Our body needs Phosphatidyl Serine, a phospholipid, to build brain cell membranes that are fluid enough to release the neurotransmitters acetylcholine and dopamine. Our brains normally manufacture enough Phosphatidyl Serine to keep us in top mental order. However, when we reach middle age, our levels of Phosphatidyl Serine begin to decline, an effect that is worsened by deficiencies of other essential fatty acids, folic acid or vitamin B12. As it is necessary for effective neurotransmission, Phosphatidyl Serine deficiency is linked to mental impairment, including Alzheimer's and non-Alzheimer's dementia, depression and Parkinson's disease among middle-aged and elderly people. Some researches show that when Phosphatidyl Serine levels naturally decrease with increasing age, so too does the ability to learn, remember, and stay alert. Depression may also develop as a result of age-related Phosphatidyl Serine insufficiency. Hence, Phosphatidyl Serine supplements have been proposed as a partial solution to such developments.
Supplemental Phosphatidyl Serine may have cognition enhancing activity. It has demonstrated some usefulness in treating cognitive impairment, including Alzheimer's disease, age-associated memory impairment and some non-Alzheimer's dementias. It enables our brain cells to metabolize glucose and to release and bind with neurotransmitters, all of which is important to learning, memory and other cognitive functions. It also increases communication between cells in our brain by increasing the number of membrane receptor sites for receiving messages. It modulates the fluidity of cell membranes—essential to our brain cells' ability to send and receive chemical communication. Scientific studies demonstrate that Phosphatidyl Serine restores the brain's supply and output of acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter so important to memory, and so may turn back the clock in an aging brain. It has proven to be a safe and effective therapeutic agent in treating memory deficit disorders and for improving other higher brain functions.
References:
PDR Health. http://www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/nmdrugprofiles/nutsupdrugs/pho_0202.shtml
Healthy Source. http://phosphatidylserine.net/
Dani Veracity. http://www.newstarget.com/016646.html
