How much do you know about phosphatidylserine?

Phosphatidylserine, also known as complex nervonic acid, is an important membrane phospholipid present in bacteria, yeast, plants, and mammalian cells.

Phosphatidylserine is extracted from the residue of natural soybean oil extraction and is an active substance in cell membranes, especially in brain cells. Its main function is to improve the function of nerve cells, regulate the conduction of nerve impulses, and enhance brain memory function. Due to its strong lipophilicity, it can quickly pass through the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain after absorption, playing a role in soothing vascular smooth muscle cells and increasing blood supply to the brain. Phosphatidylserine is prepared by enzymatic method or extraction from organisms.

Basic information

Chinese name: Phosphatidylserine

Foreign name: Phosphatidylserine

Abbreviation: PS

Also known as serine phospholipid

Properties: Membrane phospholipid

Main functions

(1) Improve brain function

Improve brain function and improve Alzheimer's disease: With age, phosphatidylserine and other important brain chemicals will gradually decrease, leading to weakened memory and cognitive ability. Supplementing phosphatidylserine can increase the number of brain spikes, the fluidity of brain cell membranes and promote glucose metabolism in brain cells, making brain cells more active. Italy, Scandinavia and other European countries have widely used phosphatidylserine supplements to treat aging-induced dementia and elderly memory loss.

(2) Help repair brain damage

Help repair brain damage. Phosphatidylserine is one of the main components of brain nerves. It has the function of nourishing and activating the activity of various enzymes in the brain, which can delay the reduction of neurotransmitters, help repair and renew damaged brain cells and remove harmful substances.

(3) Promotes recovery from mental fatigue

Relieves stress, promotes recovery from mental fatigue, and balances emotions: Multiple studies have shown that phosphatidylserine can significantly reduce the level of excessive stress hormones in people who are stressed at work, reduce stress, relieve mental fatigue, and promote concentration, improve alertness and memory, and relieve negative emotions.

(4) Protects the central nervous system together with DHA

Phosphatidylserine and DHA can work together to protect nerve 2A cells. Rich phosphatidylserine can increase the fluidity of cell membranes and promote intellectual development. Phosphatidylserine and DHA can protect the central nervous system and promote fetal intellectual development.

International Recognition

In May 2006, the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) permitted PS (phosphatidylserine) to be prominently displayed in PS-containing products, promoting the products' claims of "improving mood, enhancing memory," and "preventing cognitive impairment in the elderly."

In October 2006, PS (phosphatidylserine) received GRAS designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), meaning it can be added to foods such as yogurt, powdered milk, bread, and powdered beverages as a nutritionally enhanced functional food ingredient.

PS (phosphatidylserine) is included in the list of foods (non-drugs) by the Japanese Food and Drug Administration (HBM) and passed its individual food additive review on February 5, 2010.

PS (phosphatidylserine) was added to the New Resource Food Catalog by the China Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) on November 1, 2010, allowing it to be designated as a new resource food.

Practical Applications

When orally ingested, products containing PS successfully cross the blood-brain barrier and reach the liver and brain within minutes of absorption. Because PS increases the number of brain spikes, enhances the fluidity of brain cell membranes, and promotes glucose metabolism in brain cells, thereby enhancing brain cell activity, it is now increasingly used in medicine, food, and healthcare. PS is primarily used in food and beverages in the following areas:

Solid foods: Generally speaking, PS is more stable when added to solid foods, such as choline-fortified cereals.

Beverages: Since PS is an active ingredient, it is recommended for addition to functional beverages.

Milk: Added PS can be incorporated into the fat droplets of milk, preventing hydrolysis and improving stability.

Yogurt: After pasteurization, PS-fortified drinkable yogurt shows no loss of content throughout its shelf life, demonstrating the strong stability of PS in yogurt.

Milk powder: PS can be added to adult and elderly milk powders and exhibits strong stability.

Health supplements: PS can be added to maternal and infant health supplements, such as DHA, where it works synergistically with DHA to protect the 2A nervous system.

Experimental Research

Researchers conducted a population-based study to investigate the memory-improving effects of phosphatidylserine-fortified pure milk. (PS milk is made by adding 0.08% pure PS raw material to pure fresh milk using an ultra-high temperature sterilization process.)

Subjects: 120 high school seniors (60 males and 60 females)

The results showed that after 40 days of daily consumption of 250ml of PS milk, participants' memory significantly improved.

Giving high school students 250ml of milk fortified with 100mg of PS (soy extract) daily for 40 days significantly improved their memory.

Dr. T.H. Crook of the Memory Assessment Clinics in the United States, in collaboration with Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, and an Italian pharmaceutical company, conducted a study on 149 volunteers aged 50 to 75. Participants took either 300mg of phosphatidylserine (split into three 100mg doses) or a placebo daily for 12 weeks. Assessments were conducted before and after the study, and follow-up was continued for four weeks after the study. Results showed that the body readily adapted to phosphatidylserine. After three weeks of treatment, improvements were observed in name and face memory, name and face recall, and face recognition. Because these improvements were not maintained over the 12-week study, the researchers divided 57 individuals with more severe memory impairments, aged 64.3 years, into a separate group. While their performance on name recognition was unstable, the phosphatidylserine treatment significantly improved their performance on phone number memory, misplaced object recall, sentence recall, reading, conversation, and attention during tasks. The researchers report that phosphatidylserine treatment improved these participants' performance on name and face memory by an average of two points, seemingly turning back the clock and making them appear 12 years younger. In other words, their cognitive abilities, originally 64 years old, were restored to those of a 52-year-old. Later, the researchers conducted another study with 51 individuals aged 55 to 85 years (average age 71), including a placebo control group. In this randomized, double-blind trial, participants took 300 mg of phosphatidylserine daily for 12 weeks. The results showed that those who received phosphatidylserine showed improvements in the following areas: (1) remembering the names of different people who looked similar and being able to name them when meeting them; (2) recalling the location of commonly misplaced items; and (3) recalling details of events from the previous day and week. It also improved attention and alertness.

PS (phosphatidylserine) not only nourishes the brains of older adults but also relieves physical and mental stress in healthy young people.