A nutritional supplement that replenishes plasmalogens that decline with age. It’s a natural phospholipid found in brain neurons and myocardium.
A new 2022 clinical study of human participants showed that orally administered scallop-derived plasmalogens improved cognitive function in subjects with moderate-to-severe Alzheimer’s disease. The participants also had significantly higher blood DHA plasmalogen levels after a month of supplementation.
Anti-Aging
Scientists have discovered that a special subtype of the lipid known as plasmalogen can slow down the aging process in mice. Plasmalogens are a type of phospholipid, a group of molecules that form a large portion of cell membranes. They protect cells from damage by preventing free radicals, or uncharged molecules that bind to the lipid molecules and can negatively impact a cell’s function and longevity. Plasmalogens also help the body resist oxidative stress, which is another factor in aging.
In a study published in the journal Disease Models & Mechanisms, scientists administered plasmalogens to aged mice and observed their behavior. The supplemental plasmalogens caused the mice to behave more like young mice, especially in a water maze test. In the water maze, the mice must navigate a body of water until they find a platform that they can use to climb out of the maze. The plasmalogen-fed mice were able to find the platform much faster than the control group. The researchers also analyzed the hippocampus of the plasmalogen-fed mice and found that they had far more synapses than the control mice. Plasmalogens may help the brain create and maintain these connections.
Plasmalogens can also reduce inflammation in the brain, a major factor that contributes to neurodegeneration. When glial cells are overexposed to inflammation and mitochondrial stress, they produce a protein called amyloid beta, which builds up in the brain over time and impairs cognitive function. Plasmalogens can reduce this inflammatory response by promoting a healthier immune system and inhibiting the breakdown of healthy glial cells.
Another benefit of plasmalogens is that it can increase a person’s energy levels. Plasmalogens are a source of ATP, or adenosine triphosphate, a molecule that the body uses for energy production. When plasmalogens are ingested, they can provide an immediate increase in energy and decrease fatigue.
Plasmalogens have also been shown to increase brain health, boost nerve transmissions and improve mental alertness. They can also increase a person’s ability to resist the effects of aging, including sarcopenia and dementia. A recent survey conducted by Rush University indicated that a 95 year old with high plasmalogen levels had an almost 70 percent chance of living to see their 100th birthday, compared to a person of the same age with low plasmalogen levels.
Memory Support
DHC’s Plasmalogen supplement is designed to help improve memory and achieve a fully functional healthy life. It also includes lion’s mane fruiting body extract powder, skeletium tortuasum extract and Vitamin E (200 IU per capsule).
A new study suggests that plasmalogens can prevent age-related cognitive decline by improving the health of brain cells. Scientists found that the plasmalogen-fed mice had a higher number of synapses — the connections between neurons — and that these were also of better quality than in mice not fed sea squirt plasmalogens.
Plasmalogens are a type of lipid that is found in the membranes of cells. These fats control the fluidity of phospholipids, which in turn affects how information is transmitted across nerve cell membranes. They are known to be crucial for the proper functioning of the brain, but their levels are significantly reduced as a person ages.
In the latest study, scientists observed that plasmalogens significantly improved cognitive decline in older mice. They studied 40 16-month-old naturally aging female mice and fed half of them plasmalogens in their drinking water for two months. They then tested the mice’s ability to navigate a Morris water maze, which features a pool of water and a hidden platform. Normally, older mice take longer to find the platform because of their declining cognitive abilities. However, the plasmalogen-fed mice performed just as well as the younger mice.
This improvement was attributed to the fact that plasmalogens boost phosphatidylcholine, a substance in the brain essential for the formation of memories. In addition, they also increase the activity of a protein called BDNF that is involved in maintaining memory function.
Plasmalogens also increase the amount of DHA, which is another important Omega-3 fatty acid that is found in the brain. DHA is known to enhance learning and improve memory in people of all ages. This is probably because DHA helps reduce oxidative stress, and a high level of oxidative stress is associated with cognitive decline in aging adults.
