Wondering if different diets such as paleo, keto, low carb, vegan, vegetarian, etc. have affected anyones recovery in a beneficial way.

Dear Bill,

It depends on you as a person but above this area at the top of the page are articles that will help you. I personally have found that eating a low sugar, alcohol free, varied diet gives me a regular pattern of energy and prevents me plunging into depression. It has also helped me get rid of the weight I gained from being in a wheelchair and inactive after the injury for so long.
There are many studies into what types of vitamins, minerals, diet etc to use for brain injury.

Do a little research and get in touch with Mark on this site, he knows his stuff.
Take care.

billybob,


Welcome to NeuroTalk.

The only diet other than a basic good nutrition that includes avoiding caffeine, alcohol, MSG, HFCS and other artificial additives (sweeteners) that has appeared to have any value is an anti-inflammation diet. But, not everyone sees improvement from an anti-inflammation diet.

Read the vitamins sticky at the top. The injured brain needs more than simply good nutrition from food. It is very difficult to get the amount of B-12, D-3 folic acid, magnesium and such from diet alone.

Please feel free to introduce yourself and tell us how we can help you with your struggles.

My best to you.

Thanks for the response mark.

Im 20 years old and suffered between 3-5 concussions in a 6 month time period last year. Ever since, I have been struggling with symptoms related to pcs. Symptoms vary day to day, but overall I am not very functional. Brain fog, anxiety, low energy, occasional speech issues when overwhelmed, head sensitivity, etc.

Glad I found this website, its nice to see others that can actually understand what we deal with on a daily basis. One of the hardest things when I was at my worst and didnt know what was happening to me was that no one understood at all. Doctors told me it was only anxiety, which in turn made my parents start to not believe me. I have slowly gotten better as time has gone by, but am still left with symptoms that affect me daily.

Ok thanks, I will definitely take a look at the vitamin section. I also have noticed that if I eat very clean and healthily, the depression gets a lot better. If I eat any kind of processed food or things that could be labeled as bad for you, I get a terrible bout of depression in the coming days.

I've been reading a lot about this as diet is one of the things we have control over as we hope to recover and gain back some of our former brain health.

From what I've gathered, a ketogenic diet (low carb/low sugar/high fat) is in fact the healthiest diet for the human brain. It is very difficult to maintain but a somewhat realistic regimen I've come across is

Less than 75 carbs/day
Less than 20 per meal

Essentially this puts the body in ketosis where it begins using fat as its energy source instead of carbohydrates. There is no downside to this, from what I've read. In fact it is healthier.

Cold pressed organic coconut oil has a lot of MCT's and helps maintain this equilibrium.

Sugar is not good for you and fat is, despite what Americans have been told for decades. Eliminate as much sugar from the diet as you can!! Of course everyone is different so take this advice for what it's worth. There is always the obstacle of personal variability in body type, metabolism, etc.

Take a look at the vitamin regimen as Mark referenced and if you have any further questions, perhaps regarding other supplements to take you can message me. I've had some recent success with a few.

And remember to hydrate! 6-8 glasses of water per day. I take this as being about 6 bottled waters. Keep chugging away.

Danny

Actually, the ketogenic diet is usually recommended for those who struggle to metabolize glucose. Limiting other sources of calories causing the liver to release ketones puts the body into a famine mode. This is not healthy for most. If the brain is trying to get energy from glucose but the supply is limited, problems could arise. The ketone system is designed to provide energy to the brain and nerves to keep them alive as a last ditch effort to stay alive during fasting or famine.

Your brain needs meat protein for the amino acids it contains. The natural fats in meat and dairy are good for the brain. Coconut oil is a good natural fat along with olive oil. Most plant based fats pale in comparison.

Whole grain carbs are good, too. High density sugars should be limited. Small amounts of high density sugar are OK, especially if they are combined with other foods that slow the absorption. A teaspoon of sugar is only 18 calories. A small piece of chocolate (Hersey's individually wrapped) is only 80 calories. They should not be a problem in moderation. The dopamine response of that pleasant taste is good for the brain. I usually have such a piece of chocolate in the evening.

PCS is tough enough without the frustration of not enjoying the occasional taste pleasure.

If you like popcorn, coconut oil is great for popping corn. Then, a light spray of olive oil and a light sprinkling of salt is a healthy and tasty snack. Much better than microwave popcorn. If you need instructions, just ask. I've been popping popcorn in a pan on the stove since the 60's.

I never said that meat was to be avoided. Protein from fatty meats is an essential part of the ketogenic diet I am trying. I guess it is different from the classic model.

There's plenty of pleasure in a nice juicy steak or some fried eggs and bacon without the need for excess sugar consumption. It's tough to be strict, I admit, but I really think it can go a long way for promoting brain health.

If you want to eat chocolate why not dark chocolate? I sometimes have a piece of this if I'm craving a dessert for the minor health benefits.

One thing we agree on is coconut oil and olive oil = good
Most other oils (soybean, canola) = bad especially hydrogenated

Dopamine release is an issue which could divert this thread away from the original post.

I agree the Ketogenic diet works great for me, its not for everyone as at first it is difficult to maintain and initially will cause you problems like those experienced with post concussion syndrome. There is a lot of evidence now that it is a very neuro-protective diet as well as well. Most people that end up with vitamin deficiencies do so because of a lack of leafy greens,vegtables etc often people mix up a well formulated ketogenic diet with an atkins like diet.

IF you have issues with consistent mental energy I would say give it a try, as well if you are unable to exercise it can do a great service of making you feel full and not overeating during the day so weight loss is often a bonus without being in a caloric deficit.

It does Mimic starvation, but it is not dangerous long term if done right, and has been shown to starve cancer cells as well especially aggressive forms. There is lots of stuff out there to be read, I spent a couple years doing it prior to my concussion just to experiment, what works for me may not work for you but it is a more viable option than people may believe. At the end of the day find a way to eat healthy that works for you.

The literature I've read says it should only be done under the supervision of a doctor. It is intended to help people with intractable seizures. The concept is they have seizures because their brain can not properly process glucose so they need ketogensis so the brain has energy. For them, the benefit is worth the risk.

The literature I found specifically states that the neuroprotective value of fasting and ketogenesis is limited to the first 24 hours after the injury. There was no noticed neuroprotective value of fasting at 48 hours.

Regarding sugar, the sugar content of carrots and many fruits is equal to or greater than many sweetened foods. The key is moderation.