The cognitive effects of supplementation with sunflower phosphatidyl serine in healthy children aged 8 to 12 years: a randomized controlled trial.

Phosphatidylserine supplementation showed no statistically significant differences in primary or secondary cognitive outcomes in the total cohort of healthy children.

• Participants were healthy, neurotypical children aged 8–12 years
• Intervention consisted of 100 mg of sunflower-derived PS (Sharp PS green) daily in gummy form for 12 weeks
• Assessment battery was completed at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks
• Outcomes monitored included cognitive performance, mood, and sleep

In a pre-defined subgroup of children with consistently below-median baseline cognitive performance, PS supplementation showed a benefit on a visuospatial memory task.

• The subgroup was selected based on 'constant below median performance across the cognitive tasks at baseline'
• This was a pre-defined subgroup analysis
• The specific benefit was observed on a visuospatial memory task
• No benefits were observed on other cognitive tasks within this subgroup based on the abstract

Supplementation with 100 mg of sunflower-derived PS daily for 12 weeks was found to be safe and well tolerated in healthy children aged 8–12 years.

• The product used was Sharp PS green, a sunflower-derived phosphatidylserine
• Dose was 100 mg per day administered in gummy form
• Duration of supplementation was 12 weeks
• Safety and tolerability were assessed as part of the trial outcomes

The study was a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial comparing sunflower-derived PS to a matching placebo in healthy, neurotypical children.

• Trial was retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05177978)
• Participants were aged 8–12 years
• Placebo was described as 'a matching placebo' in gummy form
• The trial included assessments at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks

Prior literature indicates that phosphatidylserine supplementation is associated with cognitive and neuropsychological benefits in adults and has been shown to mitigate symptoms of inattention in children with ADHD, but there is little data on PS effects in healthy children.

• PS benefits have been reported in both healthy and neuro-compromised adults
• PS has been shown to mitigate symptoms of inattention specifically in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
• The authors identified a gap in the literature regarding PS effects in healthy, neurotypical children
• This gap motivated the design of the current randomized controlled trial