TBI and Nutrition
- tbifridays
- Nov 28, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 4, 2021
A healthy body starts with proper nutrition. Some tips for a healthier diet include the following:
Choose water over drinks packed with sugar such as soda
They can be high in calories which can add up quickly
Monitor your sodium intake
Too much sodium can raise blood pressure
Cook more foods at home
Takeout foods should be eaten in moderation because they are high in fat, calories, sugar, and sodium
Eat more whole foods instead of highly processed foods
Whole foods are typically located on the outside aisles at the grocery store and include foods like fruits and vegetables
Carbs are an important part of the diet so when eating them it is best to choose whole grains
Carbs are crucial because they are a main energy source in our body and our brain alone needs at least 130 grams of glucose every day
Refined grains are better avoided
Choose healthy fats
Avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil are good examples
Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits because they are high in nutrients
Eat slower and chew more
This allows food to be digested easier
Currently, there is not an approved drug for the treatment of a patient with a TBI but there has been promise for including dietary supplements in a treatment plan.
Nutrients that could be beneficial to people with TBI:
Note: It is recommended to always check with your doctor and dietitian before beginning to take any new supplements and making changes to your diet. A dietitian can help patients that are experiencing trouble eating or swallowing to ensure they are still getting enough nutrients.
While a healthy diet will not cure a brain injury, it can assist the body in recovery.
Omega-3
- It is an important component to maintain a healthy and functioning brain. After a TBI, it is common for there to be inflammation and omega-3’s can help to decrease it.
-It has been shown that without sufficient omega-3, recovery is impaired (Desai, Kevala, & Kim, 2014). In a study with rats, they were given an omega-3 supplement for 4 weeks prior to a TBI. The results showed that with omega-3, the brain can be protected from a reduction in plasticity and learning abilities (Wu, Ying, & Gomez-Pinilla, 2004). More research needs to be conducted if supplementation after injury is also beneficial.
-Foods high in omega 3 include many fish such as mackerel, salmon, and herring. For those with a vegan diet, flax-seed oil is a good alternative.
Vitamin E
- When free radicals are present in the body it results in oxidative stress which can cause damage to the brain. Vitamin E can prevent this from happening.
-In a study with rats, it was shown that when they were given a vitamin E supplement for four weeks prior to a TBI, their cognition was improved as well as the brain plasticity. This shows that with supplementation it can protect the brain from the effects of a TBI involved with learning and memory (Wu, Ying, & Gomez-Pinilla, 2010).
-Food high in vitamin E include wheat germ oil, sunflower seeds, almonds, and hazelnut oil.
Vitamin D
-This vitamin is essential to maintain healthy bones and it can also protect the brain from damage.
-Vitamin D levels were measured in patients once they were admitted to the hospital, after one month and three months. A vitamin D supplement was provided to those with low levels. Cognitive function exams were also done on the patients on day 7 and at the 3-month mark. For the patients that were given a vitamin D supplement, their cognitive functioning was improved drastically (Lee, Jeong, Kim, Park, & Kim, 2019).
-Another study included 20 patients with a severe TBI. One group was given progesterone alone while another got progesterone and vitamin D. The group that was given both had a faster recovery compared to those only given progesterone (Aminmansour et al., 2012).
-Foods with vitamin D include fish such as salmon, sardines or herring, mushrooms, eggs, and beef liver.
Nicotinamide
- The body uses it to turn food into energy, increase brain function and maintain a healthy metabolism.
- This is a form of vitamin B3. The number of studies using nicotinamide as a treatment for rats with a TBI is vast.
- In a study with animals, they were given a combination of progesterone and nicotinamide. When these were combined it gave better results for recovery compared to when progesterone was given alone (Peterson et al., 2015).
- In another study, rats were given a dose 150 mg/kg per day for a week following the TBI. They exhibited an increased ability to complete sensorimotor tasks (Vonder Haar, Anderson, & Hoane, 2011). This may become a problem when trying to replicate this experiment in humans because the amount that would have to be given could possibly be toxic (Vonder Haar, Peterson, Martens, & Hoane, 2016). With all things in consideration, this could prove to be an effective treatment in humans with more experimentation.
-Food high in nicotinamide is liver, chicken breast, tuna, turkey and salmon.
Zinc
-It helps the body to maintain a healthy immune system. Following a TBI there have been findings that there may be increased levels of zinc in some people while in others there is a deficiency (Vonder Haar, Peterson, Martens, & Hoane, 2016).
