MEMORY

Have you ever opened a closet door and then forgotten what you needed? Do phone numbers or names take what seems like forever to recall? If so, phosphatidyl serine may be the thing to remember.

While forgetfulness was once considered an inevitable part of growing older, some scientists now believe that certain dietary supplements may protect our brains from wear and tear.

Phosphatidyl serine (PS), a fat-soluble nutrient found naturally in our bodies, seems to restore memory and improve cognition. Research has shown that people taking PS have better recall of names, faces, numbers and written information. Though most of this work has been done abroad, American scientists like Parris Kidd, Ph.D., a cell biologist in El Cerrito, California, and Thomas Crook, Ph.D., a research psychologist formerly of the National Institute of Mental Health, are now studying PS with positive results. "It can turn back the clock 12 to 15 years," says Kidd.

PS is a building block for every cell membrane in the body, but it is particularly concentrated in the brain, where it assists communication between neurons and regulates certain hormones and neurotransmitters. Just how dietary PS works to restore memory is still a puzzle. But Kidd theorizes that although we don't lose PS as we age, we eventually need more of it to build new pathways critical for memory and mental sharpness.

Beyond memory, PS appears to have other applications, from reducing stress to alleviating attention deficit disorder. "We've had an 85 percent success rate in getting ADD under control," says Kidd, of his current study on PS and ADD in children ages 4 to 19.

If you want to try PS to improve memory, Kidd recommends a month-long starter dose of 200 to 300 mg each day, then a daily maintenance dose of 100 mg. He notes, however, that PS alone isn't enough to get you into Mensa: "You also need exercise and brain stimulation to integrate new cells into brain tissue."