Perform Ep 10: Nutrition to Support Brain Health & Offset Brain Injuries

In this episode, I discuss nutrition and supplementation to reduce the risk of brain injury and enhance brain performance and long-term health. Most brain injuries, including traumatic brain injury (TBIs) and concussion, are not from sports and are actually quite common in non-athletes. I explain what happens in the brain when a TBI occurs and discuss science-supported nutrients to reduce the risk of brain injury, minimize symptoms, and improve recovery.Summarizing both research and clinical studies, I explain the neuroprotective effects of specific nutrients, including creatine monohydrate, fish oil (DHA and EPA), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), choline, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), magnesium, and anthocyanins. I also describe the recommended dosages, frequency, timing, and potential adverse effects and provide options for supplementation and whole-food sources.Listeners of all ages and backgrounds will benefit from understanding which nutrients can support acute brain injury and natural age-related cognitive decline.

Articles

• Optimization of Nutrition after Brain Injury: Mechanistic and Therapeutic Considerations (Biomedicines)
• Mitigating Traumatic Brain Injury: A Narrative Review of Supplementation and Dietary Protocols (Nutrients)
• MR Spectroscopic Evidence of Brain Injury in the Non-Diagnosed Collision Sport Athlete (Developmental Neuropsychology)
• A Randomized, Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial of Oral Creatine Monohydrate Augmentation for Enhanced Response to a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor in Women With Major Depressive Disorder (The American Journal of Psychiatry)
• Prevention of traumatic headache, dizziness and fatigue with creatine administration. A pilot study (Acta Pædiatrica)
• Single dose creatine improves cognitive performance and induces changes in cerebral high energy phosphates during sleep deprivation (Scientific Reports)
• Supplemental creatine monohydrate loading improves cognitive function in experienced mountain bikers. (The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness)
• Higher RBC EPA + DHA corresponds with larger total brain and hippocampal volumes (Neurology)
• Supplementation with oil rich in eicosapentaenoic acid, but not in docosahexaenoic acid, improves global cognitive function in healthy, young adults: results from randomized controlled trials (The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition)
• Omega-3 index, cardiorespiratory fitness, and cognitive function in mid-age and older adults (Preventive Medicine Reports)
• Effectiveness of high‐dose riboflavin in migraine prophylaxis A randomized controlled trial (Neurology)
• The impact of riboflavin on the duration of sport-related concussion: A randomized placebo-controlled trial (Journal of Concussion)
• Cognitive and clinical outcomes of homocysteine-lowering B-vitamin treatment in mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial (Geriatric Psychiatry)
• Citicoline for the Management of Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury in the Acute Phase: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (Life)
• Effects of CDP-Choline Treatment on Neurobehavioral Deficits after TBI and on Hippocampal and Neocortical Acetlycholine Release (Journal of Neurotrauma)
• Role of citicoline in the management of mild head injury (The Indian Journal of Neurotrauma)
• Effect of Citicoline on Functional and Cognitive Status Among Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury: Citicoline Brain Injury Treatment Trial (COBRIT) (JAMA)
• Dietary Supplementation With Branched Chain Amino Acids to Improve Sleep in Veterans With Traumatic Brain Injury: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Pilot and Feasibility Trial (Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience)
• Head Injury Treatment With Healthy and Advanced Dietary Supplements: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of the Tolerability, Safety, and Efficacy of Branched Chain Amino Acids in the Treatment of Concussion in Adolescents and Young Adults (Journal of Neurotrauma)
• A randomized cohort study of the efficacy of PO magnesium in the treatment of acute concussions in adolescents (The American Journal of Emergency Medicine)
• Magnesium sulfate for neuroprotection after traumatic brain injury: a randomised controlled trial (The Lancet Neurology)
• Cognitive effects following acute wild blueberry supplementation in 7- to 10-year-old children (European Journal of Nutrition)

Other Resources

• The Brain Synergy Protocol

Perform Episodes Mentioned

• Why Muscle Matters & How to Build It

People Mentioned

• Dr. Federica Conti
• Dr. Tommy Wood