Does Phosphatidylserine Improve Memory?

18 de agosto de 2026

Memory is where phosphatidylserine (PS) has been studied longest, and where the results depend most on which version was tested.

If phosphatidylserine is new to you, our previous article covers what it is and how it works: What Is Phosphatidylserine and What Does It Do?

What the Pooled Evidence Shows

A 2022 systematic review pooled five randomised trials in adults over 65 and found a small but statistically significant benefit for memory (1). It found no effect on the ability to manage everyday tasks, and reported no adverse events.

Four of the five trials used Bovine PS from cow brain. The fifth used a marine PS supplying the omega-3 fats DHA and EPA. That distinction runs through everything below.

Bovine Phosphatidylserine: The Early Trials

The studies that made PS famous ran in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and they used PS extracted from cow brain. Three double-blind, placebo-controlled trials gave 300 mg a day to older adults with age-related memory and cognitive decline, and all three reported significant improvements, as catalogued in a later review by the US Food and Drug Administration (2). Those results are why the FDA permitted a qualified claim for PS and cognitive dysfunction, while acknowledging that the evidence behind it is very limited (2).

Then the source disappeared. Bovine PS was withdrawn over the risk of transmitting prions, the misfolded proteins behind mad cow disease (3), and manufacturers moved to plant sources.

Plant and Marine Phosphatidylserine: The Modern Trials

The modern results are more mixed. A trial of PS enriched with omega-3s, in 157 older adults with memory complaints, improved immediate verbal recall against placebo (4).

Plant-derived PS on its own has been tested three times in people without a dementia diagnosis, without a clear result. One trial in older adults at 300 and 600 mg found no differences on any measure (5). Two others, one in older adults and one in healthy children, found no overall difference from placebo, though each reported an improvement on one memory measure in a lower-performing subgroup (6,7).

PS has also been tested inside multi-ingredient formulas. One combined 63 mg of PS with a plant omega-3, ginkgo and B vitamins, and mediation analysis attributed around 20% of the memory improvement to the omega-3 rather than the PS (8). Another combined 200 mg of PS with 1,600 mg of magnesium L-threonate and three vitamins (9).

Why the Source of Phosphatidylserine Matters

The preparations that improved memory have something in common: they carried long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Bovine PS carries them naturally and the enriched version was designed to supply them, while plant-derived PS has none. Whether that explains the difference has not yet been tested.

The Takeaway

For memory, the preparation matters more than the dose. The clearest results came from Bovine PS, which is no longer available, and from PS carrying long-chain omega-3s. Plant-derived PS on its own has not yet separated consistently from placebo.

The practical details are clearer. Every trial gave PS daily for weeks or months before measuring anything, and the ones that found a benefit used 300 mg a day. Higher doses were tested without better results, and PS was well tolerated throughout (10).

Augment Life's Phosphatidylserine provides a 400 mg phosphatidylserine complex delivering 200 mg of PS per capsule, taken with food.

Literature Sources

Kang EY, Cui F, Kim HK, Nawaz H, Kang S, Kim H, Jang J, Go GW. Effect of phosphatidylserine on cognitive function in the elderly: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Korean J Food Sci Technol. 2022;54(1):52-8. https://doi.org/10.9721/KJFST.2022.54.1.52
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Letter updating the phosphatidylserine and cognitive function and dementia qualified health claim. 24 November 2004. Listed under Qualified Health Claims: Letters of Enforcement Discretion. https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-food-labeling-and-critical-foods/qualified-health-claims-letters-enforcement-discretion
Kingsley M. Effects of phosphatidylserine supplementation on exercising humans. Sports Med. 2006;36(8):657-69. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200636080-00003
Vakhapova V, Cohen T, Richter Y, Herzog Y, Korczyn AD. Phosphatidylserine containing omega-3 fatty acids may improve memory abilities in non-demented elderly with memory complaints: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2010;29(5):467-74. https://doi.org/10.1159/000310330
Jorissen BL, Brouns F, Van Boxtel MP, Ponds RW, Verhey FR, Jolles J, Riedel WJ. The influence of soy-derived phosphatidylserine on cognition in age-associated memory impairment. Nutr Neurosci. 2001;4(2):121-34. https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415x.2001.11747356
Kato-Kataoka A, Sakai M, Ebina R, Nonaka C, Asano T, Miyamori T. Soybean-derived phosphatidylserine improves memory function of the elderly Japanese subjects with memory complaints. J Clin Biochem Nutr. 2010;47(3):246-55. https://doi.org/10.3164/jcbn.10-62
Friling M, Jackson PA, Kennedy D, Dodd F, Smith E, Lavie A, Lopresti A, Ivanir E, Jalanka J. The cognitive effects of supplementation with sunflower phosphatidyl serine in healthy children aged 8 to 12 years: a randomized controlled trial. Nutr J. 2026;25:3. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-025-01264-9
Duan H, Xu N, Yang T, et al. 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. J Affect Disord. 2025;369:35-42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2024.09.131
Zhang C, Hu Q, Li S, et al. A Magtein (magnesium L-threonate)-based formula improves brain cognitive functions in healthy Chinese adults. Nutrients. 2022;14(24):5235. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14245235
Hussain M, Khan I, Chaudhary MN, et al. Phosphatidylserine: a comprehensive overview of synthesis, metabolism, and nutrition. Chem Phys Lipids. 2024;264:105422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2024.105422