P.S. Don't forget the P.C

Better Nutrition, April, 2000 by Parris Kidd

Nutrients for a better brain

The brain is the body's most sophisticated organ and, unfortunately, its most vulnerable. The brain carries about 100 billion nerve cells, interlacing and organized into 1,000 trillion information pathways. Over the years, poor lifestyle, toxic chemical exposure and sustained emotional stress can contribute to a decline in brain function.

The brain's nerve cells draw heavily on nutrients called phospholipids to support their growth, expansion, renewal and stimulus conduction activities. Phospholipids are complicated nutrient molecules that, although large, are more than 90 percent absorbed when taken by mouth. Found in all cells, phospholipids are essential to life functions. They have unique physical and chemical properties that suit them as building blocks for membranes, the thin sheets of dynamic material that are the working parts of all living cells.

PC & PS: Brain-boosting benefits

Five major types of phospholipids are found in cells. And, in the cells of the brain, all five go into building membranes involved in the generation, transmission and reception of stimuli; they are adaptable to the everchanging demands on the brain. Two of them -- phosphatidlycholine (PC) and phosphatidylserine (PS) -- are proven to benefit the brain as dietary supplements.

PC. Clinical trials with phospholipids for the brain began with PC. Experts investigating Alzheimer's disease initially looked at PC as possibly being useful against memory loss, but extensive testing proved it to be ineffective in this area. PC was, however, confirmed useful in brain conditions with proven choline deficiency, such as ataxia (the inability to coordinate muscular movements). PC is the most abundant of the phospholipids in our cells and is sold as a dietary supplement.

PS. In the late 1970s, the focus of memory research shifted to PS. This phospholipid is particularly abundant in the brain, where it supports the activity of nine transmitter systems, including the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is essential for proper transmission of impulses from cell to cell. PS improves stimulus transmission across the entire brain and has more diverse brain benefits than any other substance. After 18 double-blind trials, PS has proven effective against memory loss related to aging, and against declines of related cognitive functions such as alertness, learning capacity, comprehension and vocabulary skills. In fact, one study showed that PS can restore up to 12 years worth of memory loss linked to aging.

The overall effect that PS has on the brain is, in a word, revitalizing. It can benefit memory loss, boost brain energy utilization and partially restore brain hormone production, even in severely impaired subjects. It improves mood, anxiety, and irritability in the elderly, and improves adaptability to stress in both young and old.

PS for children, too

Attention deficits in children, often coupled with abnormal behavior and learning disabilities, are a growing societal problem. Physician observations indicate PS can be more than 80 percent effective against these problems. Here, PS may work in complementary fashion with DHA (docosahexaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid).

DHA

In fact, since DHA has been shown to provide some help in demyelinization disorders (such as MS), it's not a surprise that the PS found in nerve cell membranes often has DHA incorporated as part of the whole PS molecule. Well-controlled studies have conclusively validated the mental-function-boosting effects of DHA, especially during infant and adolescent development, and in the elderly.

Phospholipids: nutrients for optimal functioning

Phospholipids work well in combination with each other and with other nutrients, and they conspicuously lack the adverse effects that can come from some pharmaceutical drugs. They also improve nutrient absorption, due to their inherent emulsifying effect. Therefore, the addition of phospholipids into vitamin, mineral and herbal preparations can enhance the product's effectiveness.

Whatever a person's age, or extent of brain underfunction, dietary supplementation with phospholipids offers promise for mental re-empowerment through regaining function that was lost. Phospholipids are the brain's premier revitalizing nutrients.

Dr. Parris Kidd earned his Ph.D. doing research on cell membranes at the University of California at Berkeley.