Phosphatidylserine by Ray Sahelian, M.D.
phosphatidylserine research, memory phosphatidylserine

Phosphatidylserine is a natural nutrient found as part of the cell membrane of cells. Phosphatidylserine is most notably found in the cell membrane of neurons, comprising about 7 to 10 percent of its lipid content.
Although lecithin (phosphatidylcholine) has been available as a supplement for many decades, phosphatidylserine became available to the North American market in the mid 1990s. In the past, phosphatidylserine was obtained from the brain of cows. In fact, if you read some of the research studies published with phosphatidylserine, it will identify this nutrient as BC-phosphatidylserine. The BC stands for bovine cortex, or cow brain. The reason BC-phosphatidylserine is not sold is because of the fear of viruses or infectious agents being inadvertently introduced in the phosphatidylserine product when extracted from the brains of cows. The phosphatidylserine currently available over the counter is derived from soy.

PS or BS?
Does Phosphatidylserine really boost memory or are you better off spending your money on a better mind booster? Read on...

Phosphatidylserine Research
Several studies in the past in Europe have evaluated the role of oral BC-phosphatidylserine administration in both animals and humans. In general, the results have shown positive benefits in terms of mind and memory enhancement. However, we need to keep a very important point in mind. The studies with phosphatidylserine have used bovine cortex as the source. Can we assume that the results with soy-derived phosphatidylserine would be similar?
No, we can't. phosphatidylserine consists of serine attached to fatty acids. The serine molecule in phosphatidylserine found in cow brain is attached mostly to long chained polyunsaturated fatty acids such as DHA or AA (arachidonic acid). In addition, the cow brain extract is not pure phosphatidylserine. It most likely contains other brain components such as sphingolipids, sphingomyelins, and other brain constituents, which may have led to improvements in brain function. For obvious reasons--potential viruses present in cow brain --we should not be using the cow brain extract of phosphatidylserine. The phosphatidylserine in soy is basically serine attached to saturated on monounsaturated fatty acids, along with other fats from soy, which are chemically very different than the fats found in cow brain. Hence, we are basically comparing apples to oranges. It is medically and scientifically improper to use the results of studies done with phosphatidylserine from cow brain and thus claim that soy derived phosphatidylserine is also effective.


There have been two studies published recently using soy derived phosphatidylserine. The results are mixed. See below.

Choline ß à Acetylcholine
â
CDP-Choline
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Phosphatidylserine à Phosphatidylcholine

Phosphatidylserine Summary
There are many mind boosters that have good scientific support that phosphatidylserine, at this time, is low on my list, particularly since it is also very expensive. However, phosphatidylserine does have its supporters who claim that it works for them. We have made this product available for those who notice benefits from it.

I prefer several other Mind Boosting supplements such as:
Aetyl-l-carnitine 300 mg, lipoic acid, DMAE, and SAM-e.

Phosphatidylserine - PS-100
60 Softgels - Jarrow Formulas


• Phosphatidylserine 100 mg
• Promotes Brain Function
• Cogni-PS Phosphatidylserine

Phosphatidylserine (PS) is a natural phopholipid that is an essential component of cell membranes.
Cogni-PS™ is a concentrated form of phosphatidylserine derived from soy phopholipids.

Amount Per Softgel
Phosphatidylserine (PS) - 100 mg
Phosphatidylcholine (PC) - 45 mg
Gamma tocopherol - 4 mg

Suggested Usage: Take 1 softgel with a meal up to three times daily, or as directed by your qualified health consultant.

Retail: $39.98 Sale Price: $25.95

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Availability of Phosphatidylserine
BC-phosphatidylserine is not available in the US but soy-derived phosphatidylserine is sold in vitamin stores. Each 500 mg gel capsule contains several phospholipids with 100 mg being actual phosphatidylserine. Phosphatidylserine is an expensive nutrient with each pill costing between 50 cents and one dollar. It is worth emphasizing that the phosphatidylserine currently available is derived from soy products and thus has a different fatty acid composition than the bovine cortex-derived phosphatidylserine used in published studies. Therefore, the chemical makeup of BC-phosphatidylserine is different when compared to soy-phosphatidylserine.

