Nutrition and Traumatic Brain Injury : Improving Acute and Subacute Health Outcomes in Military Personnel

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) accounts for up to one-third of combat-related injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to some estimates.

TBI is also a major problem among civilians, especially those who engage in certain sports.

At the request of the Department of Defense, the IOM examined the potential role of nutrition in the treatment of and resilience against TBI. Table of ContentsFront MatterSummaryPart I: Background1 Introduction2 Nutrition in Clinical Practice Guidelines for Traumatic BrainInjury3 Understanding Pathophysiological ChangesPart II: Nutrition and TBI4 Approach for Selecting Nutritional Interventions: MechanisticTargets5 Acquiring Resilience to TBI Prior to Injury6 Energy and Protein Needs During Early Feeding Following TraumaticBrain Injury7 Antioxidants8 Branched-Chain Amino Acids9 Choline10 Creatine11 Ketogenic Diet12 Magnesium13 Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA)14 Polyphenols15 Vitamin D16 ZincPart III: Recommendations17 Summary of RecommendationsAppendixesAppendix A: AgendaAppendix B: Evidence-Based Guidelines for Traumatic Brain InjuryAppendix C: Workshop Speakers' PapersAppendix D: GlossaryAppendix E: AcronymsAppendix F: Committee Member Biographical Sketches