Traumatic Peripheral Nerve Damage (PNI), surgical resection, iatrogenic injury, or toxicity from local anesthetics are all potential causes. Damage to peripheral nerves can cause weakness, numbness, paresthesia, pain, and changes in how the body works. Since PNI has been linked to inflammatory responses and nerve degeneration, stopping these could help patients feel better.
Many different nutrients have been studied for their potential to mitigate PNI's unfavorable effects. The recovery rate after PNI in animal models is significantly increased by administering alpha-lipoic acid, cytidine diphosphate-choline (CDP Choline), curcumin, melatonin, vitamin B12, and vitamin E. There is a lot of evidence from studies on animals that different supplements can speed up recovery from PNI, but there is little evidence from studies on people.
By looking at supplements that have been shown to work in animal models of PNI, this literature review hopes to set up a plan for future research on human patients. Medical professionals will better understand how supplements might aid PNI healing if they examine those that have shown promise in animal research—learning more about how these supplements affect human patients after PNI could enhance recovery times, quality of life, and nerve regeneration.
Best Nerve Damage Repair Vitamins
Neuropathy, or nerve damage, is a common complication of diabetes and a risk of several chemotherapy drugs. In addition to more traditional medical treatments, making changes to how a person lives may be helpful. Supplements are another popular method of dealing with neuropathy. These may contribute to overall health with fewer negative consequences than standard medical care.
Discuss these supplements' potential side effects and advantages with your doctor as you build your neuropathy treatment strategy. Neuropathy treatment is effective and valuable for most people when the proper medication, lifestyle adjustments, and treatment for the underlying cause are used together.
1. Alpha-Lipoic Acid
The antioxidant Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA) is a cofactor in various processes within mitochondria. In addition to mopping up free radicals, it can replenish other antioxidants like vitamins C and E through a series of interactions.
Recovery of nerve function, conduction velocity, and the area of regenerating axon and myelin were all enhanced by ALA administration following PNI, in addition to increasing antioxidant levels and decreasing oxidative stress.
In addition, given vitamin B12's well-established involvement in reducing CNS nerve damage, some studies have evaluated the effectiveness of vitamin B12 and ALA in peripheral nerve regeneration. When comparing ALA and vitamin B12, we found that ALA was superior in enhancing sciatic functional index values and reorganizing the regenerated nerve.
2. Curcumin
Turmeric's key element, curcumin, has been used for ages to alleviate inflammation, pain, and trauma. By controlling transcription factors and kinases, it controls the expression of inflammatory enzymes, cytokines, adhesion molecules, and cell survival proteins across a wide variety of cell-signaling pathways.
Curcumin has many neuroprotective actions in the central nervous system (CNS), including modulating neurotransmitters, controlling the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, promoting nerve regeneration, and preventing neuronal apoptosis.
Curcumin's anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties helped speed up the recovery from peripheral nerve injury (PNI), reverse mechanical allodynia, reduce cell death, improve action potential amplitude and conduction speed, increase functional assessments and motor and sensitive nerve conduction velocity, and enhance axonal regeneration and myelination.
3. Melatonin
The pineal gland at the brain's base secretes melatonin, which has several bodily functions, including regulating circadian rhythms, sleep physiology, mental status, reproduction, tumor growth, and aging. It is an antioxidant because it stops the body from making free radicals and makes it make enzymes that neutralize them.
The structural integrity of myelin sheaths, neural regeneration, functional results, nerve conduction velocity, Schwann cell proliferation, axonal regeneration, increased malondialdehyde, decreased nerve peroxidation, and reduced oxidative stress were all enhanced by melatonin.
4. B-Complex Vitamins
Some examples of vitamins in this class include B-12 and B-6. All these things help nerves, metabolic processes, and sensory axons work as well as they can. As it only takes a few weeks of inadequate intake to produce a deficit, many people suffer from lacking b-complex vitamins.
Vitamin B-9, also known as folate, can be found in foods like oats, whereas vitamin B-1 can be found in many meat and vegetables. Eating more of these foods or consulting your doctor about further supplementation are viable options. Vitamin B-complex supplements should also be taken cautiously because high doses have been linked to adverse effects.
5. Glutathione
Since it is an antioxidant already produced by the body, glutathione is a well-liked dietary supplement. Okra, asparagus, and avocados are just a few more foods that contain them. Glutathione is degraded by the digestive system and eliminated without being absorbed; hence its use as a supplement is common. When supplementing glutathione to help with chemotherapy-related neuropathy, your doctor can advise you on the best action.