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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]