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01/03/2012
Vinco's Smart PS™ - The Smart Choice Vinco's Smart PS™ finished dosage softgels feature an exclusive fluid dispersion phosphatidylserine material that has significantly enhanced stability for maximum brain benefits. Research in animals and humans has shown.....
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01/02/2012
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Smart PS™
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Item# V-SMART
60 Softgels per bottle
Dietary Supplement
The Plague of Cognitive Dysfunction
Every 70 seconds, someone in America develops Alzheimer’s disease. That figure will accelerate to one person every 33 seconds by mid-century. Today, there are 5.3 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease, and a half million new cases will develop each year.1
Not everyone who suffers from cognitive dysfunction is so unlucky. Many people, about 10% of those 65 and older, suffer from only mild cognitive impairment, a condition affecting memory, language skills and other mental functions. However, one thing is certain: any loss of cognitive function is traumatic for the sufferer and can significantly decrease quality of life.
The Promise Of Phosphatidylserine
While many nutraceutical ingredients have been touted for their ability to improve cognitive performance, few have the scientific backing of phosphatidylserine (PS). A naturally occurring phospholipid, PS is a crucial building block of cell membranes, ensuring their fluidity and structure, and ultimately, their function.
Why is that significant? Because new research performed at Stanford University’s School of Medicine by pioneering cell biologist Bruce Lipton, Ph.D., has revealed that the cell membrane is much more important than previously thought. Rather than simply being a container for the contents of the cell, the cell membrane is the master controller of signal transmission. It is the molecular mechanism that tells the cell what to do in response to the environment. In essence, the cell membrane, not the nucleus, is the brain of the cell.2 And it relies on sufficient supplies of PS to function.
It is no wonder, then, that several multi-center, double blind, placebo-controlled trials on patients with Alzheimer’s disease have suggested that PS improves cognitive performance.
Phosphatidylserine -vs- Phosphatidylcholine
As phospholipids, both phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) are major components of cell membranes. However, unlike PS, PC has very limited value in improving mental function. Why? Bioavailability. As a nutritional supplement, PC is hoarded by the liver. As a result, hardly any of it actually makes it to the brain. That is why there are no solid, repeatable clinical studies correlating PC use with cognitive improvement. However, PC functions in the metabolism of fat and in the transport of fat from the liver, which makes it very beneficial in liver clensing. PS, on the other hand, is a modified form of PC that does get to the brain, making it a highly valuable nutrient for enhancing cognitive function.
The Phosphatidylserine (PS) Stability Issue
Unfortunately, PS is highly unstable and therefore prone to degradation. In fact, a recent shelf-life study, performed on a standard fluid PS material by an independent international laboratory for phospholipid analysis, showed dismaying results. Within 12 weeks of encapsulation, the standard fluid PS material had degraded by 10%. Within 18 weeks, it has degraded by nearly 20%.
The Stable Solution: Vinco’s Smart PS™
To overcome the issue of PS stability, Vinco, Inc. offers Smart PS™, an exclusive fluid dispersion PS material, provided as finished dosage soft gels, that has enviable stability. Shelf-life studies on Smart PS™, performed by the same independent laboratory mentioned above, found that even after 24 months, the material showed absolutely no degradation. It was as potent at month 24 as it was the day it was encapsulated.
