Shirokov E.A. Recovery after a stroke with the help of dietary supplements

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Smirnova Olga Leonidovna

Neurologist, education: First Moscow State Medical University named after I.M. Sechenov. Work experience 20 years.

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Stroke is a serious pathology with the most difficult rehabilitation and socialization of the patient. Maintenance treatment after a cerebrovascular accident will have to be carried out for life.

There is no vitamin complex that is recommended for all patients to take after a stroke. The doctor will select the drug according to the patient’s age, diagnosis, and degree of brain damage.

Yes, there are a number of chemicals that are indicated for disorders of nerve tissue. Why chemical? Yes, because in order to get the necessary beneficial compounds - vitamins - in their natural form in full, you will have to eat unimaginable portions of food. And chemically reconstituted vitamins do not differ in action and composition from natural ones. So which vitamins are indicated after a stroke?

What vitamins should I take?

Along with taking blood-thinning and nootropic drugs (improving cerebral circulation), the patient is usually recommended to take a vitamin course and carefully monitor proper nutrition. Vitamins are needed to maintain the functioning of the brain after a stroke and the whole body. It has been proven that all of the vitamins listed below restore blood circulation to the affected organ. But they must be taken in certain doses, which are determined by the attending physician, based on the clinical picture and complications:

Vitamins P and C

It is known that blood vessels suffer during a stroke. Vitamins C and P will help reduce their fragility. In addition, these substances prevent fungi, bacteria, and parasites from becoming active. You can get these vitamins from the outside by eating raspberries, blueberries and currants, citrus fruits, kiwi, cherries, rose hips and plums. Vitamin P is found in large quantities in buckwheat. To strengthen blood vessels, you need to use cereal correctly - rinse it in the evening, pour boiling water over it and leave it covered until the morning. For breakfast, buckwheat is consumed without salt and spices. This way the cereal retains maximum nutrients.

Another source of nutrients is green tea. It restores cellular structure, invigorates and tones. Bioflavonoids in tandem with vitamin C improve the condition of capillaries, normalize blood circulation, and protect blood vessels from cholesterol. Doctors say that a person needs 100 mg of vitamin P and 500 mg of vitamin C per day. To get the maximum benefit from foods containing substances, you need to eat raw vegetables and fruits that contain no or little chemical fertilizers. Juice can be squeezed out of oranges, and apples, currants, raspberries, pears and beets can be eaten without processing, without boiling or freezing - both processing options lead to the loss of nutrients.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids

They are a building component of all plasma membranes (a molecular structure consisting of proteins and lipids), as well as a component of phospholipids (participate in the transport of fatty acids and cholesterol). Which is exactly what is necessary for brain cells. In addition, they have antioxidant properties. Omega-3s destroy toxins and deactivate free radicals that damage body cells. A successful combination of Omega-3 and 6, as well as vitamin D, protects healthy cells, reproduces defective ones and prevents the development of tumor cells. It is selected only by a competent nutritionist.

That is why you should saturate your body with essential fatty acids through food. Since they are not synthesized in the human body. Among the products containing polyunsaturated fatty acids, the following should be highlighted:

• seafood;
• chia and flax seeds;
• legumes;
• vegetables;
• walnuts;
• dried fruits;
• rapeseed and olive oils;
• oat germs.

Names of vitamin complexes

After a stroke, vitamin complexes are often prescribed to stabilize the functioning of the brain and the whole body. Such drugs include:

• Aevit, the main components of which are alpha-tocopheryl acetate and retinol. This complex activates blood circulation, strengthens the immune system and has an antioxidant effect.
• Neurovitan, Neurobion, Neovitam belong to the group of neuroprotectors and include elements that protect brain cells during stroke, and these drugs also improve the conductivity of nerve fibers.
• Papaya Attiva stimulates the functioning of the immune system, stabilizes blood circulation in the brain, and restores metabolic processes.
• B-complex reduces homocysteine ​​levels, which can lead to the development of atherosclerosis and recurrent stroke.
• Coenzyme Q10 replenishes the lack of oxygen.

Any medications and vitamins should be taken after a stroke only on the recommendation of the attending physician.

