Brain development is affected greatly by a baby's nutrition
intake. Children who are malnourished will resulted an inadequate
brain growth that showing lower IQ, slower language and fine moter
development. Before we talk about the kind of food that we need to
'feed' the brain. We probably want to ask ourselves, what is our
brain made of?
~ The Building Block
of the Brain ~
Our brain is primarily fat, 60% by dry weight! Few people realize
how important fat is to a healthy brain. And DHA, the most
plentiful fatty acid in the brain, is crucial to brain health,
from infancy to old age.
~ DHA ~
Many parents today already heard about the brain food - DHA. If
you have not, you may want to pay attention to this.
DHA is shorthand for docosahexaenoic acid. This omega-3 long chain
fatty acid is the primary building block of the brain and retina
of the eye. The brain is 60% fat, and DHA is the most abundant
fatty acid in the brain, comprising 25-35%. DHA is found in even
greater concentrations - 50-60% - in the retina. DHA is critical
for infant development. Compelling research links DHA to the rapid
cerebral cortex and eye development that occurs during pregnancy
and in the first few months after birth.
DHA passes through the placenta to the fetus during pregnancy, and
to the nursing baby through breast milk. Optimal levels of DHA in
the bloodstream of pregnant women and the breast milk of nursing
mothers are crucial to babies. In fact, DHA's presence in breast
milk may explain why breast-fed babies have demonstrable IQ
advantages over babies fed formula without DHA. This is proved by
the 21-year study by a research team at Brisbane's University of
Queensland. They found that the breastfed children ended up with
an intellectual advantage of eight IQ points. One of the
explanation by Prof. Najman, the research team leader was "that
omega fatty acids found in breast milk may be giving breastfed
children an intellectual advantage."
Once we understood the important of DHA presence in breastmilk,
one must also realises that the level of DHA vary widely from
mother to mother. In fact, the DHA levels in the breastmilk of
American women rank among the lowest in the world. Why? Because
the level of DHA in the breastmilk is very much depending upon the
food intake of the mother. To produce high level of DHA in the
breastmilk, the mothers should try to eat as much seafood as
possible on the regular basis. And try to breast-feed their
children if at all possible.
With the finding of the importance of DHA in brain development,
the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended that DHA be
included in infant formulas at levels comparable to those of
mothers' milk. Today, you can find many infant formulas are
fortified with DHA such as: Frisogrow, Anmum Essential, Enfapro,
Dumex ... and many more! Just look for DHA next time when you are
buying infant formula. In addition, you can find DHA packaged in
the softgel for older children. You can find these products in
major pharmacies and there are three products that I've come
across: Champs, Kordel's Tuna Oil, Red Sun - BrainMax
You can also ensure your children (and yourself) obtain DHA from
the diets. The richest sources of DHA are red meats, animal
organs, and eggs. Deep-water fish obtain their DHA from microalgae
like salmon, striped bass, rainbow trout, halibut, tuna, sardines,
mackerel or fish oil supplements for those whose fish intake is
very low. You can also find DHA in plants like green leafy
vegetables, soybeans, walnuts, flaxseed and canola oil.
~ DMAE ~
DMAE normally found in small amounts in our brains, DMAE (dimetheyaminoethanol)
has been shown to remarkably enhance improvement in learning,
mental alertness and clarity of thinking. A study conducted by Dr.
Carl Pfeiffer of Princeton, N.J. showed significant improvements
in behavior, learning ability, and attention span with 108 boys
and girls. Irritability was decreased, scholastic ability was
improved and intelligence was actually elevated in some cases.
With its ability to improve attention span, DMAE is also
alleviates behavior problems and hyperactivity such as ADD
(Attention Deficit Disorder).
DMAE is often given credit for having to elevate mood and improve
memory and learning. People who have taken DMAE for a period of a
few weeks often report an increase in physical energy and less of
a need for sleep. Occurring naturally in fish (sardines), you can
also find DMAE in tablets/capsule form in major pharmacies. Why is
DMAE important? Because, it also increases the levels of the
neurotransmitter 'acetylcholine' in the brain. Next...
~ Acetylcholine ~
'Acetylocholine'
was the very first neurotransmitter to be identified back in the
early 1900s. Acetylcholine is found in the brain and the
peripheral nervous system and is an critical element in brain
development and it proved to enhance spatial memory and mental
focus. Choline is the usual pre- cursor of acetylocholine and
Choline influences levels of acetylcholine. One of the infant
formula that contains choline is 'ABBOTT GROW'.
~ Ginkgo biloba ~
The last food for brain in this article (there are many others,
make sure you follow the subscription to receive more information
in the future) is Ginkgo biloba. Ginkgo biloba is the oldest
species of tree native to China. Extracts from the leaves of the
ginkgo biloba tree has been used medicinally for centuries.
Studies showed that ginkgo works by increasing blood flow
thoughout the body and brain. Especially, ginkgo biloba improves
circulation and oxygen supply to the brain. Thereby improves
mental alertness by increasing the brain's alpha wave rhythms and
overall brain functioning. You can find Ginkgo biloba tablets in
major pharmacies.
