Many are interested in adopting healthy daily habits and in an effort to help their body keep away from unwanted disease in the last years of their lives, some people sometimes seek to take some nutritional supplement.
According to what was published by the “Eat This Not That” website, a recent study found that a nutritional supplement containing L-serine, an essential compound that affects brain function, may lead to cognitive decline in some adults.
natural amino acid
L-Serine is a naturally occurring amino acid that is essential for the production of phosphatidylserine, or in other words, serine is the main component that forms the membrane of neurons in the brain. There is only one specific enzyme responsible for creating normal serine levels in the body, called PHGDH.
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Cell metabolism research has reported that increased L-serine levels (particularly through dietary supplement intake) can ultimately contribute to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Principal investigator Xu Chen and his team collected genetic samples from the brains (postmortem) of four groups, consisting of 40 to 50 people aged 50 and over. The research groups included Alzheimer’s patients, people who showed early signs associated with Alzheimer’s disease, and people with healthy brains.
The results of the study revealed that both Alzheimer’s patients and people with early signs of Alzheimer’s disease showed an increase in PHGDH, compared to healthy-minded people. Higher levels of PHGDH have also been shown to be associated with deterioration in Alzheimer’s disease, which has been shown to result from overstimulation within the brain as a result of increased L-serine levels.
Compensatory process to restore balance
Severe stress on the brain (from overstimulation) can lead to a reduced number of neurons in the brain, and researchers believe a metabolic-like cycle occurs to compensate for the loss of brain activity. The body continues to produce more and more PHGDH to increase L-serine levels and healthy brain cells. Unfortunately, when there is a lot of PHGDH in the brain, there is a lot of stress on the brain, and the process of atrophy of neurons in the brain continues with the cycle repeating as the brain tries to restore balance.
Opposition studies
While the study is new, other research has already been done that has come up with opposing findings. For example, another study, published in the journal Cell Metabolism in 2020, reported that many Alzheimer’s patients similarly have lower levels of PHGDH in their brains. The study supported the use of L-serine supplements because serine is an essential component of nerve receptors in the body – which control brain function.
According to Frontiers, other studies and clinical trials have found L-serine to be a neuroprotective agent for a number of other neurological diseases and conditions (other than Alzheimer’s disease). This supplement has been observed to have a therapeutic effect on epilepsy, schizophrenia, and psychosis.
It is imperative to consult a doctor
In general, if a person is looking for a supplement to accommodate concerns about future brain function and the possibility of Alzheimer’s disease, they should consult a doctor, to see if it is necessary to take a supplement containing these compounds, which are produced naturally by the body, and that there is indeed an imbalance in Balance requires support through supplementation.