Lipogen to launch PAS complex for stress

Lipogen PAS is a patented vegetarian complex of soy lecithin phosphatidic acid (PA) and phosphatidylserine (PS) that can be used in foods and supplements. The company is combining the ingredients based on clinical research, and marketing them towards long-term mental and psychological stress conditions. It will present Lipogen PAS at the SupplySide East in New Jersey. "The reduction of stress-related cortisol levels, plus the improved functioning in the group treated with PAS shows much promise,"​ said Lipogen CEO David Rutenberg. "People with strenuous lifestyles could benefit from daily use of a PAS complex."​ As part of a study published in a 2004 issue of The International Journal on the Biology of Stress​, Lipogen PAS was tested in a placebo-controlled clinical trial and demonstrated to have benefits in controlling hormonal reactions to mental and psychological stress. In the study, conducted at the University of Trier in Germany, the group treated with PAS showed lower stress levels and a supposedly better control of stress situations than the placebo group. The study administered 400mg of the PAS complex daily, which dulled the effects of the stress hormones cortisol and ACTH. "PAS is a second generation evolution of PS based ingredients for mental health,"​ said Rutenberg. Found in fish, green leafy vegetables, soybeans and rice, PS regulates metabolic processes such as neuronal signaling. Studies have associated the nutrient to improvements in memory and mood, and specifically linked it to delaying symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer's. PS for dietary supplements was once derived from cow's brain, but since 1992 Lipogen has produced the ingredient from soy lecithin. Lipogen said it has GRAS status for PAS, and already had the Generally Recognized as Safe for use in foods status for its other PS products. Study reference: The International Journal on the Biology of Stress​, Vol. 7 (2), pp. 119-126, June 2004.