Supporting Research
The only brain ingredient granted a qualified health claim by the FDA, phosphatidylserine is supported by a wealth of research, showing it:
• Decreases the loss of brain cells
In laboratory animals, PS has been shown to decrease
the age-related loss of brain cells important for learning
and memory. 3,4,5
• Helps slow down age-related cognitive decline, including:
• Memory
• Attention
• Concentration
Several multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials have demonstrated that PS improves some types of mental performance in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. 6,7,8 PS supplementation has also been shown to help with milder forms of cognitive dysfunction, enhancing attention and memory in patients with senile mental deterioration9 and improving memory, concentration and word recall in those with age-related cognitive decline.10
• May “turn back” the aging process
Perhaps most impressively, research has indicated that soy-derived PS may “turn back” the aging process. When elderly adults supplemented with 300 mg of soy-PS per day, they experienced profound improvements in memory after 12 weeks. In fact, the improvement in ability to remember names amounted to an age “reversal” of 13.9 years!11
• Improves anxiety and depression in the elderly
Two studies in elderly women suffering from either major depression or depressive symptoms found that PS significantly improved symptoms of anxiety and depression.12, 13
• Reduces the risk of cognitive dysfunction, including Alzheimer’s disease
Researchers suggest that phosphatidylserine may delay mental decline when taken before the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.14
• Enhances athletic performance and recovery
A recent study on healthy male subjects found that PS was effective at combating exercise-induced stress and physiological degradation from over-exercise by blunting increases in cortisol levels.15 Other research has shown PS improves athletic performance and exercise capasity, while decreasing muscle soreness.16
Vinco’s Smart PS™ Highlights
Smart PS™ finished dosage softgels feature an exclusive fluid dispersion phosphatidylserine material that has significantly enhanced stability for maximum brain benefits. Research in animals and humans has shown that PS:
• Decreases the loss of brain cells
• Helps slow down age-related cognitive decline,
including memory, attention and concentration
• May “turn back” the aging process
• Improves anxiety and depression in the elderly
• Reduces the risk of cognitive dysfunction, including
Alzheimer’s disease
• Enhances athletic performance and recovery
Why Choose Vinco’s Smart PS™
• Enhanced stability: PS is highly unstable and therefore prone to degradation. A recent shelf-life study found that standard fluid PS material had degraded by nearly 20% within 18 weeks of encapsulation. By comparison, shelf-life studies on Smart PS™ found that even after 24 months, the material showed absolutely no degradation.
• A proven cognitive enhancer: While many nutraceutical ingredients have been touted for their ability to improve cognitive performance, few have the scientific backing of PS. Even the conservative ConsumerLab.com has stated that “Double-blind studies involving a total of more than 1,000 people suggest that phosphatidylserine is an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.”18 Additionally, PS is the only brain health ingredient to have been granted a qualified health claim by the FDA.
• Safe: Vinco’s Smart PS™ material is Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) and is free of side effects. A safety study in elderly human subjects showed that PS caused no significant changes in biochemical or hematological safety parameters, and did affect blood pressure or heart rate.
• Bioavailable. Unlike phosphatidylcholine, which is hoarded by the liver, PS is a modified form of PC that actually reaches the brain, making it a highly valuable nutrient for enhancing cognitive function. Pharmacokinetic studies show that exogenous (supplemental) PS easily crosses the blood-brain-barrier.19
FDA Confirms Phosphatidylserine’s Health Claims
FDA reexamined the science.The evidence points to a “risk reduction relationship”between PS and cognitive dysfunction.
In May 2003,phospahtidylserine (PS) received some welcome news from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA; Rockville,MD). For the first time,products could be labeled with quality health claims:“Consumption of phosphatidylserine may reduce the risk of dementia in the elderly,”or “Consumption of phosphatidylserine may reduce the risk of cognitive dysfunction in the elderly.”
While the FDA approved the claim, the agency expressed concern that the science behind PS provided only “very limited and preliminary” evidence that it reduced the risk of dementia or cognitive dysfunction.
After the decision, Jonathan Emord, counsel for petitioner Kyl Smith, wrote FDA to clarify a point about the use of disease treatment studies as evidence of risk reduction. FDA re-evaluated the evidence, and in November 2004, it delivered good news for a second time. FDA said that while the evidence was still limited and preliminary and another evaluation might be needed, it found no reason to change the qualified claims.
Remarkably, FDA went so far as to admit that it had made a mistake in its original evaluation. In its May 2003 announcement, FDA said the phosphatidylserine claims were substantiated only with studies involving diseased populations. In fact, four of the studies involved patients with diagnosed dementia or cognitive dysfunction.
The correction was significant. “Because there are studies conducted in nondiseased populations demonstrating beneficial effects of phosphatidylserine on subjects at risk of dementia and cognitive dysfunction, ”FDA concluded,“ there is some credible evidence for a risk reduction relationship.”
Why PS?
Reaffirming the science behind the claims opens the door for PS. James Gormley, co-author of Health Benefits of Phosphatidylserine, describes PS as a critical component of individual health and a way to offset the cognitive decline that benefits after middle age.
To Gormley, it makes sense that PS is important for brain health. PS is a phospholipid that is heavily concentrated in the brain cell membranes that provide structural support and keep cells fluid and flexible.
