One type of stroke event is “evolving stroke.” In these cases, the neurological damage — weakness, speech impairment — gradually gets worse after the first few days.

When this happens, the penumbra neurons, instead of returning to normal, start dying off and expanding the damage.

This can occur for a number of reasons, but most often it is because of a burst of free radicals when the blood supply is re-established. We call this reperfusion injury.

This happens because of the high oxygen content of the returning blood flooding the penumbra region, which generates high levels of new free radicals.

Numerous studies have shown that such things as magnesium, curcumin, quercetin, baicalein, hesperidin, resveratrol, naringenin, DHA, vitamin E, vitamin C, and anthocyanadins can prevent this damage and protect the brain during a stroke.

Not only do these compounds suppress free radicals and lipid peroxidation, they are also powerful inhibitors of microglial activation and immunoexcitotoxicity.