In clinical terms, it’s clear that TBI causes excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, edema, neuroinflammation, and cell death. Addressing the primary injury is insufficient, as the secondary injury cascade causes considerable damage. Vitamins, minerals, and nutrients may supplement other TBI therapies, and a team of researchers from Southern Illinois University explored this possibility comprehensively in a review article published in the June 2016 issue of Brain Research. The study authors noted the following 4 findings on how vitamins and nutraceuticals could help treat TBI:
1. Nicotinamide’s ability to support energy production, inhibit cellular processes that delay repair, and decrease free radical scavenging appears to be neuroprotective.
2. Magnesium seems to decrease excitotoxicity.
3. Flavonoids have strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and growth factor-stimulating properties.
4. Omega-3 fatty acids affect several points (including inflammatory signaling and cellular plasticity) in the secondary injury cascade.
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