The researchers found that plasmalogens significantly increased DHA levels in the blood of the mice. This is because the molecule can cross the blood-brain barrier to deliver DHA to the brain.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Plasmalogens are a specific type of glycerophospholipid and have been shown to be found in especially high concentrations in neuronal membranes. They are believed to be responsible for the neuroprotective effects of Omega-3 fatty acids. Decreased levels of plasmalogens have been associated with decreased cognition in humans. 1-O-alkyl-2-acylglycerol (AAG) plasmalogen precursors containing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) at the sn-2 position have been reported to dose-dependently increase blood plasmalogen levels and are neuroprotective in animal models of neurodegeneration. This study evaluated the pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and therapeutic effects of a novel DHA-AAG plasmalogen precursor supplement in 22 cognitively impaired persons. An escalating dose of DHA-AAG was administered over four months and the resulting serum ethanolamine plasmalogen, plasmalogen/phosphoidylethanolamine (PE) ratio, and oxidative stress biomarkers were evaluated. Plasmalogen levels increased with escalating DHA-AAG dosing and were positively associated with plasmalogen/PE ratio. Oxidative stress markers including malondialdehyde (MDA) and catalase improved with escalating DHA-AAG treatment while superoxide dismutase (SOD) was negatively influenced by increased plasmalogen levels. Cognition and mobility improvements were observed.
Plasmalogen is extracted from the organs of sea squirts, a species of marine bivalve that are consumed in many Asian cuisines. A recent study published in Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences reported that middle-aged mice who were given plasmalogen as a supplement performed better on memory tests than similar aged controls. They also had less inflammation and more synaptic vesicles, which play an important role in forming connections between neurons, than the control group.
Plasmalogens are a powerful antioxidant and may be used to protect brain cells from damage. They may also help protect against Alzheimer’s disease by blocking the production of beta amyloid, a protein that accumulates in the brain and is known to cause memory loss and dementia. Each NeuroPlasmalogen Complex dose contains 16mg of Ethanolamine Plasmalogens, along with Curcumin, another highly beneficial nutrient, to assist with the breakdown of amyloid plaque, which is widely accepted as a contributing factor in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Antioxidants
Plasmalogens are a group of glycerophospholipids that contain a vinyl-ether bond in the sn-1 and an ester bond in the sn-2 positions of the glycerol backbone. They form part of the cholesterol-rich membrane structure of lipid raft microdomains and are important for signaling events in cells. They also function as endogenous antioxidants by sacrificially oxidizing themselves in order to protect other lipids, lipoproteins and oxidative stress initiators [48].
Plasma logen deficiency is common with ageing as the body’s biosynthesis of them declines and it becomes harder for it to replace what is lost. Low plasmalogen levels are also associated with certain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease.
Alzheimer’s Disease results from neurodegeneration of cholinergic neurons that are especially sensitive to a lack of plasmalogens. This is because plasmalogens are critical to the activity of membrane fusion in cholinergic neurons which is necessary for both neurotransmitter release and reuptake. A reduction in membrane fusion activity reduces neurotransmission and results in cognitive decline. Parkinson’s is caused by the loss of dopaminergic neurons that are similarly sensitive to a lack of plasmalogens.
A recent study published in Disease Models & Mechanisms demonstrated that supplementation with a synthetic plasmalogen can restore cellular functions and decrease symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. The authors administered a synthetic plasmalogen precursor to patients with a genetic disorder that prevents the body from making plasmalogen naturally and they observed an improvement in cognition as well as decreased levels of the oxidative stress markers malondialdehyde, catalase and superoxide dismutase.
Another plasmalogen-related study reported that a lack of these unique lipids is associated with colorectal cancer, particularly esophageal tumors, in which they are reduced as compared to normal esophagus tissue. Furthermore, a higher plasmalogen content is associated with better prognosis in a variety of cancers.
A lack of plasmalogens in the body can be overcome by taking a daily dietary supplement such as ProdromeGlia. This plasmalogen-based supplement is scientifically designed to create a biochemical reserve of plasmalogen molecules that can be used to repair glial cell membranes in the case of an emergency, such as when a patient is exposed to toxins or experiences oxidative stress.