Playing catch-up

Sometimes the FDA gets it right.

And no – that’s not another April Fool’s joke.

The FDA recently announced that it will authorize the use of two health claims for a nutrient that helps preserve cognitive function. This “official” stamp of approval comes a full four years after we first told you about this important nutrient that helps the brain stay sharp.

Two dozen strong In an e-Alert I sent you just two weeks ago (“As Time Goes By” 3/18/03) I told you about an essential fatty acid called phosphatidylserine (PS) that has been shown to boost brain function and revitalize memory. At that time I hadn’t yet heard that in the last week of February the FDA made it official: manufacturers of PS are now allowed to make two important claims about their product:

Phosphatidylserine may reduce the risk of cognitive dysfunction in the elderly
Phosphatidylserine may reduce the risk of dementia in the elderly

Last summer, Dr. Kyl Smith, a noted nutritionist, submitted a petition requesting the FDA to allow the health claims. This marked the first time such a petition had been filed claiming that a supplementary nutrient reduces the risk of cognitive brain diseases.

In support of the petition, more than two dozen studies have demonstrated that PS may help improve memory impairment associated with aging.

Brain work

In an HSI Members Alert we sent you in February 1999, we told how the optimal functioning of the brain relies on PS – a compound that’s present in every cell of the body, but primarily the brain cells. PS actually helps feed your brain by facilitating two functions: the delivery of nutrients to the brain cells, and the cells’ ability to receive the nutrients.

PS also activates the nerve cells and nerve-transmitter production, helping to regulate and stimulate instantaneous “flashes” of information and your ability to react to that information. It even gives you more brain circuits with which to communicate by actually increasing the number of neurotransmitter sites. And as if all of that weren’t enough, PS has also been shown to have antioxidant properties that further protect the brain from free-radical damage.

If there’s a downside to PS, it’s that our bodies naturally produce less of it as we age. Which, of course, makes supplementing with PS so important – especially for those who may have begun to experience age-related memory problems.

Only one way

Dietary sources of phosphatidylserine deliver only trace amounts, so the one reliable source of PS in effective doses is through dietary supplements, isolated primarily from soybeans. Studies have shown improved mental function in subjects taking 300 mg of PS per day. No significant side effects have been associated with PS (even at levels somewhat higher than 300 mg per day), and at this time there are no known drug interactions. I expect that most supplement and health food stores carry PS, and you can find it through several sources on the Internet.

There’s also an excellent book called The Memory Cure that specifically addresses the benefits and usage of PS. Authors Thomas H. Crook III, Ph.D., and Brenda Adderly, M.H.A., have devised a six-step program that combines the value of this breakthrough supplement with the most effective memory-enhancing foods, herbs, and lifestyle techniques.

The Memory Cure was published in 1998. Maybe we should send a copy around to the folks at the FDA – just to let them know what they’ve been missing.

We do have a few copies of The Memory Cure (287 pages, hardcover) available for sale at HSI if you’re interested. The book costs US$15 plus US$5 shipping and handling. (Shipping is higher for international orders). And I understand that used copies are available on Amazon.com for just a little more than the price of a share of its stock.

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute

Sources:
“FDA Allows Qualified Health Claims for Phosphatidylserine (PS) Related to Cognitive Dysfunction & Dementia in Elderly” Julie Montzka, Natural Products Industry Center, npicenter.com, 3/21/03
“FDA Allows Health Claim for Nutrient to Help Memory and Dementia” Allan S. Josephs, M.D., For Your Health, vitacost.com, 3/27/03
“Dr. Kyl Smith Files Phosphatidylserine Health Claim Petition with the FDA” Life Extension Magazine, 7/02, lef.org