Three letters every NFL player should know
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Mingling amid concussion experts and nutritional supplement reps Thursday night in a ballroom at the LAX Westin, I felt a little like Benjamin Braddock standing poolside in ‘The Graduate.’
Except the hosts weren’t selling a career in plastics.
They were pitching the benefits of DHA.
You know, docosahexaenoic acid.
It’s a dietary supplement derived from algae that purportedly not only helps improve cholesterol levels but also assists cognition and memory and facilitates rapid recovery from concussions. And it could be the next big thing among football players and other athletes looking to bounce back from traumatic brain injuries.
During a presentation on the eve of today’s national concussion summit, Dr. Julian E. Bailes Jr. talked about how DHA administered to Randal McCloy Jr., the sole survivor of the 2006 Sago Mine disaster in West Virginia, aided in his recovery. Another doctor, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss player medical records, said DHA helped Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger bounce back from a concussion faster than anticipated.
Studies are also being conducted to determine if DHA could help prevent Alzheimer’s disease or slow its progression.
It could be a science breakthrough.
Just like plastics.
-- Ben Bolch