NUTRITION FOR THE DEVELOPING BRAIN

-

 

BRAIN DEVELOPMENT

The human brain grows and develops fastest before the age of five years. The quality of a child's nutrition within the first few years of life, affects the brain development. Early brain development creates a lasting impact on a child’s ability to learn and achieve in life. 



At birth, the average baby’s brain is a quarter of the dimensions of the typical adult brain. Interestingly, it doubles in size within the first year. It gets to about 80% of adult size by age 3years and 90% by age 5. The early years present the best opportunity for a child’s brain to develop the connections needed  for the child to learn skills and knowledge to become a successful adult. The connections needed for many important, higher-level abilities like motivation, self-regulation, problem solving and communication are formed in these early years. If they are not properly formed during this time, it becomes more difficult for these essential brain connections to be formed later in life. Good nutrition also plays an important role in the formation of these connections. 

 THE DEVELPOMENT OF THE BRAIN




During pregnancy and infancy, nutrition is particularly important because it’s the crucial period for the structural formation of the brain; thus laying the foundation for the development of cognitive, motor, language, socio-emotional and behavioral skills throughout childhood and adulthood. Thus, nutritional deficiencies during pregnancy and infancy are likely to compromise cognition, behavior, and productivity throughout the school years and adulthood. Concentrating on this early period for the prevention of nutrient deficiencies may have long-term and widespread benefits for individuals and societies.

Nutrients necessary for healthy brain development. 

·        Breastfeeding makes a big difference. Not just because breast milk is the perfect first food for the infant but also, because of the close contact baby gets with the mother during breastfeeding, there is the strengthening of a child's sensory and emotional part of the brain, both of which are important for cognitive and social-emotional development. It is worth noting that a baby should be exclusively breastfed from birth till 6 months of age. it has all the nutrients needed for the infant for the first 6 months of life.

·        Protein: is the second largest matter in the brain. Second only to water.  it is therefore vital to nourish your child's brain with protein rich foods. Proteins help neurons within the brain to communicate with each other through neurotransmitters that are made from amino acids. protein can be found in meat, poultry, seafood, beans and peas, eggs, soy products, nuts and seeds, as well as dairy.

·       
Zinc: plays a vital role in axonal and synaptic transmission and is essential for nucleic acid metabolism and brain tubulin growth and phosphorylation. These are vital processes in the brain. Lack of zinc can result in impaired DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis. This can impair brain development. Zinc can be found in oysters, meats, fish, dairy products, and nuts.




·        Iron is a crucial nutrient that contributes to fetal and neonatal brain development. It is associated with critical cellular processes in the immature brain, including the maintenance of neural cell energy status, myelination, and monoamine neurotransmitter homeostasis (Bianco et al., 2008; Todorich et al., 2009; Cheli et al., 2018). Meats, beans and lentils, fortified cereals and breads, dark leafy vegetables, and baked potatoes are among the best sources of iron.



·        Folate aids in the formation of DNA and RNA, development of neurotransmitters, and the creation of the nervous system during pregnancy. It also known to help reduce the incidence of depression, mental fatigue, and irritability because it can be quickly broken down to supply the body with energy. This nutrient, which is especially important for pregnant mothers, can be found in liver, spinach, fortified cereals and breads.

·        Iodine is an essential factor of thyroid hormone synthesis. This hormone is necessary for brain development in the fetal and early years after birth. Iodine deficiency is the most widespread and avoidable cause of mental impairment in the world. Seaweed is a great source of iodine, but we also get it from iodized salt, seafood, dairy products, and enriched grains.


·        Vitamin A  is needed for normal embryonic development. It's derivatives, retinoids, are involved in a complex signaling pathway that regulates gene expression and, in the central nervous system, controls neuronal differentiation and neural tube patterning. Liver, carrots,
sweet potato, and spinach are good sources of this vitamin.



·        Vitamin D is neuroprotective. It controls the immune system and helps with calcium balance. It is also involved with regulating many genes involved in brain function. Vitamin D is known as 'sunshine vitamin'  because the best way to get it is outside in the early morning sun. The flesh of fatty fishes such as salmon have it, as does fish liver oil, and products fortified with vitamin D, such as fortified milk.



·        Vitamin B12 is involved in the development of nerve cells, the myelin sheaths that protect nerves, and blood cells. Vitamin B12 is sometimes taken to treat memory loss, poor concentration, and Alzheimer's disease and to boost your mood or energy levels. Vitamin B12 is naturally found in animal products, such as meat, fish, eggs, and dairy.

