Brain Development

After birth to age five, a child’s brain grows more than at any other time in life. And early brain development and nutrition incorporate a lasting impact on a child’s ability to be told and achieve school and life. The standard of a child’s experiences within the first few years of life positive or negative helps shape how their brain develops.

At birth, the average baby’s brain is a couple of quarter of the dimensions of the typical adult brain. Incredibly, it doubles in size within the first year. It keeps growing to about 80% of adult size by age 3 and 90% nearly full grown by age 5. The early years are the best opportunity for a child’s brain to develop the connections they need to be healthy, capable, successful adults.

The connections needed for many important, higher-level abilities like motivation, self-regulation, problem-solving, and communication are formed in these early years – or not formed. It’s much harder for these essential brain connections to be formed later in life. Due to this, nutrition also plays an important role in the development of the brain.

Role of Nutrients in the development of the brain

In the normal development of the brain, adequate nutrition is critical. During pregnancy and infancy, nutrition is particularly important because it’s the crucial period for the formation of the brain, laying the inspiration for the development of cognitive, motor, and socio-emotional skills throughout childhood and adulthood. Thus, nutritional deficiencies during pregnancy and infancy are likely to compromise cognition, behavior, and productivity throughout the primary 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. There are also certain nutrients that are necessary for healthy brain development. These nutrients include:

Breastfeeding: can make a big difference, not just because breast milk is the perfect first food but also because the close contact with the mother that is part of breastfeeding plays a role in strengthening a child's sensory and emotional circuitry, both of which are important for cognitive and social-emotional development. It is worth noting that a baby should be breastfed only right from birth till 6 months of age.

Protein: is the second-largest matter in the brain, second only to water, due to this it’s vital to nourish your brain with protein-rich foods. Proteins help neurons within the brain communicate with each other through neurotransmitters that are made from amino acids. These 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. Lack of zinc has been concerned in impaired DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis during brain development. These can be found in oysters, meats, fish, dairy products, and nuts.

Iron: is a crucial nutrient that contributes to fetal and neonatal brain development 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 bread, dark leafy vegetables, and baked potatoes are among the best sources of iron.

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

Iodine: is an essential factor of thyroid hormone, it intercedes the effects of thyroid hormone on brain development. 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, its derivatives, retinoids, are involved in a complex signalling pathway that regulates gene expression and, in the central nervous system, controls neuronal differentiation and neural tube patterning. Along with the liver, carrots, sweet potato, and spinach are good sources of this vitamin.

Vitamin D: is neuroprotective, controls the immune system, and helps with calcium balance. It is also involved with regulating many genes significant for brain function. Though vitamin D is assumed as a vitamin, it acts as a neurosteroid that plays a vital role in the brain. Also known as the “sunshine vitamin” and the best way to get it is to get outside. The flesh of fatty fishes such as salmon has it, as does fish liver oil, and products fortified with it, such as fortified milk.

Vitamin B12: involves 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 kids) and function (for people of all ages). It aids the body make the hormones serotonin (which regulates mood) and norepinephrine (which helps your body cope with stress). The best sources of vitamin B6 are liver and other organ meats, fish, potatoes and other starchy vegetables, and fruit (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 cell 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 as cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage are 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. Eat well for a brighter life.