 |
 |
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). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----