Jackie and listfriends,

I suggest you take this claim with a grain of salt.  While the writers
quote "double blind controlled studies" they do not give actual Journal
references.  Instead of  the customary references at the end of a
scientific  paper you get something much more valuable (to the writers)-
information on how to obtain the "nutrient" from them.

I know little about Phosphatidylserine but presentation of "data" in
the  manner that this data is presented brings out enough red flags to
stop a runnaway train.

Charlie

3putts wrote:
>
> Below is some info I found on PHOSPHATIDYLSERINE (PS):
>
> %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
>
> Phosphatidylserine (PS): Help for the Aging Brain
> Parris M. Kidd, PhD
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ----
> The incredible advances that have been made in the field of nutrition have
> materially improved our chances for quality of life into out last years. One
> aspect of aging currently of great concern is decline of brain function.
> Virgil expressed it long ago, "Age takes away all things, even the mind."
> (circa 70 BC).
> As they age, otherwise healthy individuals can lose as much as half (50%) of
> their ability to perform everyday tasks related to memory and cognition,
> (capacity to think and reason). Phosphatidylserine (PS for short) is a
> nutrient found most concentrated in brain cells (70% of cell membranes are
> phosphatidylserine). Extensive clinical studies indicate PS supplementation
> can help slow the mental decline associated with aging.
> PS is a phospholipid and, until recently, a rare constituent of lecithin.
> Common foods are low in PS and its synthesis in the body demands many
> cofactors and considerable cell energy. Now a plant lecithin source enriched
> in PS is available. The product is Leci-PS.
> Oral supplementation with PS benefits cognitive functions, particularly in
> adults of mature years. Some 23 human studies are available on PS. Most
> involved subjects who had experienced measurable losses in memory, judgment,
> abstract thought and other higher mental functions and sometimes also
> changes in personality and behavior. The PS dose was usually 300 mg./day (3
> x 100 mg.) initially.
> Eleven double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials conducted with PS
> in the U.S. and Europe, indicate subjects were significantly improved on:
> learning names, faces; recalling names, faces; recalling phone numbers;
> recalling misplaced objects; paragraph recall; ability to concentrate.
> Benefits persisted at least 4 weeks after PS was discontinued. For one
> feature, name-face acquisition, PS "rolled back the clock" by about roughly
> 12 years; from an average "cognitive age" of 64 to a cognitive age of 52. In
> other clinical trials, PS benefited subjects with nerve transmitter
> deficiencies, mood disorders and disturbances of their 24-hour daily
> "clock"-the circadian rhythm. In young healthy men subjected to exercise
> induced stress, PS lowered stress-hormone production.
> Membranes are the cells major work surfaces and nerve cells especially
> depend on membranes to carry out their specialized functions. PS helps
> activate and regulate many of the proteins which play key roles in these
> membrane processes. Cell membrane support from PS translates into support
> from the nerve cell as a whole, including generation of nerve impulses;
> accumulation, storage and release of nerve transmitters; and nerve
> transmitter action by way of "receptor" proteins located on the target cell
> surface. In turn, support from PS for individual nerve cells translates into
> support for the brain as a whole.
> EEG (ElectroEncephaloGraphy) studies indicate PS can globally enhance brain
> performance. In one double-blinded trial, PS boosted EEG "power" values
> towards normal levels. PET (Positron Emission Tomography) tracks indexes of
> energy generation in the living brain and from these generate color-coded,
> metabolic brain "maps." With Activation PET, the subject takes a test and as
> the brain's metabolism becomes activated, it "lights up" on PET. The PS
> subjects not only showed significantly greater brain activation, but
> performed better on the test.
> Taken orally, PS is rapidly absorbed and readily crosses the blood-brain
> barrier to reach the brain. Doses of 100-300 mg. of PS per day seem
> appropriate, preferably taken in three divided doses with meals. PS has a
> remarkable lack of side effects, although studies on pregnant women
> apparently are not available. Although PS is not a magic bullet, when
> employed in combination with lifestyle revision, exercise and a good diet,
> PS may help individuals maintain mental fitness in order to meet the
> challenges of daily life.
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ----
> Age Associated Cognitive Decline (AACD) and compromised brain function begin
> at the onset of middle age and are commonly associated with decreased levels
> of phosphatidylserine (PS).
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ----

--

CHARLES T. MEYER, M.D.
Middleton, WI
[log in to unmask]