The relationship between weight and stress has long been established in clinical research and daily experience. Researchers in Spain explored this dynamic more thoroughly using rat models to look at differences in the impact of stress on male and female rats. Their study, published in "Psychoneuroendocrinology" in 2010, showed that adult male rats gained more weight under stress than female rats, though both genders had an increase in body mass. As such, scientists are working to look at chemicals, such as phosphatidlyserine, that may play a role in both weight and stress.
What Is Phosphatidylserine?
Phosphatidylserine, or PS, is a chemical made by the body, but most people are able to ingest what they need from foods. Supplements used to be made from bovine brains, but this was halted due to mad cow disease. As of July 2011, supplements are created using soy and kale products. The uses of phosphtidylserine include memory enhancement in dementia and overall mental and physical performance. Given the multiple uses of the compound, researchers have began to look at the possibilities in the realm of weight loss and stress relief.
Phosphatidylserine and Weight Loss
In 2009, researchers in Spain looked at the impact of increased exposure to PS in the red blood cells of overweight individuals. They hypothesized that perhaps PS was related to disturbances in blood cell structure in obese individuals. Using complex biochemistry, the study, which was published in a medical journal entitled "Obesity," showed that overweight patients did have increased PS in their blood. Additionally, when weight loss was achieved, PS levels in the red blood cell membranes decreased. This study, though complicated in methodology and theory, is one of the few studies that actually found some relationship between PS and weight.
Phosphatidylserine and Stress
PS and mental stress have been linked in the clinical uses of the chemical to enhance mental performance and memory. Researchers in Germany further examined this theory in a study conducted in 2008 by putting healthy volunteers in mentally stressful situations and then giving some PS supplements and others a placebo. The results were published in the journal "Nutritional Neuroscience" and revealed that the PS group showed a more-relaxed state via certain brain waves in the frontal lobe region in the brain after encountering mental stress than did the placebo group.
Putting It All Together
As of July 2011, the Federal Drug Administration has not approved phosphatidylserine for the treatment of stress or weight loss. The chemical certainly holds potential for stress management, as research suggests, but more work needs to be done to make strong conclusions. Individuals should not add supplements to weight-loss or stress-management plans without consulting a physician. Even nutritional supplements may have negative interactions with prescription medication.
References
- "Psychoneuroendocrinology"; The Weight Gain Response to Stress During Adulthood is Conditioned by Both Sex and Prenatal Stress Exposure; C. García-Cáceres, et al.; 2010
- "Obesity"; Erythrocyte Membrane Pexposure in Obesity; E. Sola, et al.; 2009
- "Nutritional Neuroscience"; Influence of Phosphatidylserine on Cognitive Performance and Cortical Activity After Induced Stress; J. Baumeister, et al.; 2008
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