done; the other two carbohydrate sources did not differ from placebo. A single small crossover trial is thin ground for a fuelling recommendation.

  • The autophagy and anti-aging story Limited evidence

    Trehalose induces autophagy and reverses arterial aging in mice, which is why it appears in longevity stacks. In humans the only long-term data are the 12-week vascular trial above and a small number of recent orthopaedic and trauma trials; nothing tests aging outcomes.

Dosage & safety

Studied doseTrial doses vary enormously: 100 g/day in the vascular study, 30 g/hour as an exercise fuel. Retail powders are typically used at 5–15 g/day, a dose no trial has tested for a health outcome.
SafetyA widely used food sugar with a long record of safe consumption. It supplies 4 kcal/g and does raise blood glucose, though more slowly than glucose, so it is not a free sugar for people managing diabetes. Doses of tens of grams cause gas, bloating and osmotic diarrhoea. People with the rare trehalase deficiency react to small amounts. A proposed link between dietary trehalose and virulent Clostridioides difficile strains has been debated in the literature and remains unproven.

How to take it

TimingTiming does not matter; use it in place of sugar.
With food?In food or drink, as a sweetener rather than a dose.
Worth knowingUnlike erythritol it is a real sugar at 4 kcal/g that raises blood glucose, so it counts toward your carbohydrate total even though it tastes less sweet than sucrose.

Frequently asked questions

Does trehalose have anti-aging benefits?

Trehalose's anti-aging case is limited and mostly mouse work: it induces autophagy and reverses arterial aging in mice, but no human trial tests aging outcomes. The main human study, in thirty-two adults aged 50–77 taking 100 g/day for 12 weeks, improved small-vessel function only in those whose weight stayed stable.

Is trehalose good as an endurance exercise fuel?

In a small crossover trial of 13 cyclists, trehalose at 30 g/h was the only carbohydrate that beat placebo for total work done in a time trial. That single small study is limited evidence, too thin for a trehalose fuelling recommendation.

Does trehalose raise blood sugar?

Yes, trehalose is a real sugar supplying 4 kcal/g that raises blood glucose, more slowly than glucose, so it counts toward your carbohydrate total if you manage diabetes. It is not a free sugar like erythritol.

How much trehalose per day is safe?

Retail trehalose powders are typically used at 5–15 g/day, a dose no trial has tested for a health outcome. Doses of tens of grams cause gas, bloating and diarrhoea, and people with the rare trehalase deficiency react to small amounts.

Scientific references

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