PS is found in the body, but supplemental PS may have several beneficial effects, according to Gormley. PS may help restore normal levels of the brain neurotransmitter acetylcholine. PS also may inhibit degeneration of
dendrites, the parts of the nerve cells that carry impulses to cell bodies.
PS studies generally show that the best results occur in patients with mild cognitive dysfunction. A metaanalysis published in the November/December 2003 issue of Nutrition failed to find a single study that demonstrated positive results in older adults with probable Alzheimer’s disease.However, studies
consistently showed that PS produced modest increases of recall of word lists among older patients with moderate cognitive impairment. One report found consistent benefits across a number of memory tests for a subset of normal adults who have preformed more poorly that their peers.
The most effective dose is subject for debate. Many supplements contain 100 mg. Gormley suggests 200 mg daily. A landmark study of 48 young, healthy, male university students in the UK reported results with 300 mg per day. Gormley suggests since PS is found naturally in the body, supplemental PS shouldn’t pose a problem, and that 300 mg might be a good starting point before lowering the dosage to 100 mg for maintenance. Gormley advises checking with a healthcare practitioner, particularly when taking prescription medications.
June 2005, Nutritional Outlook
References
1. Alzheimer’s Association. New report says Alzheimer’s disease and dementia triple healthcare costs for Americans age 65 and older. Alzheimer’s News. March 24, 2009. http://www.alz.org/news_and_events_2009_facts_figures.asp
2. Lipton, Bruce. The biology of perception. YouTube.com. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLZ7GqWpEqM
3. Nunzi MG, et al. Dendritic spine loss in hippocampus of aged rats. Effect of brain phosphatidylserine administration. Neurobiol Aging. 1987;8:501-510
4. Nunzi MG, et al. Effects of phosphatidylserine administration of aged-related structural changes in the rat hippocampus and septal complex. Pharmacopsychiatry. 1989;22(suppl 2):125-128.
5. Cohen SA, Muller WE. Age-related alterations of NMDA-receptor properties in the mouse forebrain: partial restoration by chronic phosphatidylserine treatment. Brain Res.1992;584:174-180.
6. Amaducci L. Phosphatidylserine in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease: results of a multicenter study. Psychopharmacol Bull. 1988;24(1):130-4.
7. Crook T, et al. Effects of phosphatidylserine in Alzheimer’s disease. Psychopharmacol Bull. 1992;28(1):61-6.
8. Cenacchi T, et al. Cognitive decline in the elderly: a double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter study on efficacy of phosphatidylserine administration. Aging(Milano). 1993;5:123-133.
9. Palmieri G, et al. Double-blind controlled trial of phosphatidylserine in patients with senile mental
deterioration. Clin Trials J. 1987;24:73-83.
10. Crook TH, et al. Effects of phosphatidylserine in age-associated memory impairment. Neurology. 1991 May;41(5):644-9.
11. Crook T. Treatment of age-related decline in
cognitive capacities: the effects of phosphatidylserine,
in Anti-Aging Medical Therapeutics. Klatz RM, Goldman R Eds. 1998; Vol 2, p 20-28.
12. Brambilla E, Maggioni M. Blood levels of cytokines in elderly patients with major depressive disorder. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1998;97:309-313.
13. Maggioni M et al. Effects of phosphatidylserine therapy in geriatric patients with depressive disorders. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1990; 81:265.
14. Crook T, et al. 1992
15. Starks MA, et al. The effects of phosphatidylserine on endocrine response to moderate intensity exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2008 Jul 28;5:11.
16. Jäger R, et al. Phospholipids and sports performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2007 Jul 25;4:5.
17. Jorissen BL, et al. Safety of soy-derived
phosphatidylserine in elderly people. Nutr Neurosci. 2002;5:337–343.
18. EBSCO CAM Review Board, reviewers. Phosphatidylserine. ConsumerLab.com. Sept. 1, 2009. http://www.consumerlab.com/tnp.asp?chunkiid= 21843&docid=/tnp/pg000889
19. Alternative Medicine Review. Phosphatidylserine. BNET.com. Sept. 2008. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FDN/is_3_13/ai_n30917274/pg_2/?tag=conten
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