Eat protein to heal from traumatic brain injury

"Neurological dysfunction caused by traumatic brain injury results in profound changes...leading to impaired cognition." This interesting study recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA) documents the importance of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) in recovering from head injury. We humans must obtain BCAAs (leucine, isoleucine and valine) from what we eat; foods such meat, chicken and fish are the most abundant and complete sources. The authors state "These results suggest that dietary BCAA intervention could promote cognitive improvement by restoring hippocampal function after a traumatic brain injury." For vegetarians who have sustained a head injury we have branched-chain amino acids in supplement form.