Phosphatidylserine Side Effects on Blood Pressure and Overall Safety

With its role as a key component of cellular health, Phosphatidylserine side effects are far outweighed by its benefits. This phospholipid, which occurs naturally in our bodies, is responsible for regulating various facets of metabolism with our cells.

Phosphatidylserine also contains choline, a pre-cursor to acetylcholine, the neurochemical most closely tied to memory, mental focus, and brain plasticity. Phosphatidylserine has also been shown to reduce the body’s stress response by cutting cortisol levels.

What’s the trade-off for all of these benefits? Let’s take a look at how the body uses this natural compound, and see if there are any possible side effects of Phosphatidylserine supplements.

Phosphatidylserine

Mood Supplement

Memory

Neuron Function

Mood

How It Works:

• Supports memory function & cognition
• Boosts neuron health & communication
• May improve mood, sleep & relaxation

Dosage:

Between 100 - 500 mg per day

Safety:

Rated Possibly Safe

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Phosphatidylserine Effects and Role

Phosphatidylserine has been shown to reduce excessive levels of cortisol in the body. Cortisol is our number one stress response hormone.

Whenever we experience physical or mental stress, cortisol, a steroid, is released by the adrenal cortex.

The purpose of the hormone is to activate our fight or flight responses.

Under healthy conditions, cortisol can reduce inflammation and produce extra energy through increased metabolism. However, when too much cortisol is present, it can interfere with sleep, lower immunity, cause sudden weight gain, generate feelings of anxiety and depression, and kill libido.

These symptoms can create a vicious cycle of even more stress. By fighting excess cortisol, taking Phosphatidylserine as a supplement can prevent these unwanted side effects and mute the impact of a panic or stress attack. In this way, Phosphatidylserine keeps stress reactions in check.

Cognitive Benefits of Phosphatidylserine

In addition to alleviating the physical reactions to stress, Phosphatidylserine also provides the chemical basis for great mental health. It naturally contains choline, a super-nutrient that is inherent in the synthesis of phospholipids.

Renowned for its cognitive enhancing benefits, choline, and its product acetylcholine, foster the growth of healthy brain structures. An adequate amount of choline improves the transmission of information between cells, and promotes the growth of synaptic connections between neurons.

These functions generate improved memory, heightened mental clarity, and enhanced ability to form verbal and logical reasoning in users. For that reason, Phosphatidylserine has been successfully prescribed for patients suffering from a broad range of serious neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s Disease.

People with healthy brain tissue find that taking cholinergic supplements promotes feelings of great mental acuity, excellent recall of facts, and fast response times to stimulus.

There have been no significant Phosphatidylserine side effects reported relating to cognition whatsoever. It is considered non-toxic and very safe for consumption, easily tolerated by most people.

Phosphatidylserine Side Effects And Blood Thinners

While there have been no mental side effects associated with Phosphatidylserine use, there is one area of caution for a very small subset of potential users. The only contraindication is for people who have prescribed the pharmaceutical blood thinner Heparin.

Phosphatidylserine may potentiate the effects of Heparin and create issues with healthy blood clotting. To a lesser extent, blood thinning Phosphatidylserine side effects might also occur with aspirin, Trental, Plavix, or Coumadin. If you are currently taking significant amounts of these drugs, ask your doctor before adding Phosphatidylserine into the mix.

Phosphatidylserine And Ginkgo Biloba

Many people take Phosphatidylserine in a stack with the herb Ginkgo Biloba. Ginkgo is an ancient cognitive booster which works by increasing blood flow to the brain. While the mental effects of Phosphatidylserine and Ginkgo Biloba are synergistic, the pairing may also cause excessive blood thinning. For this reason, it is recommended that these two supplements not be taken concurrently.

Is Using Phosphatidylserine When Exercising Safe?

Phosphatidylserine is also widely marketed as an exercise supplement. Specifically, its ability to target cortisol is of great use to athletes as the body generally produces too much cortisol in response to heavy exercise such as weight lifting.

Phosphatidylserine helps weight lifters manage their body’s over-reaction to physical stress, and stops the body from its emergency response of burning muscle to create energy. Many bodybuilders claim that regular Phosphatidylserine supplements prevent the unwanted loss of muscle from overtraining.

Not only is Phosphatidylserine safe to use in this context, it is actually very beneficial.

Best Dosage of Phosphatidylserine

While the FDA has not provided official recommended daily dosages of Phosphatidylserine, doctors who suggest Phosphatidylserine supplementation generally advise 100 – 300 mg per day. Phosphatidylserine has a short half life in the body, so it is recommended to split doses up over the course of a day, in at least three increments.

Even up to twice the recommended dose, no Phosphatidylserine side effects have been noted other than the occasional upset stomach.

While Phosphatidylserine is thought to improve the reliability of sleep cycles by limiting cortisol, people who are very light sleepers should try to weight doses towards the earlier parts of the day, taking the last dose in the afternoon. For some very sensitive people, the heightened mental clarity will make it hard to fall asleep right away. Overall, side effects are light and rare, while Phosphatidylserine’s clear benefits are plentiful.

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