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Abstract
Nutrients help regulate inflammation, yet there are no nutrition guidelines for inflammatory traumatic brain injury. We utilized National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data to understand the diets of US adults with head injury with loss of consciousness (HIC). HIC consumed significantly more calories than those without head injury (No-HIC). After adjusting for energy intakes, HIC consumed less protein, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids than No-HIC. When compared to Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI), HIC consumed more of 10 nutrients than No-HIC, many which were pro-inflammatory nutrients. We investigated the intakes of those who self-reported adhering to a weight loss diet, using nutrients with DRIs. Only Vitamin E intake was different between HIC dieters and non-dieters, yet 9 nutrient intakes were different between No-HIC dieters and non-dieters. Findings from this study provide preliminary data on dietary behavior and dietary inflexibility of US adults with head injury, leading toward dietary recommendations.