-In a study with rats, they were given a zinc supplement for four weeks prior to a TBI and found that the rats that were given the highest dose had decrease depressive behaviors. It was also found that there was a reduction in anxiety which was shown in adrenal weight changes (Cope, Morris, Scrimgeour, VanLandingham, & Levenson, 2011).
-Due to mixed findings regarding levels of zinc, more studies need to be done to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments with zinc.
-Food high in zinc include oysters, beef, chicken legs, and tofu.
Magnesium
- It supports healthy muscles and nerves.
- In a study with 31 rats, they were either given a control or an injection of magnesium up to 72 hours post-TBI. They were then given a dig task for four weeks. The rats given magnesium showed an improvement with motor tasks and decision making (Young & Hoane, 2018).
- There have been varying results with magnesium treatment in humans, but it may be more effective when given in combination with mannitol (Sen & Gulati, 2010).
-Food high in magnesium include many nuts, seeds, and legumes.
For further knowledge, this video on nutritional support for people with TBI is a great one to take a look at!
References:
Aminmansour, B., Nikbakht, H., Ghorbani, A., Rezvani, M., Rahmani, P., Torkashvand, M., . . .
Moradi, M. (2012). Comparison of the administration of progesterone versus progesterone and vitamin D in improvement of outcomes in patients with traumatic brain injury: A randomized clinical trial with placebo group. Advanced Biomedical Research, 1(1), 58. doi:10.4103/2277-9175.100176
Cope, E. C., Morris, D. R., Scrimgeour, A. G., VanLandingham, J. W., & Levenson, C. W.
(2011). Zinc supplementation provides behavioral resiliency in a rat model of traumatic brain injury. Physiology & Behavior, 104(5), 942-947. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.06.007
Desai, A., Kevala, K., & Kim, H. (2014). Depletion of brain docosahexaenoic acid impairs recovery from traumatic brain injury. PloS One, 9(1), e86472. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0086472
Lee, J. M., Jeong, S. W., Kim, M. Y., Park, J. B., & Kim, M. S. (2019). The effect of vitamin D
supplementation in patients with acute traumatic brain injury. World Neurosurgery, 126, e1421-e1426. doi:https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.unlv.edu/10.1016/j.wneu.2019.02.244
Peterson, T. C., Hoane, M. R., McConomy, K. S., Farin, F. M., Bammler, T. K., MacDonald, J.
W., . . . Anderson, G. D. (2015). A combination therapy of nicotinamide and progesterone improves functional recovery following traumatic brain injury. Journal of Neurotrauma, 32(11), 765-779. doi:10.1089/neu.2014.3530
Sen, A. P., & Gulati, A. (2010). Use of magnesium in traumatic brain injury. Neurotherapeutics,
7(1), 91-99. doi:10.1016/j.nurt.2009.10.014
Vonder Haar, C., Anderson, G. D., & Hoane, M. R. (2011). Continuous nicotinamide
administration improves behavioral recovery and reduces lesion size following bilateral frontal controlled cortical impact injury. Behavioural Brain Research, 224(2), 311-317. doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2011.06.009
Vonder Haar, C., Peterson, T. C., Martens, K. M., & Hoane, M. R. (2016). Vitamins and
nutrients as primary treatments in experimental brain injury: Clinical implications for nutraceutical therapies. Brain Research, 1640, 114-129. doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2015.12.030
WholisticMatters. (2019) Understanding Nutritional Support for TBI [Video]. Youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl8lhfATgLg
Wu, A., Ying, Z., & Gomez-Pinilla, F. (2004). Dietary omega-3 fatty acids normalize BDNF
levels, reduce oxidative damage, and counteract learning disability after traumatic brain injury in rats. Journal of Neurotrauma, 21(10), 1457-1467. doi:10.1089/neu.2004.21.1457
Wu, A., Ying, Z., & Gomez-Pinilla, F. (2010). Vitamin E protects against oxidative damage and
learning disability after mild traumatic brain injury in rats. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 24(3), 290-298. doi:10.1177/1545968309348318
Young, J. M., & Hoane, M. R. (2018). Magnesium administration after experimental traumatic
brain injury improves decision-making skills. Brain Research Bulletin, 139, 182-189. doi:10.1016/j.brainresbull.2018.02.019
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