Phosphatidylserine Research Update
Safety of soy-derived phosphatidylserine in elderly people.
Nutr Neurosci. 2002 Oct;5(5):337-43.
Phosphatidylserine is a phospholipid which has been claimed to enhance neuronal membrane function, and can be derived from several sources. Earlier studies used brain cortex derived Phosphatidylserine, of which the human tolerability of 300mg daily in 130 patients has been shown. The human tolerability of Phosphatidylserine derived from soybean has not been reported, although it is widely sold as a nutritional supplement which may improve cognitive function in the elderly. We report the results of a study of the safety of two dosages of soy-phosphatidylserine in elderly. Subjects were 120 elderly of both sexes who fulfilled the more stringent criteria for age-associated memory impairment; some also fulfilled the criteria for age-associated cognitive decline. Subjects were allocated at random to one of the three treatment groups: placebo, 300 or 600 mg S-Phosphatidylserine daily. Standard biochemical and hematological safety parameters, blood pressure, heart rate and adverse events were assessed at baseline, after 6 and 12 weeks of treatment. No significant differences were found in any of the outcome variables between the treatment groups after Bonferonni-Holme correction. In conclusion, soy derived Phosphatidylserine is a safe nutritional supplement for older persons if taken up to a dosage of 200 mg three times daily.

The influence of phosphatidylserine supplementation on mood and heart rate when faced with an acute stressor.
Benton D. Nutr Neurosci 2001;4(3):169-78
There have been previous reports that supplements of phosphatidylserine blunted the release of cortisol in response to exercise stress and that it improved mood. The present study extended these observations by considering whether Phosphatidylserine supplementation influenced subjective feelings of stress and the change in heart rate when a stressful mental arithmetic task was performed. In young adults, with neuroticism scores above rather than below the median, the taking of 300mg Phosphatidylserine each day for a month was associated with feeling less stressed and having a better mood. The study for the first time reports an improvement in mood following Phosphatidylserine supplementation in a sub-group of young healthy adults.

The influence of soy-derived phosphatidylserine on cognition in age-associated memory impairment.
Jorisse BL. Nutr Neurosci 2001;4(2):121-34
Experimental Psychopharmacology Unit, Brain & Behaviour Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Phosphatidylserine is a phospholipid widely sold as a nutritional supplement. Phosphatidylserine has been claimed to enhance neuronal membrane function and hence cognitive function, especially in the elderly. We report the results of a clinical trial of soybean-derived PS (S-Phosphatidylserine) in aging subjects with memory complaints. Subjects were 120 elderly (> 57 years) of both sexes who fulfilled the more stringent criteria for age-associated memory impairment (AAMI); some also fulfilled the criteria for age-associated cognitive decline. Subjects were allocated at random to one of the three treatment groups: placebo, 300mg S-Phosphatidylserine daily, or 600mg S-Phosphatidylserine daily. Assessments were carried out at baseline, after 6 and 12 weeks of treatment, and after a wash-out period of 3 weeks. Tests of learning and memory, choice reaction time, planning and attentional functions were administered at each assessment. Delayed recall and recognition of a previously learned word list comprised the primary outcome measures. No significant differences were found in any of the outcome variables between the treatment groups. There were also no significant interactions between treatment and 'severity of memory complaints'. In conclusion, a daily supplement of Phosphatidylserine does not affect memory or other cognitive functions in older individuals with memory complaints.

Expert Opinions regarding Phosphatidylserine
Companies promoting soy-Phosphatidylserine make positive claims about this supplement and defend its promotion by citing research studies done on BC-Phosphatidylserine . I interviewed many experts on fats, including Drs. Simopoulos, Hibbeln, and Salem, regarding their opinions on Phosphatidylserine . All experts were unanimous in their assessment that one can’t automatically use the studies done with BC-Phosphatidylserine to claim the same benefits as that of soy-Phosphatidylserine . Lloyd Horrocks, Ph. D., Professor Emeritus of Medical Biochemistry at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, and an expert on fatty acids says, “The fatty acids in bovine cortex Phosphatidylserine are mostly made of DHA and arachidonic acid while the fatty acids from soy-derived Phosphatidylserine are made mostly from oleic, linolenic, and linoleic acids. It’s quite likely the DHA and arachidonic acids in BC-Phosphatidylserine could have some cognitive effect. It’s also possible that the clinical effects from taking Phosphatidylserine may be due to this nutrient influencing the release of histamine, glucose uptake in the brain, or in other yet unknown ways.”

Michael Schmidt is Professor of Applied Biochemistry and Clinical Nutrition at Northwestern College of Health Sciences. He tells me, “The DHA found in BC-Phosphatidylserine could have important effects. However, it’s possible when soy Phosphatidylserine is ingested that the body will take its own DHA and attach it to the phosphoserine head group, thus replacing the smaller chained fatty acids. Synthesizing phospholipids requires energy and effort. If Phosphatidylserine provides the phosphoserine head, then it will give brain cells a break from having to create it de novo.”