Dietary supplements

Homeopathic medicines and dietary supplements (dietary supplements) are taken only after the main course of post-stroke drug therapy and with the permission of a doctor. Dietary supplements play an important role in the recovery process of the human body. To normalize the body’s activity in a post-stroke state, you can use the following dietary supplements:

1. B-complex. Reduces the amount of homocysteine, an increase in the level of which in the blood leads to the risk of vascular damage by atherosclerosis (deposition of cholesterol on the inner walls of the arteries).
2. Beta carotene. Reduces the pressure acting on brain cells, reducing the risk of functional brain disorders.
3. Selenium. Reduces blood clotting, has a beneficial effect on the walls of blood vessels and tissues.
4. Lecithin. Prevents the accumulation of fatty masses on the walls of blood vessels.
5. Coenzyme Q10. Supply cells with the necessary amount of oxygen.
6. Papaya Attiva. Increases the defenses of the human body, helps restore metabolic processes and blood flow in the brain.

Remember, in order to properly and effectively undergo post-stroke recovery, you should eat rationally and listen to your body and its warnings. And also drink all the necessary vitamins in the proportions and dosages prescribed by your doctor.

Recovery periods after a stroke

The most productive time for recovery after a stroke is the first 3 to 4 months. Recovery continues quite actively over the next two years. Slow signs of restoration of nervous system functions can be observed for another two to three years. This time must be used to get maximum results. The maximum result is the return of the victim to a normal lifestyle. This is not always possible, but in most cases, a correctly and actively carried out period of rehabilitation treatment allows the patient to live safely in his family, fully take care of himself, interestingly, with benefit for himself and his loved ones, spend the free time that appears after the illness in abundance.

Cerebrolysin

In the post-stroke state, this drug is almost always prescribed. It can be taken without fear for the condition of the victim. The medicine restores cerebral circulation and significantly reduces the risk of a recurrent attack. Those who suffer from chronic high blood pressure should carry this medicine with them at all times.

It has a strong diuretic (diuretic) effect, helping to reduce and prevent swelling of the affected area.

Its name is known to all patients who have suffered acute circulatory disorders. The drug has a positive effect on memory and brain functioning.

What medications are prescribed

Important! There are contraindications, it is necessary to consult a specialist.

The name of stroke supplements and tablets directly depends on the degree and nature of damage to brain tissue, the stage of the brain catastrophe, as well as on the goals pursued by the medical specialist.

Prescription of medications for stroke in the brain area is carried out by medical specialists, neurologists, on an individual basis. During the prescribing process, the doctor takes into account the extent of the spread of necrotic changes. During the rehabilitation period after a brain accident, it is strictly not recommended to resort to self-medication.

Attempts to independently prescribe medications and their dosages can lead to a deterioration in the general condition and recurrence of stroke. The attending physician will tell you which tablets, name and how to take them.

Considering the stage of the brain catastrophe, treatment for stroke in a hospital provides the following drug treatment options:

1. Beginning of the disease. When the first signs of a brain catastrophe occur, the goal of drug therapy is to prevent further progression of pathological changes in the brain. If a patient experiences an increase in blood pressure, he is prescribed antihypertensive medications. To protect the cells of the nervous system from damage, the patient is recommended to take nootropic and neuroprotective medications. These effective prescribed medications keep cerebral blood flow levels at a stable level, preventing fluctuations and related complications. The duration of use of neuroprotective agents depends on the intensity of disease progression. In addition, in the initial period of the disease, a person is prescribed sedatives and multivitamin complexes, the intake of which will help relieve excessive emotional arousal and eliminate the stress factor in the development of a brain catastrophe;
2. High period. After a catastrophe occurs in the human brain in the form of an ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, the patient’s body is in a critical condition during the first 3 hours. This period is called acute. During this time, the person is recommended to be prescribed medications for a cerebral stroke, the action of which is aimed at restoring normal blood supply to the brain. To improve the rheological properties of blood, patients who have suffered a stroke are prescribed anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents. The prescription of a drug such as Actovegin is carried out to reduce the risk of post-stroke paralysis. In addition, in the acute period, painkillers and decongestants are prescribed;
3. A period of relative stability. After the patient’s general condition has reached stable levels, the person is referred for outpatient treatment. Drug therapy at this stage plays no less a role than in the acute phase of the disease. Many patients are recommended to take maintenance medications for life. Such patients are prescribed antidepressants, sedatives, sleeping pills and antiplatelet agents. In some cases, painkillers and anticonvulsants are prescribed. Of particular value in the treatment of stroke at home and in the hospital is the drug Cerakson, the action of which is aimed at restoring the functional activity of the brain. In addition, muscle relaxants (mydocalm) are used.

