What food does a growing child’s brain need to thrive?
The brain serves as the command control center for our body, running primarily on glucose, a type of sugar, as its main energy source.
Keep your child’s brain healthy and operating with maximal input/output efficiency by eating wholesome foods high in nutritious value including fruits, vegetables, unprocessed meat and fish, nuts and seeds, diary products and whole wheat and grains.
A simple way to keep a healthy diet is to eat food obtained directly from the Earth, since these ingredients are processed more efficiently by our body and provide the greatest benefits.
In contrast, processed food, artificial sweeteners and unnatural flavoring are harder for our body to digest. For an all inclusive list of important nutrients in child development, visit brain-food-children-nutrition.
How is the brain communicating with our stomach?
A strong link has been established between brain development and the gut microbiome (a collection of microbes such as bacteria and viruses that live inside the body).
Our intelligent brain is in constant communication with our gut using small signaling molecules.
It becomes especially important during the first 1-3 years of life, where early life gut microbial colonization takes place.
Therefore, the food our child eats have significant and long lasting effects on cognition during infancy.1
How does eating a wholesome diet benefits the developing brain?
The key to achieving optimal brain fitness is being aware of what your child consumes, ensuring that the food comes from a variety of sources containing great nutritional value.
The benefits of adhering to a superb diet will begin to manifest as you discover increased sharpness of the mind, soaking in knowledge and learning new concepts easily, with significantly less brain fog and mood swings in your child.2
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Dr. Liraz is a neuroscientist and educator. She loves writing about the inner workings of child brain. In her spare time, she is seen chasing her daughter around the playground and sprinting after the family Airedale dog, who is always getting in trouble.
References:
- Florencia Ceppa et al. Current evidence linking diet to gut microbiota and brain development and function. Int J Food Sci Nutr., 2019; 70(1):1-19.
- Vasiliki Karavida et al. The Role of Nutrients in Child’s Brain Development. Journal of Education and Human Development, 2019; 8(2): 176-180.
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