What I Take to Help My Brain Heal — and Why It Works
- Paulo De Barros
- Jun 27
- 3 min read
When I was recovering from a traumatic brain injury, nothing felt normal. I couldn’t process information. Conversations would overwhelm me. I couldn’t read, focus, or even go to a café without crashing mentally.
Over time, through obsessive research, self-testing, and noticing patterns in how I felt, I realized something most people including many doctors overlook :An injured brain is like an engine with a cracked piston. It needs more energy, more support, more raw material not less. And it needs that fuel in the right form to repair itself, function day-to-day, and actually improve.
Recovery isn’t something that stops after six months. Your brain continues to respond — years later — if you give it what it needs, consistently. Here’s what I take every single day to support that process. And why it works.
💡 One note: always use high-quality supplements. This isn’t about stuffing capsules down your throat. It’s about absorbing what your brain can actually use.
Here are the four supplements I take daily, with direct links to the relevant research:
Here are the four I take:
1. Omega‑3
Why it matters:Your brain is made of fat. Around 60% of it. And the most important fat for brain cells? DHA. It forms the very structure of your neurons especially the membranes that protect and insulate them. After a brain injury, inflammation and structural breakdown are common, and omega‑3s are the raw material the brain uses to rebuild.
What it does:
Rebuilds damaged brain cells
Reduces neuroinflammation
Promotes synaptic plasticity (your brain’s ability to rewire and adapt)
What convinced me: A study showed that DHA supplementation reduced white matter damage in animal models of TBI, improving cognitive function and recovery (PMC5531869). I take 1000mg/day of high-DHA omega-3 oil — fish-based or algae-based.
2. Choline (Alpha-GPC or CDP-Choline) – Neurotransmitter + Focus Repair
Why it matters:
Choline is a precursor to acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter most involved in memory, attention, and neural firing speed. After trauma, acetylcholine drops, which is why many TBI patients experience memory issues, brain fog, and attention problems.
What it does:
Boosts neurotransmitter production
Enhances working memory and mental stamina
Repairs the myelin sheath that insulates neurons
What convinced me:
A study showed CDP-Choline significantly improved cognitive recovery in stroke and TBI patients (source). After adding Alpha-GPC, my focus noticeably improved — I could hold thoughts longer, and the mental fatigue faded quicker.
3. Creatine – Energy Generation for the Brain
Why it matters:
Everyone knows creatine helps muscles. What most don’t realize is that your brain uses more energy than any other organ — and after an injury, its ATP (energy molecule) production tanks. Creatine helps recycle ATP fast, giving your brain access to the energy it desperately needs to function and repair.
What it does:
Increases brain ATP production
Supports cognitive performance under stress
Reduces mental fatigue and enhances clarity
What convinced me:
I noticed it by accident while training for triathlon — but later found studies confirming it. One review showed creatine improved working memory and fluid intelligence, especially under cognitive load or sleep deprivation (Nature 2024). I take 3–5g/day of pure micronized creatine monohydrate.
4. Magnesium (Threonate ) – Brain Calm + Recovery
Why it matters:
Magnesium regulates neural excitability and helps calm an overstimulated brain — which is exactly what happens after trauma. On top of that, magnesium plays a major role in mitochondrial function, the part of your brain cells responsible for generating energy.
What it does:
Reduces overactive brain signals (which worsen fatigue and anxiety)
Supports energy metabolism in neurons
Enhances memory and cognitive repair via synaptic density
What convinced me:
In a study, magnesium threonate improved memory, alertness, and synaptic plasticity (source). I take 200–400mg every night — threonate.
Final Thoughts
If I had to restart my recovery, I’d begin here. These are the core 4 that changed everything for me. I still take them daily — not just for recovery, but to function at a higher level.
Your brain can improve — even years after injury — if you feed it right, give it energy, and believe in its ability to come back stronger.
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