Phosphatidylserine is a potent chemical with a wide range of potential uses. Now that you've learned about those in last week's blog post it's time to go to an expert to answer some commonly asked questions. The following is an interview with Dr. Randy Meyer. He invented the high quality formulation of phosphatidylserine that we sell here are Holistic Bin and has been kind enough to allows us to use his branding trademark, SerinAid 50P:
Phosphatidylserine FAQ:
Although the name phosphatidylserine sounds like something resembling a dreaded disease, phosphatidylserine is actually very important for our body's health and well-being. It plays a crucial role in the membranes of all our body’s cells but is especially vital for our billions of brain cells to function normally.
Phosphatidylserine, also sometimes abbreviated "PS", is a member of the phospholipid family. Phospholipids consist of a non-charged lipid component attached to a charged (polar) side group. consisting of sugar, a phosphate group, and amino acid. This structure gives the phospholipids unique characteristics of dual polarity!
Importance of Phosphatidylserine?
Phospholipids make up the cell membrane which provides structure, wholeness, and functional roles to the cell and are arranged in a dual-layer called a bilayer. Within this bilayer, the non-charged or water-hating groups face towards the inside of the membrane and the charged, water-loving groups are directed toward the outside of the membrane.
Molecules of PS are specifically located within certain key functional areas of the phospholipid bilayer membrane. Phosphatidylserine is vitally involved with three main cellular functions:
- Transmitting molecular messages among cells.
- Assisting the proteins that maintain membrane functions.
- Helping nutrients to enter the cell and harmful waste products to exit out of the cell.
Should I Be Concerned that I am getting enough PS?
Although it is theoretically possible to obtain enough phosphatidylserine from the foods we eat; however, most people do not get their necessary daily intake of this important phospholipid.
A primary reason for this insufficient PS intake is that our modern convenience food diets and our current food production practices decrease the natural level of phosphatidylserine present in our food supply.
Furthermore, aging increases the brain’s need for PS while stress decreases the amount of phosphatidylserine in the brain.
As a result, supplementing our diets with phosphatidylserine is important. to ensure our bodies have an adequate supply for the proper functioning of our cell membranes. Current data recommends a daily dosage of 300 to 500 mg of phosphatidylserine for the first month which can be dropped down to 200 mg for subsequent months. This equates to 600-1000 mg (0.6 to 1.0 g), or about 1/3 of a teaspoon per day of the 50% phosphatidylserine material.
How Might Phosphatidylserine Benefit Me?
Phosphatidylserine has a wide range of soundly-researched and well-documented benefits. Scientists have researched this important substance in excess of 40 human clinical trials over a timeframe spanning more than 30 years. Specific areas of study and research have focused on:- Benefits on brain function including concentration, focus, memory, learning, and recall. o Improvements of conditions or diseases which impair brain function.
- Beneficial effects on stress and cortisol levels.
- Positive role on athletic performance and training
What else is included in the powder besides phosphatidylserine?
Although the powdered phosphatidylserine is only comprised of 50% phosphatidylserine (in the case of Serinaid® 50P), the remainder of the material consists mainly of other important phospholipids including:- Phosphatidylcholine (up to 12%)
- Phosphatidylethanolamine (up to 10%)
- Phosphatidylinositol (up to 5%)
Since the product is soy-derived, is this a known allergen?
No, the allergen issue is non-existent with SerinAid® PS. The production process, which highly refines the material, removes the proteins which are over for over where the allergen lies. We confirm this with Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing, which tests for DNA (protein) fragmentation; it is never found. The FDA considers highly refined oils and other products that are void of proteins to be exempt from Food.
Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) labeling.
I am under a lot of stress in my life, would phosphatidylserine potentially help me?
No, the allergen issue is non-existent with SerinAid® PS. The production process, which highly refines the material, removes the proteins which are over for over where the allergen lies. We confirm this with Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing, which tests for DNA (protein) fragmentation; it is never found. The FDA considers highly refined oils and other products that are void of proteins to be exempt from Food.
Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) labeling.
When we are under stress, either physical or emotional, our bodies secrete higher levels of cortisol—in a mechanism known as fight or flight. In the short term, this is helpful, but on a chronic level, cortisol becomes harmful. Cortisol breaks down muscle protein into amino acids which are eventually converted to glucose in the liver.
As frequent exercisers know, delayed onset muscle soreness is a real phenomenon that occurs after intense weight training and/or cardiovascular exercise (physical stress). Part of this muscle soreness is cellular damage resulting from heightened cortisol and high levels of calcium in the muscle tissue. As a result, proteases start to break down the muscle tissue. In addition, high levels of cortisol have neurotoxic effects on the brain and have been associated with impaired memory and Alzheimer’s disease.
Because one of the main functions of phosphatidylserine is involvement and regulation of membrane function, oral supplementation with phosphatidylserine may mitigate the harmful effects of cortisol. PS not only assists with the entry of nutrients into the cell but also the exit of harmful, stress-related products out of the cell. Additionally, PS is important with cell-to-cell communication and helps cells interact and respond to the effects of the stressor(s).