Page 346 - Total War on PTSD

What the brain needs is, especially during and after trauma, is a balance between the Omega-6s and Omega-3s. Fish oil, filled with Omega-3s, can provide this protective armor and help feed the brain with what it needs to heal. To be clear, Omega-3s are not some miracle drug. They are a nutrition. When administered as a nutritional supplement in a protocol for TBI and concussion, they will only help heal the brain as much as it can be healed. Sometimes the damage is too great and nothing will help. Often, however, this healing far exceeds the expectations of doctors, parents, coaches, and patients. What we need to focus on is building that inner armor of Omega-3s in our soldiers and athletes.
If Omega-3s help with healing the brain and can be used to prevent or lessen the effects of concussion, do Omega-3s have any impact on brain trauma that occurred months or, in some cases, even years ago?
Daily routines of adding fish oil to the diet for maintenance and nutrition turn out to be different from post-concussion dosages. Dosing needs to be much higher for the recovery from brain trauma. I recommend starting with 9000 mg of EPA/DHA daily (3,000 mg of EPA/DHA fish oil three times daily) for at least the first week, sometimes as long as a month, and then decrease to 3000 mg once daily indefinitely to maintain healthy levels. I find people notice an improvement very quickly, often just a day or two after starting with such a high dose. This is encouraging, in and of itself, and makes patients more likely to continue to stay on the protocol. Concussion patients report clearer thinking, more energy, decreased headaches, less irritability, and a sense of
calmness. Everyday life may have left them confused, headachy, forgetful, tired, and overwhelmed by the details of life. Their condition will improve quickly and they find
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