Health Benefits of Drinking Green Tea

Phosphatidyl Serine

Phosphatidyl serine
Phosphatidyl serine is a naturally occurring phospholipid that has a structural role in the biological membranes of plants, animals and other life forms. It is found in fish, green leafy vegetables, soybeans and rice, and is essential for the normal functioning of the brain cell membrane, in which it is more concentrated than in the rest of the cells.
Improving cognitive function
Phosphatidyl serine helps regenerate damaged nerve cells, reversing defects in nerve cell message transmission, helping to establish new receptor sites in the brain. It also supports the functions of several important membrane proteins. In fact, large protein molecules station themselves like sentries along the phospholipid wall, where they perform a variety of important functions like those recently named. More specifically, they process enzymatic and hormonal signals from outside the cell, catalyze the nerve cell’s mitochondrial energy production, facilitate the release of neurotransmitters, and support the functions of the proteins in the neurotransmitter receptors of dendrites. That is why phosphatidyl serine is usually used to benefit memory, learning, concentration, mood, alertness, and reaction time. 
In the largest multicenter study to date of phosphatidylserine and Alzheimer’s disease, 142 subjects aged 40 to 80 were given 200 milligrams of phosphatidylserine per day or placebo over a three-month period. The scales normally used to assess Alzheimer’s status were used, and showed that those treated with phosphatidylserine showed an improvement on several items. Although the differences between placebo and experimental groups were small the experts catalogued them as ´statistically significant´.
Phosphatidylserine has also shown some efficacy in some non-Alzheimer’s dementias, in age-associated memory impairment and general mental deterioration. Although more clinical trials need to be conducted before elaborating conclusions, taking into a count the results to date, plus the fact that there are very few side effects associated with phosphatidyl serine and also so few treatment options for Alzheimer’s disease, one research group concluded that the therapeutic possibilities offered by phosphatidylserine should not be dismissed.
Cortisol –against fat loss

In terms of fat loss, phosphatidyl serine is not known for having a direct effect on this field. However, it is commonly included in many fat loss supplements in order to reduce muscle soreness, as it is said to suppress cortisol, which is known to break down muscle tissue and also contribute to abdominal fat storage.

According to a study performed at University Hospital in the Swedish city of Gothenburg, elevated cortisol levels provoked by both emotional stress and physical stress -like sleep deprivation and vigorous exercise- stimulates a fat-gathering enzyme, which is more easily taken up by the abdomen than other parts of the body.

However, several phosphatidyl serine supplementation seems to blunt cortisol release significantly secondary to stress. In fact, the journal Biology of Sport published a study in which phosphatidyl serine supplementation reduced cortisol levels by 30 percent compared to a placebo following exercise.

Dosage and forms
Phosphatidyl serine supplements can be derived from bovine brain or from soy lecithin. However, in the case of phosphatidyl serine taken from bovine cortex, it is usually not sold because it may contain viruses or infectious agents inadvertently introduced in the phosphatidyl serine product when extracted from the animal brain. So the phosphatidylserine currently available is derived from soy. In this case, it undergoes an enzymatic process that converts phosphatidyl choline -another major phospholipid found in egg yolks and soy- to phosphatidyl serine.
As it is common to use the results of studies done with phosphatidyl serine from cow brain to hypothetically prove that soy derived phosphatidyl serine is also effective, the reader should distinguish between both sources. Apparently, the extracts taken from bovine cortex contain other brain components apart from phosphatidyl serine, which may have led to better improvements in brain function than the ones taken from soy. So, when trials are performed using BC-phosphatidyl serine, they are referring to the one taken from bovine cortex, and not the one extracted from soy.
There is preliminary research indicating that the dose of phosphatidyl serine for inhibiting exercise-induced increases in cortisol ranges from 400 up to 800 mg per day, while other sources suggest to take 100 milligrams three time daily.
Although it is not contraindicated with any known medication, the lack of long-term safety studies suggests phosphatidyl serine should be avoided by children, pregnant women and nursing mothers. Also, those suffering from the antiphospholipid-antibody syndrome should exercise caution in the use of phosphatidylserine and only take it under medical supervision and monitoring.
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