Annalisa Nostrant

HLTH 1020
Research Paper
Concussions
Concussions, until not too long ago, have been merely a happenstance of what happens in
sports. A result, even sometimes more often expected depending on your sport, considered to be
a simple injury to inherently brush off once your symptoms cease to exist. All of which changed
when it started to be recognized that concussions are actually a more serious injury that need
more attention than that. Studies are now being heavily conducted to learn more about these
injuries that have finally been recognized to actually be life changing, and even life threatening.
All of those studies are great for an athlete in the long run, but what about the short term?
What about right after the injury? Are there things athletes can do to help themselves, more
specifically their brains, recover faster? Indeed there are. According to Heal Your Concussion,
Nutrition is one of the most important aspects of brain health after a concussion. Why does this
interest me, one might ask? Because in my sport of bobsled, both as a pilot/driver or brakeman,
the amount of strain you put on your brain alone as your head rattles against the walls of the sled,
traveling 80 MPH and enduring an estimated amount of 4 Gs or g-force as you race down an icy
track, your brain starts to feel a little beat up. Not to mention the impact your head takes if you
crash, increasing your chances greatly of a concussion occurring. [Ref. 2]
So what should athletes in my position do? Since a TBI or traumatic brain injury is
technically a form of inflammation as explained by the National Center for Biotechnology
Information (NCBI), and aside from rest being what goes hand in hand with nutrition,
the Andrews Institute explains how the brain relies on a number of different nutrients to aid with

healthy cognitive function and clear thinking. The brain utilizes calories, so it is important to
ensure that the calories consumed after a TBI [or concussion] are procured from a healthy
source. [Ref. 5, Ref. 1]
Andrews Institute makes suggestions on what kind of foods are best and worst after a
TBI. Some of the best foods to eat after a TBI are fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, eggs,
meats, dairy and coconut oil. The stuff you want to avoid is listed as alcohol, processed sugar,
fried and salty foods, and caffeine. Heal Your Concussion and Brainline also suggest a lot of the
same food influences to consume and avoid. [Ref. 1]
As most people know, fruits and vegetables are packed with loads of vitamins, minerals
and other nutrients that are good for our bodies and thats on a daily basis, not just because of a
concussion. According to Brainline, its actually even more essential to eat fruits and vegetables
after such an event to help start and aid in the healing process. Dr. Terry Wahls published an
article with Easy Health Options. It states that in his studies hes found that when his patients cut
out flour-based food with vegetables it dramatically increases the vitamin and antioxidant intake,
allowing their thinking ability to improve. [Ref. 3, Ref. 10)
Because nuts and seeds are packed with omega 3s which is an anti-inflammatory and
also contains healthy fats and proteins, making them ideal when it comes to feeding the brain.
Small snacks are suggested periodically about every three to four hours when a TBI has
happened making nuts and seeds an ideal go-to, which can boost ones metabolism and help with
recovery. [Ref. 1]
Eggs are something Ive found to possibly be controversial when it comes to being
considered a good food to consumer after a TBI or not. According to Brain Health Education and
Resource Institute (BHERI) they feel eggs are actually not a good nutrient source to rely on or

consume since eggs are loaded with omega 6s. Since omega 6s promote inflammation, increase
blood clotting, and depress the immune system, it is advised to skip the eggs, but look for things
more full of omega 3, which have an opposite of omega 6. However, Brainline does suggest
them as a good choice of a snack since they are a good source of protein. [Ref. 3, Ref. 6]
It used to be thought that the adult brain lacked the ability to repair itself, but its been
found to be that the opposite is true. The adult brain is actually capable of building new synapses
between brain cells and even growing more brain cells given the right environment, according to
Easy Health Options. One of the main components that are needed for such an environment is
amino acids. The brain uses amino acids from protein to make neurotransmitters so lean meats
are suggested, but red meat can also be acceptable in moderation. [Ref. 10]
Dairy is surprisingly important when looking to treat a TBI according to Doc Edwards
Health & Fitness. Studies have proven that the stomach and brain are linking so intricately that
its considered to be a two way street, thats why its no surprise anymore that when someone
is stressed that they are found to have problems with their gut. Thats why dairy products are
helpful with concussion recovery but yogurt in particular is laden with probiotics to help aid in
the healing process. [Ref. 7]
Besides being one of the healthiest oils available on the market, Dr. Diane explains with
an article on Brain Health, that Coconut oil is considered to be something of a wonder product.
Its ketogenic, meaning it stimulates the production of ketones which are a super food for the
brain. Ketones also stimulate the growth of new brain cells and stimulate more blood flow to the
brain, meaning its improving circulation and delivery of oxygen to brain cells. It also is packed
with healthy fatty acids, which was stated previously, are a great help when it comes to a TBI.
[Ref.8]

Alcohol and caffeine are strongly advised to be avoided because after a TBI, the brain is
more sensitive to the effects of both alcohol and caffeine. Charles Bobardier, PhD, explains in his
article with Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center (MSKTC) that on top of alcohol being
a great cause or factor in 30-50% of TBI injuries, it also increases risks of having a negative
outcome. It can cause one to possibly get injured again, or make their cognitive thinking to
become worse, increasing the chances of having emotion problems such as depression, along
with reducing brain recovery in general. [Ref. 11]
Processed sugar, like most all other things to avoid after a TBI, produces a natural
inflammatory response in the body which is what you want to avoid when the body is attempting
to recover. Sugar increases insulin levels in the brain and when there are higher insulin levels,
there are a loss of synapses along with accelerated shrinkage of the brain and spinal cord. [Ref.
Fried and salty foods can be a tough one to cut out for most since after a TBI, grocery
shopping isnt an activity one usually wants to participate in. Unfortunately, it is advised to
refrain best you can. Studies have shown that fatty foods can actually damage the hypothalamus,
the part of the brain in charge of multiple functions and hormones such as hunger, sleep, moods,
natural functions in the body and thirst along with many more. After a TBI, the brain is already
working hard enough to heal itself, it doesnt need this kind of food making the healing process
more difficult. [Ref. 12]
Overall, the suggestions made arent that extreme or much different than just a regular
healthy diet, but I feel its important to know why you should and shouldnt consume certain
things. And aside from the importance of diet, sleep is also an extremely necessary factor in
helping the brain heal. I look forward to following these guidelines during bobsled season and
hope that they help as my brain gets thrown around while going down the track.

Ref. 1
https://www.andrewsinstitute.com/news/research/articles.aspx?id=40101996
Ref. 2
http://healyourconcussion.com/nutrition-for-concussionsmild-brain-injury
Ref. 3
http://www.brainline.org/content/2010/12/feed-your-body-feed-your-brain-nutritional-tips-to-speedrecovery.html
Ref. 4
http://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/recovery.html
Ref. 5
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23459929
Ref. 6
http://www.brainhealtheducation.org/resources/advances-in-tbi-management/
Ref. 7
https://docedwardsfitness.com/concussion-post-12-probiotics/
Ref. 8
http://www.drdiane.com/nutrition-neurons-wonders-coconut-oil/
Ref. 9
http://www.biausa.org/mild-brain-injury.htm
Ref. 10
http://easyhealthoptions.com/5-steps-speed-recovery-concussions-traumatic-brain-injury/
Ref. 11
http://www.msktc.org/tbi/factsheets/Alcohol-Use-After-Traumatic-Brain-Injury
Ref. 12
https://www.consumerhealthdigest.com/brain-health/5-unhealthy-foods-to-avoid-for-healthy-brain.html