How to achieve balance

At first glance, it may seem that it is not difficult to obtain the help of vitamins in the complex rehabilitation process. There is a list of vitamins, there is knowledge about their beneficial properties, and there is a list of products that contain them. It is enough to eat these foods in the quantities necessary for the body. And this is where we run into difficulties. How to calculate the amount your body needs, taking into account the degree of the disease, how to manage to eat so many foods in a day, preferably raw, so that all the beneficial substances are preserved. What if you are allergic to some product? It is very difficult to create a clearly balanced daily menu in terms of the number of minerals, vitamins and microelements. In this case, it is better to resort to ready-made balanced vitamin and mineral complexes. Their composition was developed by scientists based on many studies in the field of brain damage and the results of its recovery.

Of course, only your attending physician, who must monitor the dynamics of rehabilitation and adjust the treatment, can choose the right course of rehabilitation therapy: medications, vitamins, diet and therapeutic exercises.

Herbal medicine should not be excluded from attention. Among the medicinal herbs, there are plants that have properties to normalize blood pressure and cleanse blood vessels.

To activate brain functions in stroke patients, a doctor should prescribe and monitor the intake of vitamin medications

Useful groups of vitamins

After a cerebral circulatory disorder, the patient needs medications aimed at restoring brain function and supporting the functioning of the heart muscle. In case of stroke, vitamin therapy is actively used, a course of which is recommended to improve various processes in the patient’s body:

• blood circulation;
• energy metabolism;
• normalization of metabolism in the brain;
• synthesis of hormones and enzymes;
• breakdown of carbohydrates.

Read also: Orbi stroke

Your doctor will tell you what vitamins to take after a stroke, since there is no universal drug. The doctor will select a medicinal substance, taking into account the following indicators:

• diagnosis;
• age;
• severity of the disease;
• localization.

Among the most useful are vitamins B, A, P, C, E and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are recommended for almost every patient suffering from a cerebrovascular disorder.

This is a substance that stops the development of oxygen starvation of cells. Its deficiency contributes to the appearance of neuromuscular disorders and impaired coordination of movements, which leads to complications in the patient’s recovery.

Vitamin E has been shown to reduce the severity of brain damage after a stroke.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids

Such acids are a building element of the cell membrane and are also part of phospholipids. They are necessary for the proper development of the body:

• reduce cholesterol levels;
• reduce triglyceride levels;
• reduce the risk of arrhythmia;
• prevent the formation of cholesterol plaques;
• lower blood pressure.

The body does not produce these acids, but obtains them from food or nutritional supplements.

Vitamins P and C

The above-mentioned organic compounds improve blood circulation, restore connections in body tissues, and also strengthen the walls of capillaries, the fragility of which leads to hemorrhage.

Flavonoids (vitamin P), responsible for normalizing blood composition, in combination with ascorbic acid reduce the risk of stroke recurrence.

Thanks to retinoids (vitamin A), various changes occur in the body:

• regeneration in tissues and cells is accelerated, incl. included in the structure of the brain;
• protective forces are activated;
• the synthesis of taurine, which is responsible for the transmission of nerve impulses, improves.

Diet planning

Nutrition should be comprehensive and balanced: more fruits, vegetables, grains, lean meat. Such ingredients are needed to maintain the functionality of blood vessels.

• All information on the site is for informational purposes only and is NOT a guide to action!
• can give you an ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS !
• We kindly ask you NOT to self-medicate, but to make an appointment with a specialist !
• Health to you and your loved ones!

The patient must receive enough vitamins, minerals and trace elements in order to activate all the functions of the brain matter.

Purple and blue fruits and vegetables, grapes, eggplants, and red cabbage should be included in the daily menu. The main source of anthocyanidin found in these foods reduces the risk of recurrent stroke. Antioxidants neutralize the effects of harmful radicals and help prevent brain hemorrhage.

But you should completely avoid baking, baked goods, spicy, salty, pickled and fried foods. Alcohol and smoking also negatively affect the body of a recovering patient.

Nutritional Features

Carrots are considered the most useful product after a stroke; they lower cholesterol levels and saturate the body with important microelements.

A study was conducted in which about 90 thousand people participated, and those who ate carrots daily had a 68% reduction in the risk of a recurrent stroke, compared to those who did not eat them at all.

Nutrition pyramid

But you need to exclude from the diet:

• fermented milk products;
• margarine, butter;
• eggs;
• red meat.

Eating these foods doubles your risk of stroke.

Stroke medications: medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements

After a person has suffered a brain catastrophe, necrotic and atrophic phenomena develop in the tissues of his brain. The goal of treatment for a hemorrhagic stroke is to prevent the development of serious and irreversible brain processes. In addition, adequately selected drug therapy can prevent the recurrence of a brain catastrophe.

What kind of treatment for stroke and medications will depend on the individual characteristics of the person, the severity of the brain damage and the general condition of the patient. The selection of dosages and names of drugs is carried out by the attending neurologist.