Nutrition research is pointing to ways that nutrients or diets may lessen the effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI), raising the possibility that the U.S. Department of Defense might be able to use nutritional approaches to help personnel who receive a TBI.

Nutrition and Traumatic Brain Injury: Improving Acute and Subacute Health Outcomes in Military Personnel, a new report from the Institute of Medicine, recommends which nutritional approaches DOD should adopt and priorities for further research into nutrients and diets that show promise for being effective in providing resilience or treating the immediate and near-term effects of brain injury, particularly TBI.