Many people experience cognitive and behavioural impairments following a concussion. Some temporary symptoms include problems with concentration, memory, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, and increased sensitivity to light and noise. Surprisingly, many people enduring a concussion also experience changes in their food preferences and cravings, especially for sugar and sweets!
Glucose is the main source of energy for the brain as it uses around 20% of the glucose we consume in our diet. Glucose is not only used to make energy in the form of ATP, but it is also necessary for maintaining blood flow in the brain and synthesizing neurotransmitters that provide functional connections between the neurons in the brain. In fact, glucose was found to enhance long-term declarative memory – the memory for facts, data, and events – in concussed rugby players, but had the opposite effect for healthy players. Thus, glucose can have benefits in recovering from concussions, so it could be that sugar craving is the brain’s way of asking for more glucose to accelerate its recovery.
However, it is important to pay close attention to the type of sugar consumed to satisfy the cravings. Increased consumption of refined sugar, or sucrose, (found in milk chocolate, white sugar, and candy) is associated with increased production of pro-inflammatory molecules. Since concussions lead to brain inflammation, it is best to avoid eating refined sugar to avoid further inflammation of the brain. It is important to recognize that all carbohydrates are broken down into sugar, so even eating foods like pizza can increase sugar levels in the body. It is recommended to consume sugars from healthy sources that are rich in vitamins and antioxidants such as fruits and complex carbohydrates, or dark chocolate to satisfy the cravings and obtain more nutrients along the way.
One particularly important class of molecules found in high concentrations in fruits and berries are antioxidants. Fruits are rich in flavonoids, a type of antioxidant that protects neurons against neurotoxins, are anti-inflammatory, and promote memory, learning and cognitive function. It is beneficial to introduce different colours of fruits into the diet to obtain several types of recovery-promoting antioxidants. Thus, it is better to obtain the needed and desired sugars from an unprocessed, natural, and delicious source: fruits.
Although artificial sweeteners, such as sucralose (Splenda), aspartame, and saccharin can be tempting to use since they provide the sweet taste without the added calories and sugar, they are not effective in reducing the cravings. Artificial sweeteners trick the brain into thinking that it is receiving sugar because of their sweet taste, but they fail to provide the extra energy boost, this leaves the brain craving more sweets since the expected energy increase was not met.
Therefore, it is best to satisfy the sugar cravings with real, natural sugar obtained from sources like fruits and dark chocolate, although some indulgence in milk or white chocolate, sweets, and candy is not harmful if consumed in moderation. A concussion is traumatic to the body and one of the best ways to protect our brain and promote a speedy recovery is through our diet.
Written by Lea Farah
References:
Mergenthaler, P., Lindauer, U., Dienel, G. A., & Meisel, A. (2013). Sugar for the brain: The role of glucose in physiological and pathological brain function. Trends in Neurosciences (Regular Ed.), 36(10), 587-597. doi:10.1016/j.tins.2013.07.001
Pettersen, J., & Skelton, R. (2000). Glucose enhances long-term declarative memory in mildly head-injured varsity rugby players. Psychobiology, 28(1), 81-89
Vauzour, D., Vafeiadou, K., Rodriguez-Mateos, A., Rendeiro, C., & Spencer, J. P. (2008). The neuroprotective potential of flavonoids: a multiplicity of effects. Genes & nutrition, 3(3-4), 115-126. doi:10.1007/s12263-008-0091-4
Yang, Q. (2010). Gain weight by “going diet?” Artificial sweeteners and the neurobiology of sugar cravings: Neuroscience 2010. The Yale journal of biology and medicine, 83(2), 101-108.