Treat Concussion, TBI, and PTSD with Vitamins and Antioxidants

Book excerpt: The most up-to-date resource on nutritional supplements for the prevention and improved management of concussive injury, TBI, and PTSD • Provides an easy-to-follow program of supplements to optimize the benefits of treatment programs and offer a method of prevention beyond the use of helmets • Shows how standard treatments do not address the oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and high glutamate levels that promote brain injury progression • Explains how single micronutrients do not provide the same preventive benefits as the synergistic combinations explored in the book The human brain is highly complex. When brain injury strikes, whether from a blow to the head or the shock of physical or emotional trauma, successful treatment requires a multilevel approach, taking into account the health of the brain prior to injury. Multilevel, complementary treatment approaches can also be applied to strengthen the uninjured brain and help prevent neurological injury for those at high risk of concussion, post-traumatic stress disorder, and traumatic brain injury. In this practical scientific guide, leading researcher in cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s prevention Kedar N. Prasad, Ph.D., reveals the latest revolutionary discoveries on the use of antioxidants and micronutrients to manage and prevent concussive injury, TBI, and PTSD. He explains that increased oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and glutamate release are common underlying factors in these conditions and should be addressed for improved management. He debunks the flawed conclusions of the neurological community that vitamins and antioxidants are ineffective for these conditions, revealing how their studies focused on specific micronutrients rather than synergistic combinations. The author details his easy-to-follow supplement program to treat and prevent these injuries, outlining the correct daily amounts and proper combinations of vitamins, antioxidants, micronutrients, and polyphenolic compounds such as curcumin and resveratrol. Offering the missing complement to standard medical care of brain injury as well as a form of prevention beyond the use of helmets, this guide provides a truly holistic approach to the prevention and management of concussive injury, TBI, and PTSD.