Football is a dangerous game, mainly due to head-banging concussions. Now animal experiments suggest that taking the omega-3 fatty acid DHA might offer a new way of protecting against traumatic brain injury.
Animal experiments suggest that taking the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexanoic acid (DHA) might offer a new way of protecting against traumatic brain injury (TBI), reports the February issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy.
Although only preliminary, the results raise the "intriguing" possibility of preventive treatment with DHA in groups at high risk of TBI, such as military personnel and athletes in contact sports—including football players. The lead author is Dr. Julian E. Bailes of West Virginia University, Morgantown. Read more