Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) is a unique kind of fatty acid that can inhibit discomfort. Your body naturally produces PEA as part of a healthy inflammatory and immune response. Fact is, PEA inhibits the secretion of compounds from mast cells, a type of white blood cell. Over time, our mast cells decrease in number, causing our remaining mast cells to work harder. That can make them overly sensitive, activating processes linked to nerve discomfort. By inhibiting compounds released by mast cells, PEA promotes your body’s natural response to uncomfortable nerve stimuli at the cellular level.