Phosphatidylserine is found in high amounts in the brain. It’s a popular dietary supplement used to improve mental focus, memory, and mood. Does it really work? Read on to learn more about the health benefits of phosphatidylserine, potential side effects, and optimal dosage.

What is Phosphatidylserine?

Phosphatidylserine is a phospholipid (a fat molecule attached to a phosphate) and is a major component of all cell membranes. It has particular importance in brain function; people use it as a supplement to improve cognitive function and memory, relieve stress, and more [1].

Phosphatidylserine Health Benefits

Possibly Effective:

1) Cognitive Function

A supplement containing 400 mg phosphatidylserine (PS) increased the speed of mathematical calculations and decreased errors in a clinical trial of 18 young people [2].

It also improved cognitive impairment in three clinical trials of 577 elderly people (at a dosage of 300 mg/day) [3, 4, 5].

Supplementation with 200-300 mg/day of PS improved memory in three clinical trials with 263 participants (36 children with ADHD and 227 older adults) [6, 7, 8].

In another clinical trial of 72 people, 300 mg/day of phosphatidylserine with phosphatidic acid improved memory and mood [9].

PS combined with omega-3 fatty acids or Ginkgo biloba extract helped maintain or improve memory in three clinical trials of 158 people [10, 11, 12].

However, phosphatidylserine, alone or with fish oil, did not improve age-associated memory impairment in two trials of 206 older patients [13, 14].

2) Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is associated with the accumulation of amyloid beta in the brain. Studies have shown that phosphatidylserine (PS) prevents this accumulation, which could help prevent or slow the progression of the disease [15].

In a clinical trial of 51 people with Alzheimer’s, PS reduced the symptoms and enhanced cognition, with greater results in those with milder impairment [16].

It improved some dementia symptoms in two more studies with 104 Alzheimer’s patients in the early stages of the disease. Its beneficial effects might fade out with time [17, 18].

300 mg/day also improved dementia symptoms and behavior in a clinical trial of 42 senile patients [19].

Larger, well-designed clinical trials are needed