Almost all of us deal with stress on a daily basis. His familiar wet grip wreaks havoc on our insides: our palms get sweaty, our hearts race, our stomachs tie in knots. None is immune. At home, at work, at school, worry can overwhelm us because stress-induced biochemical reactions are often beyond our control. They are an automatic response to some internal or external stimulus that puts our body on high alert. And in our hectic world, worry surrounds us everywhere.

a modern disease

Like most bodily functions, stress has a positive, or at least protective, role to play in our lives. When we are in danger, the adrenal glands release powerful stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline to give us the strength and energy we need to survive an ordeal. Called the fight or flight response, it has served humanity well, so far, that is. Why the sudden change?

Some experts believe that the frenetic pace of modern life and all the stressors we are subjected to have put us in a state of endless emergency; one in which stress hormones course through our bodies when we don’t need them. This extended period of chronic stress can have both short-term and long-term effects on our health. One of them is the increased risk that we will develop an anxiety disorder.

The most common mental illness in the United States, more than 40 million adults suffer from an anxiety disorder. Most receive treatment in the form of powerful prescription medications designed to treat depression and related disorders. Although popular, these mood-altering drugs come with a long list of serious side effects, including toxicity. In fact, nearly 30 percent of drug overdose deaths in the US involve prescription antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications. With numbers like that, it’s no wonder a growing group of anxiety sufferers are embracing natural supplements.

What is phosphatidylserine?

Clearly, we need to find a way to manage our stress that doesn’t involve life-threatening, addictive prescription drugs. Both exercise and meditation have been shown to be effective in inducing the release of hormones that reduce stress. However, they cannot combat the stress hormones that are already in our systems. To control cortisol and adrenaline from the inside, we need to fight it from the outside, through nutrition. A popular and effective treatment option is a nutritional supplement called phosphatidylserine. How does it work?

A vital chemical found in every cell in the human body, phosphatidylserine plays a key role in maintaining cell structure, especially in the brain. By keeping the billions of nerve cells in our heads healthy and safe, the nutrient helps them complete their signal transmission functions. One of the many benefits of this action is the improvement of memory, which can be compromised with age, injury or disease. Because the body does not make enough of the chemical on its own, we must get phosphatidylserine from other sources, such as food and dietary supplements.

Well proven for stress reduction.

In addition to improving memory, clinical trials also found that phosphatidylserine helped relieve mental and emotional stress. This unexpected discovery suggests that the supplement could be useful in treating anxiety disorders. Of course, more evidence was needed. At last count, there have been at least 3,000 research papers and 60 clinical trials on the benefits and function of phosphatidylserine, making it one of the most studied supplements.

After cognitive benefits, the most common finding was a positive effect on mood when test subjects were in stressful situations. These reports and observations were confirmed by significant reductions in stress hormones in subjects taking 400 mg daily of phosphatidylserine. In particular, one study found that the nutrient helped reduce stress in young adults because it helped them better regulate fluctuations in cortisol levels. (The link between elevated cortisol levels and a reduction in stress-relieving hormones and neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin, has been firmly established.) This observation was corroborated by another study that found that phosphatidylserine maintained cortisol levels induced by exercise and muscular stress. comparatively low.

effects

Because elevated cortisol levels over prolonged periods can lead to numerous health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes, it behooves us to regulate them when we’re under stress. Although its mechanism of action is poorly understood, tests have confirmed that phosphatidylserine can help lower cortisol levels, which can help relieve anxiety by inducing the release of stress-relieving chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin.

Dosage and side effects

As we mentioned, the nutrient is found in every cell in our body, which makes it completely safe for regular consumption. The only reported side effects are mild stomach problems from users who took more than the recommended dose, which is 400 to 600 mg daily, according to most sources. It should also be noted that there are natural food sources for phosphatidylserine, including herring, tuna, soft-shell clams, and navy beans. However, the average American gets much less than the recommended dose. – only 75 to 184 milligrams a day, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Therefore, supplementation is an attractive option for most people.

conclusion

A safe, natural, and apparently effective treatment for anxiety, phosphatidylserine is an increasingly popular alternative to powerful prescription drugs. By regulating cortisol to healthy levels, the nutrient can help prevent a host of health problems, from heart disease to diabetes to high blood pressure. Not to mention the fact that phosphatidylserine acts as a neuroprotectant in the brain, improving memory and recall in patients with cognitive impairment. All of this makes phosphatidylserine supplementation a no-brainer…pun intended!