Food For The Brain

Four Phosphatidyl Complexes To Help Boost Memory and Endurance

Memory Problems?

Although everyone wants to live a long, healthy life, the prospect of aging is often frightening, especially the thought of losing mental abilities.

There are more than 60 million people in the U.S. over the age of 50, and approximately 30 million of them are over the age of 65. Conservative estimates show that more than half of those 30 million over 65 are already experiencing a significant decline in their cognitive abilities. In the coming years, these numbers will increase greatly as our population continues to age. Many peoplein all age categories are beginning to experience signs of poor memory, both for short-term and longterm memory.

As clients come to practitioners for nutritional counseling, middle-aged and even younger people often list one of their chief complaints as “poor memory” on the initial symptom survey.

Although many people strive to live healthy lifestyles by eating well, exercising, and using quality nutritional supplements, they want increased support for their brain cells and brain function.

What are the four Phosphatidyl
Complexes?

Due to recent breakthroughs in technology, four superior phosphatidyl complexes are now available:

1) phosphatidylserine (PS)
2) phosphatidylcholine (PC)
3) phosphatidylinositol
4) phosphatidylethanolamine

These phosphatidyl complexes are most abundant in brain cells and the liver. These phosphatidyl complexes have been shown to be essential for nerve growth and regeneration, rapid recovery from exercise, and for brain function. Research shows that using all four complexes is superior to the use of a single complex alone such as phosphatidylserine (PS) or phosphatidylcholine (PC).

These complexes are powerful brain cell nutrition in concentrated form. The highest potency and best source of these complexes is from non-GMO, well-grown, presticide free legumes. Many sources are often derived from poorly grown or contaminated legumes. The best advice is to use only a purified high potency source of quality phosphatidyl nutrients, free of harmful solvents and chemicals.

Brainfood#1: Phosphatidylserine

Since the 1970's, phosphatidylserine (PS) has been studied intensively for its effect on various measures of brain function. More than 20 human studies on PS alone suggest that it may help maintain or improve cognitive functions such as memory and learning in mature adults. The result of these well documented studies included significant improvements in measures of brain function, such as:

• Learning and remembering names
• Recognizing acquaintances
• Recalling the location of misplaced objects
• Remembering numeric information
• Maintaining concentration on a task
• Improving scores on standard neurophysical  tests

Brainfood #2: Phosphatidylcholine

Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is critical to brain function, liver detoxification, for endurance, sense of smell and taste, for relaxation, and maintaining cell membrane fluidity.

Neuronal Firepower
Impaired central cholinergic tone is a common denominator in such brain disorders as tardive dyskinesia, mania, and Alzheimer's disease. It has been postulated that cholinergic deficiencies may result from insufficient stores of choline, the precursor of the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. In fact, in the absence of an adequate supply of choline, neurons are unable to transmit messages across synapses, are unable to synthesize acetylcholine, and are prevented from synthesizing phosphatidylcholine (the biologically important molecule containing choline) in order to construct neuronal membranes.

Adequate central cholinergic tone may be partially restored by dietary means, although this entails consumption oflarge amounts of foods such as eggs, liver, and soy products that are rich in phosphatidylcholine. A more efficient way to insure adequate PC consumption, without incurring the high calories and cholesterol risks associated with eggs and liver, is by supplemental PC ingestion. Studies have shown that taking oral phosphatidylcholine can double plasma choline levels within two hours, thus making available more choline for acetylcholine synthesis.(1)

Transporting Choline Past the Blood-Brain Barrier
Upon ingestion of PC, approximately 50% of the amount consumed is rapidly degraded in the intestinal tract and absorbed into the bloodstream, whereas the other 50% enters the lymphatic system to aid in fat and cholesterol metabolism. It is extremely important that adequate blood choline levels be maintained to help support normal cellular membrane composition and repair and also to provide sufficient precursor choline for the maintenance of acetylcholine biosynthesis.

Brainfood #3: Phosphatidylinositol

Phosphatidylinositol is essential for nerve growth and regeneration, management of cholesterol and may prevent hair loss and eczema.

Brainfood #4: Phosphatidylethanolamine

Phosphatidylethanolamine supports brain and liver detoxification and helps maintain cell membrane fluidity. A more fluid membrane is more easily deformable, more resilient to circulating forces, more able to internalize absorbed antigens for lysosomal destruction, and more resistant to viral binding and replication. Clinical experience has shown it helps speed recovery from many chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia.

All Four Brainfoods In One
The best results can be obtained by using all four phosphatidyl complexes together. This approach is superior to using only one or two of the complexes. In conjunction with a healthy diet and appropriate exercise, these complexes are an excellent nutritional aid to help maintain mental and physical fitness, including enhanced memory function and overall robust health.

Don't Leave Home Without It
All four brainfoods may be just the defense you need to protect your brain and nerve cells when you eat out. Restaurant food, whether it's fast food or an expensive cafe, almost guarantees you a toxic one-two punch: foods with hydrogenated oils and excitotoxins such as disguised MSG, aspartame and hydrolyzed protein. These chemical excitotoxins can excite (or stimulate) your brain cells to death. Protect your brain cells with the four healthy phosphatidyl complexes. Don't leave home without them, especially now, in this age of ever-increasing toxicity in food.

Typical Use
Researchers have found the following amounts of the four different complexes to work the best synergistically.

1) Phosphatidylserine 40-80 mg
2) Phosphatidylcholine 40-80 mg
3) Phosphatidylinositol 10-25 mg
4) Phosphatidylethanolamine 10-30 mg

If you find a product that contains all four phosphatidyls in the above ranges, then these nutrients may supply excellent brain and memory support, especially if you eat out.

(1)Schiefe, RT, and Growdon, JH: Treating Tardive Dyskinesia, Seminars in Neurology 2: 305-315, 1982.