·        Vitamin B6: is also required for suitable brain development in children. It aids the body in the making of the hormone serotonin which regulates mood and norepinephrine which helps the body cope with stress. The best sources of vitamin B6 are liver, other organs, meats, fish, potatoes and fruits (not citrus).

·        Choline: plays a critical role in a wide variety of biochemical chain reactions, including some that are necessary for basic functions, like keeping cells membranes intact. In the brain, choline speeds up the creation and release of acetylcholine, a protein that carries signals among brain cells and is important for memory and assorted brain functions. Meat, poultry, egg, milk, peanuts and some types of fish (cod, salmon, tilapia), cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage are all good sources of choline.

Always remember that food is the fuel for the child’s brain. What the child eats directly impacts cognitive skills and brain development. Feed your child well for brighter life.

 

 Written by Daniel Ansah Obese

Registered Dietitian, Msc Public health


REFERENCE

Elizabeth L Prado, Kathryn G Dewey.Nutrition Reviews, Volume 72, Issue 4, 1 April 2014, Pages 267–284

Iron Metabolism and Brain Development in ... – Frontiers www.frontiersin.org › articles › fphys.2019.00463 › full

www.firstthing.org>brain development 15 "Brain Foods" That May Help Preserve Your Memory (Infographic) www.unitypoint.org › livewell › article

Functional Implication of the Vitamin A Signaling Pathway in ...jamanetwork.com › journals › jamaneurology › fullarticle

How does vitamin B12 help the brain? | Vitamin B12 Sharecarewww.sharecare.com › ... › Vitamins › Vitamin B1

Iodine Deficiency and the Brain: Effects and Mechanisms

The crucial brain foods all children need - Harvard Health Blogwww.health.harvard.edu › blog › brain-food-children-...

Couperus JW Nelson CA . Early brain development and plasticity. In: McCartney K Phillips D, eds. The Blackwell Handbook of Early Childhood Development. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publsihing; 2006:85–105.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PLAYING WITH FIRE

-
Image
  “Doctor Gloria, I have bad news for you this morning. I am afraid we lost the child we referred yesterday”. The paediatric nurse said. For a few seconds, I was speechless. When I finally found my voice, I asked, “How is the mother?”. “I am told she is devastated.” She answered. I had to say a silent prayer for the parents. To lose a child who had been so well to a preventable condition is one of the most difficult things to deal with in life. This child was admitted to the hospital I work in with burn wounds. When I saw how extensive the injury was, I asked that we quickly stabilise and refer her to a tertiary centre where she could have access to a specialised unit for burns and health professionals who could properly manage her. The problem with extensive burns is that on a continent that is still battling with lots of infections, the risk of dying is very high even when the best care is given. The skin provides a barrier that prevents harmful organisms from getting int...
Read more

BE THAT HAND

-
Image
  She would come for review with her 4-year-old son firmly strapped to her back. The boy was heavy but how could she allow him to walk beside her? He would be all over the place and they would get stares. She  couldn’t afford a wheelchair that could keep the child strapped and restrained. I wondered what the journey on the commercial vehicle was like. He had been diagnosed with Autism, Epilepsy and had symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder  (ADHD) . He was not speaking yet and had no friends. Not all his medications were covered by the national health insurance scheme, and some were costly. In a country where the few inclusive schools and rehabilitation centres are mostly found in the cities and are not free, the future looked gloomy for him. His mother didn’t have a stable job. She was the one caring for him, so it was not feasible for her to look for a well-paying job that would require her to be away from him. I remember speaking to the father of ...
Read more

WHY DOES MY BABY CRY A LOT, PASS MUCH GAS AND KEEP STRETCHING?

-
Image
  Many parents get worried when their babies cry excessively. Excessive crying in babies could be due to several things. For example, wet diapers, pain from an insect bite or injury, unwellness, hunger, thirst, etc. Sometimes, babies cry and pass out a lot of gas while stretching. They may even refuse breast milk. And parents are often left worried, not knowing what to do. These babies most likely have  infantile colic , a disturbance in the gastrointestinal tract or the gut. What causes infantile colic? The exact cause is largely unknown. Colonic fermentation, which is the breakdown of carbohydrates into fatty acids and other metabolites in the large intestine by anaerobic bacteria has been proposed as a cause. During this fermentation process, gases are produced. Excess gas in the infant's immature gut can cause much discomfort. Colic is also thought to be associated with excessive swallowing of air when the baby is feeding. Some studies also suggest that psychoso...
Read more