Secondary head hits, even minor head hits, are very very bad because they trigger excessive inflammation, which is damaging. The more head hits, the more the brain over-reacts and pumps out too much inflammation. If you look at the most severe PCS cases, the impact forces were not enough to cause severe symptoms. Anxiety alone was not enough either.

People with a history of anxiety struggle with prolonged symptoms because anxiety causes brain inflammation, and that inflammation contributes to the symptoms.

A lot of the foods we eat cause inflammation, especially sugar and refined carbohydrates. So those foods will exacerbate CAS sensitivities.

Anxiety treatment and concussion treatment should start with diet to reduce inflammation. Studies show that people who consume lots of refined carbohydrates and processed vegetable oils have higher levels of anxiety. So anxiety, concussion symptoms, and diet are all interconnected.


Aadopt a high fat / ketogenic / sugar free / wheat free / organic diet to help keep the inflammation down as part of your treatment.

• Stop eating sugar and refined carbohydrates (fructose, wheat, white flour) because they cause inflammation, lack nutrition, and are acidic.
• Replace wheat with whole grains such as Quinoa flour, Almond flour, or Chickpea flour.
• Avoid processed vegetable oils because they can cause oxidation and inflammation which is destructive. (Canola Oil, Safflower oil, Sunflower oil, shortening, Hydrogenated oils)
• Cook with healthy saturated fats such as Coconut oil, Olive oil, butter, or animal fats instead, and eat lots of it.
• Processed foods often contain the bad ingredients and added sugars so they should be avoided.