Phosphatidylserine (PS) is quite literally a “brain nutrient.”
As a matter of fact, this phospholipid is an
integral component in the structure of the brain
and spinal cord, and is active at cell membranes
(including synaptic membrane zones). A significant
amount of published clinical research has demonstrated that
PS supplementation supports various cognitive parameters in
adults and in children.1
Age-related memory impairment
Kato-Kataoka et al2 conducted a double-blind, randomized
controlled study to investigate the effects of PS on the cognitive
functions of elderly Japanese subjects with memory complaints.
Seventy-eight elderly people with mild cognitive impairment
(50–69 years old) were randomly allocated to take PS
(100 mg, 300 mg/day) or placebo for six months. In the subjects
with relatively low score at baseline, the memory scores
in PS treated groups were significantly increased against
the baseline, while those of the placebo group remained unchanged.
And the memory improvements in PS treated groups
were mostly attributed to the increase in delayed verbal recall,
a memory ability attenuated in the earliest stage of dementia.
