Phosphatidylserine is a phospholipid that forms part of the cell membranes in plants and animals. Supplemental phosphatidylserine is derived from soy lecithin and is therefore a phytonutrient. Supplemental phosphatidylserine has been shown to have beneficial effects on mood in humans and this may relate to its ability to lower the circulating levels of the stress hormone cortisol, through inhibition of adrenocorticotropic-releasing hormone (ACTH) in the pituitary gland. A number of studies have investigated the effects of phosphatidylserine supplements on human subjects. For example, in one study researchers administered 300 mg per day phosphatidylserine to healthy young subjects for 1 month before exposing them to mental stress in the form of a maths test. The results of the study showed that compared to the placebo tablet, those subject consuming the phosphatidylserine had significant reductions in perceived stress, and also the subjects experienced significant improvements in mood.
Phosphatidylserine is an acidic phospholipid present in animal and plant cell membranes. In animals the brain is particularly rich in phosphatidylserine, which may play a central role in the function of the neuronal cell membrane particularly by increasing neurone to neurone communication. Soy lecithin is the source for most phosphatidylserine supplements.
In another study elderly subjects with severe depression were administered 60 mg per day of phosphatidylserine per day for 32 days. The results of this study showed that while the phosphatidylserine did not change the hormone patterns of the subjects it did reduce their depressive symptoms. In a further study, elderly subjects with depression were administered 100 mg phosphatidylserine along with 119 mg of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6 (n-3)) and 70 mg eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5 (n-3)) three times a day for 12 weeks. After 12 weeks of supplementation the depressive symptoms of the subjects was significantly improved. It was found that those subjects that responded most favourably to the supplements by showing improvements in mood also had significant reductions in levels of salivary cortisol. This supports the hypothesis that raised levels of cortisol are a cause of poor mood and depression. In combination with fish oils, phosphatidylserine may therefore have beneficial effects on mood.
Interestingly, lower doses of phosphatidylserine may be as or more effective than high doses. In some studies higher doses of phosphatidylserine have been observed to be less effective compared to lower doses. Somewhere between 100 to 400 mg per day of phosphatidylserine may be an effective dose, but it is possible that less than 100 mg per day is also beneficial.
In another experiment researchers investigated the effects of phosphatidylserine on elderly women. The women were administered 300 mg of phosphatidylserine per day for 15 days and their mood was assessed clinically. The administration of phosphatidylserine to the elderly women caused consistent clinically measurable improvements in depressive symptoms, memory and behaviour as measured by the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Gottfries-Brane-Steen Rating Scale, the Nurse’s Observation Scale for Inpatient Evaluation and Buschke Selective Reminding Test. In another study, researchers administered 200 mg per day of phosphatidylserine to elderly women for 30 days. The results of this study also showed significant improvements in the depressive symptoms experienced by the women. In animals studies using rats, the antidepressant effects of phosphatidylserine have been shown to be comparable to those of the antidepressant drug imipramine.
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