Abstract
Since American football is inherently a collision sport, exposure to repeated head impacts leads to increased concerns among players, especially regarding brain health. The risk of neurodegenerative diseases may rise at the later phase of life in case of the long-term continuation of brain damage induced by repetitive head impacts thereby leading to the chronicity of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation along with the blood-brain barrier disruption. Therefore, early preventive strategies are necessary to improve brain health. Nutrition is considered one of these strategies. The Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet model was designed to improve brain health. The MIND diet includes foods rich in bioactive compounds, fiber, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant characteristics. Therefore, this diet model may protect the brain against the negative effects of brain damage. The potential effects of MIND diet components, including bioactive compounds, fiber, PUFAs, and MUFAs on brain health for American football players are discussed in this review.
Published Version
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