Phosphatidylserine: what the heck do we use this for?!

This supplement is a mouth full. I like to tell patients, “Just call it PS for short. Try saying it 3x fast.” It’s usually a laugh. 

Phosphatidylserine (PS) is an integral part of a healthy nerve cell membrane and myelin (nerve sheath lining). It passes easily through the blood-brain barrier and can improve age-related decline, cognitive function, increase in neurotransmission, short-term memory recall, immediate memory, vocabulary skills and ability to recall words. Phosphatidylserine helps to protect cell membranes from oxidative damage that happens in most brain injuries. 

As to sleep, PS stops the hyperactive production of cortisol in the body, allowing unhealthy, elevated cortisol levels to decrease, supporting more restful sleep. It is helpfully supportive helpful with mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer’s disease. 

Neuronal Phosphatidylserine contains docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is often found in fish oil with EPA. DHA has a profound impact on the nervous system. 

PS is an integral part of a healthy nerve cell membrane and myelin (nerve sheath lining). Myelin is important to the speed of nerve conduction. This phospholipid makes up to 20% of the total mass in an adult. It is found throughout the human body in the endoplasmic reticulum, nuclear envelopes, Golgi apparatus, outer mitochondrial membranes, and myelin. 

PMID: 24992464, 25933483