As a dietary amino acid, it is safe; the high study doses (several g/day) only under supervision.
L-serine is a precursor of membrane phospholipids, glycine and D-serine (a co-agonist of the NMDA receptor); it is being investigated as support for cognitive function and in neurodegenerative diseases, with evidence that is still preliminary.
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L-serine is a non-essential amino acid that the body also synthesizes, but that acts as a key substrate for one-carbon metabolism, neuronal membrane phospholipids, glycine, and D-serine, a modulator of the NMDA receptor. For this reason it is studied in the context of cognitive function and several neurodegenerative diseases.
L-serine has been tested at high doses in exploratory trials in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other neurological conditions, with preliminary results. Its role as a precursor of D-serine links it to glutamatergic neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity.
As a dietary amino acid it is safe; the high doses used in research (several grams a day) should be taken under professional supervision. The evidence for cognitive health is still limited.
Information, not medical advice. Scientific evidence reflects the quality of the studies.