PS is a phospholipid, which has had numerous studies demonstrating its benefit in improving cognition in those with deficits related to either age related decline or ADHD[1][5]. There is also evidence to support that it exerts an anti-depressive effect[2]
"On May 13, 2003, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration stated 'based on its evaluation of the totality of the publicly available scientific evidence, the agency concludes that there is not significant scientific agreement among qualified experts that a relationship exists between phosphatidylserine and reduced risk of dementia or cognitive dysfunction.' FDA did, however give 'qualified health claim' status to phosphatidylserine, stating that 'Consumption of phosphatidylserine may reduce the risk of dementia in the elderly' and 'Consumption of phosphatidylserine may reduce the risk of cognitive dysfunction in the elderly'. "[1]Benefits
"Phosphatidylserine is used for Alzheimer's disease, age-related decline in mental function, improving thinking skills in young people, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, preventing exercise-induced stress, and improving athletic performance."[5]
Research
"The aim of the present study was to evaluate the putative antidepressive and cognitive enhancer effects of phosphatidylserine (BC-PS). The antidepressive effect of BC-PS (50, 100 or 200 mg/kg), compared to saline or imipramine (IMI; 25 mg/kg), was studied in the forced swimming test in rats. These drugs were administered 1 and 8 h after training and 1 h before the test. BC-PS (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg)-treated rats exhibited a significant decrease in immobility time (IT) in the test session (performed 24 h after training) when compared to control rats. Moreover, the IMI-treated group showed a significant reduction in IT in comparison to control rats. The cognitive enhancer effect of BC-PS (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) was studied in the three versions of the water maze task: spatial working memory version, spatial reference memory version, and cued version. There was no significant difference between the BC-PS-treated groups and control animals in these memory tasks. Taken together, the present results are suggestive of an antidepressive effect of BC-PS in the forced swimming test in rats but not of a cognitive enhancer effect of the drug in the water maze test."[2]
"Soybean lecithin transphosphatidylated phosphatidylserine (SB-tPS) was prepared from soybean lecithin and L-serine by a transphosphatidylation reaction, and its effect on age-related memory impairment was evaluated in rats by the Morris water maze test. Continuous oral administration of SB-tPS (60 mg·kg-1·d-1 for 60 d) to male aged rats (24–25 mo) significantly improved performance in the water maze escape test (P < 0.01 vs. control aged rats) similar to bovine brain cortex-derived phosphatidylserine, which restores cognitive function in patients with senile dementia. SB-tPS also increased acetylcholine release and the Na+, K+-ATPase activity of the synaptosomes prepared from these aged rats to the level in young rats. The nootropic actions of SB-tPS in the present study can be partly explained by the changes in these biochemical activities."[3]
"Phosphatidylserine plays an extraordinarily varied role in supporting brain health. It enhances the availability of acetylcholine, lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and promotes the release of dopamine, an important neurotransmitter known to improve mood and movement control. Phosphatidylserine also supports the function of many vital enzymes, acts as an antioxidant to combat free-radical damage, and quells inflammation that can exert deleterious effects in the brain. In Europe and Japan, phosphatidylserine is sold as a prescription drug to treat memory and learning dysfunction, but it is available as a nutritional supplement in the United States. Humans manufacture phosphatidylserine to maintain the structure and function of cell membranes, but its production in the body declines with advancing age. Aged rats with cognitive deficits have demonstrated decreased phosphatidylserine in the hippocampus, and subjects with a genetically determined type of cognitive deficit exhibit low phosphatidylserine levels in nerve cell membranes.When aged rats were given phosphatidylserine for two months, their performance on an age-related memory impairment test improved significantly, indicating better memory function. Phosphatidylserine supplementation restored the rats’ acetylcholine release and energy metabolism in nerve endings to levels typically seen in young rats."[4]
References
[1] Wikipedia Entry: Phosphatidyl Serine (PS)
[2] Phosphatidylserine: an antidepressive or a cognitive enhancer?
[3] Oral Administration of Soybean Lecithin Transphosphatidylated Phosphatidylserine Improves Memory Impairment in Aged Rats
[4] LEF Magazine: Nutritional Strategies to Preserve Memory and Cognition
[5] WebMD: Phosphatidyl Serine
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