Phosphatidylserine is component of animals and plant phospholipids and it appears to have physiological effects when taken as a dietary source. Supplemental phosphatidylserine was originally derived from the brains of cows (bovine cortex phosphatidylserine) but health concerns about this tissue has lead to the development of supplemental phosphatidylserine from soy lecithin. Soy lecithin derived phosphatidylserine has been shown to be orally bioavailable in animals and humans. Both oral and intravenous administration of phosphatidylserine has been shown to affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis by modulating the release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). Adrenocorticotropic hormone in turn signals the hypothalamus to release corticotropin-releasing hormone, which in turn signals the cortex of the adrenal gland to release cortisol. Supplemental phosphatidylserine therefore is able to modulate cortisol release and in this way may have significant cortisol lowering effects.
As cortisol may be a primary driver of the mental changes that drive mood disorders, phosphatidylserine may have benefits in this regard. For example, GABA receptors can bind cortisol and whilst low levels of cortisol may activate the GABA receptors and produce calming effects, higher and more chronic levels of cortisol can inhibit the GABA receptor, and this may negatively affect mood, particularly anxiety. Cortisol also causes other changes to the brain which negatively affect neurotransmitter metabolism and turnover. For example, stress can result in damage to the hippocampus area of the brain, which is involved in learning and memory. In this regard veterans from combat and victims of childhood abuse have been shown to have significant reductions in the size of certain parts of the hippocampal region of the brain. High levels of circulating cortisol therefore appear to cause atrophy in parts of the brain, likely through damage to the neurones in those regions, and this may lead to mood changes.
As with other supplements, more is often not always better. For example, in one study, treatment with 400 mg per day of phosphatidylserine complex produced a significant reduction in cortisol levels in humans. However higher 600 and 800 mg per day doses were much less effective and not statistically different from the placebo group. Supplemental phosphatidylserine is now derived from soy lecithin.
The ability of phosphatidylserine to protect from the deleterious effects of mental stress has been investigated by researchers. For example, in one study, researchers administered a phosphatidylserine complex extract from soy lecithin to subjects at 400, 600 or 800 mg per day over a three week period. The subjects were then exposed to an experimental protocol designed to cause mental stress. The results showed that treatment with 400 mg of phosphatidylserine complex caused a significant reduction in serum adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol, as well as salivary cortisol, in response to the experimental stress. It was also noted that at the 400 mg dose, the phosphatidylserine complex also caused a positive emotional response in the subjects, and resulted in a decrease in the distress shown by the subjects in response to the test protocol. Therefore this study provides evidence that phosphatidylserine may produce beneficial effects on mood, possibly by a reduction in the suppression of cortisol.
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