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Alzheimer's Supplements
Acetyl-L-carnitine
Ginkgo
Huperzine A
Phosphatidylserine
Vinpocetine

Phosphatidylserine

Proposed Uses: Age-related Memory Loss; Alzheimer's Disease

Other Proposed Uses: Depression; Enhancing Mental Function in Young People; Sports and Fitness Support: Enhancing Performance; Sports and Fitness Support: Enhancing Recovery; Stress

Phosphatidylserine, or PS for short, is a member of a class of chemical compounds known as phospholipids. PS is an essential component in all our cells; specifically, it is a major component of the cell membrane. The cell membrane is a kind of "skin" that surrounds living cells. Besides keeping cells intact, this membrane performs vital functions such as moving nutrients into cells and pumping waste products out of them. PS plays an important role in many of these functions.

Good evidence suggests that PS can help declining mental function and depression in the elderly, and it is widely used for this purpose in Italy, Scandinavia, and other parts of Europe. PS has also been marketed as a "brain booster" for people of all ages, said to sharpen memory and increase thinking ability. However, the evidence to support this use is incomplete and inconsistent.
More recently, PS has been marketed as a sports supplement, said to help bodybuilders and power athletes develop larger and stronger muscles, a use that has no meaningful supporting evidence whatever.

Sources
Your body makes all the PS it needs. However, the only way to get a therapeutic dosage of PS is to take a supplement.

PS was originally manufactured from the brains of cows, and all the studies described here used this form. However, because animal brain cells can harbor viruses, that form is no longer available. Most PS today is made from soybeans or other plant sources.

Therapeutic Dosages
For the purpose of improving mental function, PS is usually taken in dosages of 100 mg 2 to 3 times daily. After maximum effect is achieved, the dosage can reportedly be reduced to 100 mg daily without losing benefit. PS can be taken with or without meals.

When taking PS for sports purposes, athletes sometimes take as much as 800 mg daily.

Safety Issues
Phosphatidylserine is generally regarded as safe when used at recommended dosages. Side effects are rare, and when they do occur they usually consist of nothing much worse than mild gastrointestinal distress. One study found that use of phosphatidylserine did not alter results on standard medical screening tests.

However, the maximum safe dosages for young children, pregnant or nursing women, or those with severe liver or kidney disease have not been established.
PS is sometimes taken with ginkgo because they both appear to enhance mental function. However, some caution might be in order: Ginkgo is a "blood thinner," and PS might be one as well. PS is known to enhance the effect of heparin, a very strong prescription blood thinner. It is possible that combined use of PS and any drug or supplement that thins the blood could interfere with normal blood clotting enough to cause problems. Some medications and supplements to consider include warfarin (Coumadin), aspirin, pentoxifylline (Trental), clopidogrel (Plavix), ticlopidine (Ticlid), garlic, ginkgo, and vitamin E.

Keep in mind, too, that Alzheimer's disease and other types of severe age-related mental impairment are too serious to treat on your own with PS or any other supplement. In some cases, the symptoms of these diseases could be confused with symptoms of other serious conditions. If you suspect that you or a loved one may have a severe age-related mental impairment, see your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.

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