4 valuable nutrients for your baby's brain development
From the first days of a child's life until he or she is 2 years old, the child's brain will reach 80% of the size of an adult's brain. Therefore, this is the golden period for brain development.
Factors affecting children's intelligence
According to the National Institute of Nutrition, the development of intelligence in children depends on three factors: genetics (genes), nutrition and training, learning, and living environment.
Many studies have shown that a deficiency of certain nutrients also affects brain development in children, such as protein, iodine, iron, and long-chain unsaturated fatty acids.
Firstly, protein is the building material of tissue cells and organs, providing the necessary raw materials for the formation of digestive juices, hormones, enzymes and vitamins. Lack of protein will affect the development of the body in general and the brain in particular.
Second is iodine, when there is a lack of iodine in food, the amount of iodine that passes through the mother's placenta to the fetus will not be enough to meet optimal brain development. At that time, the risk of iodine content in breast milk will also be very low, leading to impaired brain development and leading to cretinism due to hypothyroidism.
Third is iron, many studies have shown that iron deficiency seriously affects brain development in childhood.
Fourth are long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. The brain is 60% fat. DHA and ARA are the main lipid components of the brain.
Associate Professor, Dr. Le Bach Mai - former Deputy Director of the National Institute of Nutrition. Photo: HA
According to Associate Professor, Dr. Le Bach Mai - former Deputy Director of the National Institute of Nutrition, omega is an essential unsaturated fatty acid that the body cannot synthesize on its own and needs to be supplemented through daily diet.
Especially for infants and young children, omega 3 helps support brain development, improve eyesight, strengthen the immune system, protect the heart and blood pressure, help reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome, and maintain overall health for children.
Omega participates in the structure and function of the brain and each nerve cell, especially the striatum of the cerebral cortex.
In addition, it also participates in the structure of synaptic membranes, which help transmit nerve impulses from one nerve cell to another more quickly. It helps children respond more quickly to environmental stimuli.
Omega is derived from animals and plants. Photo: HA
Nutrition plays an important role in children's brain development.
According to experts, the content of omega 3 found in the retinal structure is quite high. Therefore, having enough omega 3 fatty acids will help your baby have better eyesight, thereby observing the outside world more, helping to support brain development.
In addition, many studies also show that a diet supplemented with enough omega 3 will help children control their emotional quotient (EQ), which will gradually help children learn and improve and develop their brains better.
If a child's daily meals do not meet their omega 3 needs, they will face limited brain development and slower cognition. More seriously, it can lead to children being slow to speak, slow to move, poor eyesight, poor resistance, and susceptible to allergies, asthma, and cardiovascular disease...
Associate Professor Dr. Le Bach Mai also added that omega 3 has main sources from animals, mollusks and plants. However, omega from animal sources such as fish oil extracts will have a fishy taste, which will be difficult for children to accept.
Notably, ALA (one of the three essential nutrients that play an important role in brain structure and function) is only found in original plant-based omega without added flavors, colorants, or fragrances, and is not genetically modified, so it is safe for babies.
Dr. Le Minh Trac - Director of the Center for Neonatal Care and Treatment, Central Maternity Hospital. Photo: HA
Sharing the same opinion, Dr. Le Minh Trac - Director of the Center for Neonatal Care and Treatment, Central Maternity Hospital (Hanoi), also recommends that parents need to supplement omega from the early stages of life, especially from when the baby is born to the first 3 years, when the child's brain develops rapidly and rapidly.
ALA plant omega has antioxidant properties, plays an important role in protecting nerve cells, maintaining learning ability and memory performance. It also converts into DHA and EPA for the body when needed. According to Dr. Trac, young children's bodies have not yet fully developed liver and kidney functions, so omega supplementation must ensure that the child's body can easily absorb it and minimize side effects.
Foods rich in omega-3 include mackerel, salmon, cod liver oil, walnuts, chia seeds, herring, flaxseeds, tuna, anchovies, egg yolks, cashews...
100g of mackerel contains 5,134mg of omega 3, 100g of salmon contains 2,260mg of omega 3, 100g of herring contains 1,729mg of omega 3... Plant omega is abundant in nuts and green vegetables such as: Brussels sprouts, kale, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, peas... 100g of spinach contains 138mg of omega 3 and 26mg of omega 6, 100g of chia seeds contain 4,915mg of omega 3 and 1,620mg of omega 6.
