This is an investigative collection of information regarding brain injury and healing the brain via alternative compounds. We recommend you also read our Depression page

I began this page after watching a news article about a man who developed depression and compulsive behaviors years after his High School football days that some think came from head injuries.

Anger management, anxiety, frustration, compulsive behaviors, brain fog, memory loss, brain function and depression are some of the effects of a brain injury. Unfortunately the general consensus is to ignore the possibility of a brain injury and diagnose its symptoms as depression or hypochondria. Usually the medical treatment is pharmaceutical drugs or counseling to treat the symptoms and may do nothing for the cause.

Few in the medical community recognize that body organs, even the brain may be healed with natural compounds. If you do not believe brain cells can be healed study the research reports below.

Oxidative damage in the brain and its effect on a healthy brain may be one of the most important pieces of information about existing brain problems including depression. Oxidative damage to the brain may come from the general status of the body's oxidative stress and have nothing to do with a brain injury yet according to the research reports may cause brain problems.

Alzheimer's, strokes, Autism, drugs, fevers, chemical imbalances, diseases effecting the brain, DNA, MS, memory loss, mental function, addictions and sex drive (up or down), hyper sex, compulsive behaviors may be caused by or may cause brain damage. The possibility exists that the herbs listed below may diminish if not heal their effects on the brain.

This may be a completely new and important
approach to mental and physical health

Note: This page has a number of changes from our former pages. One is the addition of some traditional history sources about herbs that we have avoided in the past. Our effort will be to still provide scientific proof to support them when possible. Another is that we no longer will copy the full research reports as we have in the past. Another is that the source is with each item not at the bottom of the page as in our former articles. If you are a doctor or want to study the actual research reports it will be easer to do. We hope this makes our newer pages much easier to read.

1. About.com: "All of the herbs listed are natural and if used properly, can be very effective." This is a summarized list of the natural compounds from this article. Gotu Kola, Siberian Ginseng, Ginkgo biloba, Wild Oats, Wild Oat Seed, Fo-Ti, Peppermint Leaf, Rosemary leaf, Amino acids, Acetylcholine, Choline, Vitamin B5, DMAE (Dimethylaminoethanol), Phosphatidylserine, Vinpocetine, Pyroglutamate, Tryosine, Pyridoxine, Acetyl L-Carnitine, Galantamine. TBI, Kava Kava, St. Johnswort, Passionflower, Schezandra, Stinging Nettle, Calamun Root, Prickly Ash Bark. Pregnenolone, Tryosine, L-Phenylalanine, 5-HTP, Acetyl L-Carnitine. source

2. "Brain Injury Diet Let's start with most simple part of this program: Brain Injury diet. When it comes to diet, it is very important to avoid eating Toxins and Foods that Kill. Please follow those links and learn what are The Toxins I am talking about and what are those " Foods that Kill". Now, important part of your diet should also be Water Cure. Please, become familiar with Water Cure. Your Diet should contain: Foods That Heal, Vegetable juices, Fats that Heal, Unrefined Sea Salt. Also, try to understand food tolerance. You can not find the right Brain Injury diet, unless you fully understand and learn about food tolerance." source

3. Oxidative Damage in the brain and herbs reported to repair it:

• Qizhu Tang PMID: 11379780
• Shengmai San "...formulation for treating cardiac disorders, inhibited cerebral oxidative damage.." PMID: 14587874,  PMID: 12132665

4. Ischemia-reperfusion injury's or simply the swelling, excess blood and damaged cells associated with a brain injury. These herbs may also help with strokes and aid the healing of existing as well as old brain injuries. Since they repair brain cells and improve brain nuerons and signal processing that means any brain problem may be helped.

• Paeonol  PMID: 16458462 , A definition of Paeonol
• Beberine  PMID: 19457765 This report states it will also help treat strokes
•  Sodium Ferulate PMID: 16237959   "Chukmesundan (CMSD) is composed of 8 medicinal herbs including Panex ginseng C.A. MEYER, Atractylodes macrocephala KOID, Poria cocos WOLF, Pinellia ternata BREIT, Brassica alba BOISS, Aconitum carmichaeli DEBX, Cynanchum atratum BGE, and Cuscuta chinensis LAM...that may be important for long-lasting neuronal responses."Sodium ferulate-PMID: 16176761   found in the root of Angelica sinensis. Definition of Sodium Ferulate
• "...three Chinese herbs poria, rhizoma atractylodis macrocephalae, and radix angelicae sinensis..." PMID: 15740883
• "Flavonoid wogonin...is neuroprotective by inhibiting inflammatory activation of microglia." PMID: 12897065  
  •  "Microglia are a type of glial cells that are the resident macrophages of the brain and spinal cord, and thus act as the first and main form of active immune defense in the central nervous system..."   source
• Hwangryun-Hae-Dok-tang  "Our findings suggest that Scutellariae radix as an ingredient of HHDT plays a crucial protective role in ischemia-induced brain injury. In addition, it is apparent that the effect of Scutellariae radix is the result, in part, of baicalein, a compound contained in Scutellariae radix." PMID: 12204769
• "The herbal preparation contained ginsengosides and extracts of Panax notoginseng, Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort., Carthamus tinctorius L. and Salvia militorrhiza Bge." PMID: 1791915
  

We will add to this article when possible if you want more information go to http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ and type "brain injuries treatment herbs" or other terms in the search box. We welcome volunteers to help with articles and research.