VITAMINS & SUPPLEMENTS · EVIDENCE
Phosphatidylserine: Evidence for Memory in Older Adults and Stress-Hormone Claims
What reviews and trials found for phosphatidylserine and memory in older adults, what one small trial found for the stress hormone cortisol, and what the FDA's claim wording says.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Back to PhosphatidylserineEvidence labels: promising but limited, mixed, insufficient evidence, marketing claim. See What are nootropics?. The overview is on the phosphatidylserine page.
Memory in older adults
FDA qualified claim wording (US, 2003)
Marketing claim with a regulator's caveatThe wording says "Very limited and preliminary scientific research" suggests PS may reduce the risk of dementia in the elderly, and must add that the FDA concludes there is little scientific evidence supporting the claim. [4]
FDA review of the studies (US, 2004)
InsufficientThe FDA called the evidence very limited and preliminary, noting the studies with benefit used bovine brain PS and the soy PS study showed none. [5]
Mild cognitive impairment, 12 months
Insufficient for PS alone190 people in China, average age about 68: a capsule with 31.5 mg PS plus alpha-linolenic acid, ginkgo flavonoids and B vitamins improved three cognitive tests versus placebo. A combination, so not PS alone. [2]
Alzheimer's or mild cognitive impairment, 29 trials
MixedNetwork meta-analysis (2026): PS 100 mg was associated with a small gain on the Mini-Mental State Exam; no supplement improved the ADAS-Cog. [1]
Over-the-counter memory supplements
Promising but limitedA 2023 review said there is some current evidence for memory benefit from PS, while the industry lacks a solid scientific foundation for marketing claims. [6]
Mental disorders including ADHD
InsufficientA 2026 review of 11 studies found inconsistent results and did not support PS or citicoline as cognitive enhancers there. [7]
Healthy adults
InsufficientProper evidence not found. We searched PubMed for reviews of PS and cognition and found no review in healthy adults we could read.
Results from people with cognitive impairment do not transfer to healthy people.
Stress-hormone claims
| Item | What the source reports |
|---|---|
| Design | 75 healthy men, double-blind and placebo-controlled, for 42 days; then a standard laboratory social stress test. Product: a soy-based PS and phosphatidic acid complex (not plain PS). [3] |
| Result at the higher study amount (400 mg PS plus 400 mg phosphatidic acid a day) | Compared with placebo, the hormone (ACTH) and cortisol responses to the stress test were closer to normal in the high-chronic-stress group, not in the low-stress group. [3] |
| Lower study amount (200 mg plus 200 mg) | No significant differences. [3] |
| Other measures | No significant effects on heart rate, pulse transit time or psychological stress response. [3] |
This was one small trial in men, using a complex, with a laboratory stressor; it is a biomarker finding, not a clinical outcome. Proper evidence not found for a systematic review of PS and cortisol: we searched PubMed for trials of PS and stress and found a few small trials but no review we could read. For a broader look at cortisol claims, see cortisol and "adrenal fatigue".
Frequently asked questions
Does phosphatidylserine improve memory in older adults?
Evidence is mixed: a 2026 network meta-analysis found a small gain on one test and none on another. [1]
Does it lower cortisol?
One small trial in men found a changed cortisol response in a high-stress subgroup with one complex product; the lower amount showed no change. [3]
What does the FDA's claim wording say?
It says research is "very limited and preliminary" and requires a statement that the FDA concludes there is little scientific evidence. [4]
Does the 12-month trial prove phosphatidylserine works?
No. The product also contained other ingredients. [2]
Can it prevent dementia?
No supplement has been proven to prevent Alzheimer's. [8]
More details: evidence, limits and cautions
The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.
Limits and uncertainty
Safety and who should ask first
References
- Li Y et al. Nutr Neurosci 2026. The impact of supplements on cognitive function for Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Read 2026-10-23.
- Duan H et al. J Affect Disord 2025. Effects of a food supplement containing phosphatidylserine on cognitive function in Chinese older adults with mild cognitive impairment: a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Read 2026-10-23.
- A soy-based phosphatidylserine/phosphatidic acid complex (PAS) normalizes the stress reactivity of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal-axis in chronically stressed male subjects: a randomized, placebo-controlled study. Lipids Health Dis 2014. PubMed record. Read 2026-10-23.
- US Food and Drug Administration, qualified health claim letter, Phosphatidylserine and Cognitive Dysfunction and Dementia, issued May 13, 2003 (listed on FDA's qualified health claims page; the letter was read in FDA's archived copy). Read 2026-10-23.
- US Food and Drug Administration, Letter updating the phosphatidylserine and cognitive function and dementia qualified health claim, November 24, 2004 (listed on FDA's qualified health claims page; read in FDA's archived copy). Read 2026-10-23.
- Hersant H et al. CNS Drugs 2023. Over the Counter Supplements for Memory: A Review of Available Evidence. Read 2026-10-23.
- Kucuksahin NG et al. Hum Psychopharmacol 2026. The Impact of Citicoline/Phosphatidylserine Supplementation on Cognitive Performance and Executive Functions in Mental Disorders: A Systematic Review of Controlled Trials. Read 2026-10-23.
- National Institute on Aging, Preventing Alzheimer's Disease: What Do We Know?. Read 2026-10-23.