Saturday Nov 30, 2013 (foodconsumer.org) -- Non-enzymatic antioxidants vitamin E, vitamin C dietary supplements help traumatic brain injury, a study in Journal of neurosciencies in Rural Practice suggests.

G. M. Ishaq from Usmanu Danfodiyo University in Sokoto, Nigeria and colleagueas conducted the study and  found rats that were adnministered 45 mg/kg and 60 mg/kg body weight of vitamin C also known as ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol ( a type of vitamin E) or a combination for two weeks pre- and post-injury.   Vitamin c, vitamin E, malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and creatine kinase activities in the blood and brain tissue were analyzed.

 The study shows that traumatic brain injury caused a significant decrease in vitamins C and E and superoxide dismutase in the blood and brain tissue of rats with traumatic brain injury untreated, compared with non-traumatized controls.

Supplementation of vitamin E and vitamin C not only increased the levels of these vitamins in the blood and brain tissue, but also reduced the malondialdehyde, a product associated with oxidative stress.

The study concluded "The study indicated that pre and post treatment with ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol reduced oxidative stress induced by brain injury and effectively reduced mortality rate in rats." (David Liu, PHD)