As we age, proper brain function becomes paramount. Age can be cruel to the brain and factors in your environment can damage the delicate nerves and brain tissue. Even if you don’t consider yourself “old” you should still be concerned about brain health. Whether you’re an athlete, student, or any kind of professional, the boost provided by high-level brain function can be the determining factor between success and failure. Many doctors, health specialists, and life extension organizations recommend taking vitamins and supplements to help your brain function at its best, both now and later in life. Phostphatidylserine and vinpocitine are two brain supplements, also known as nootropics, which are often used to enhance a variety of mental abilities. Either one could be a great choice it comes to helping your brain, but they each work differently and have subtle differences that may better fit your needs.
Phosphatidylserine Supplement: What is Phosphatidylserine?
Phosphatidylserine (oftentimes abbreviated as PS or split up as Phosphatidyl Serine ) is a phospholipid found on the outside of cell membranes in the brain. Phospholipids are the major component of cell membranes all throughout the body. It essentially helps the transportation of nutrients in and out of cells. Two of the most important nutrients for high-level mental function are acetylcholine and dopamine. The brain naturally produces a sufficient amount of phosphatidylserine, but that amount tends to drop as we get older. As a result, memory worsens, learning becomes more difficult, attention wanes, and overall mental sharpness declines. Low levels of phosphatidylserine have even been associated with age related memory loss [1]. Supplementing with phosphatidylserine can help prevent these negative effects of aging in the brain and brain damage by providing enough fluidity in the cells for vital chemicals to flow freely.
Vinpocetine Supplement: What is Vinpocetine?
Vinpocetine is a derivative of an alkaloid found in periwinkle plants. Like many other plant-based supplements, vinpocetine and its related compounds have been used for years in different forms of traditional medicine. The main function of vinpocetine is to mildly dilate blood vessels, resulting in increased circulation and blood flow to the brain. The open pathways enable nutrients like glucose and oxygen to reach more brain cells and to do so faster. Users primari
ly take Vinpocetine as a powerful enhancer of both short and long term memory. Those are just the more easily measurable effects. It also enhances awareness of surroundings (great for athletes), protects the brain from degeneration, and generally provides a clear mind for many users.
Vinpocetine for Tinnitus
Apart from the mental benefits, vinpocetine supplement has been effective in treating hearing conditions such as tinnitus and vertigo, visual conditions like glaucoma and poor night vision and enhancing blood flow, and nutrient delivery all throughout the body [2].
Although they behave differently, each of these provides vitally important functions to the brain. Each one could be used separately for enhanced mental benefits, or you could safely stack them together to make sure you have a comprehensive approach to brain health supplements by enabling more nutrient delivery to the brain with vinpocetine and optimized uptake with phosphatidylserine.
