How The Right Fats And Oils Can Help Your Child"s Brain
Learning And Focus Can Be Improved By Making Some Simple Changes When you consider that your brain is made up of, and functions, from components that you eat, you understand that you can change the way you think by making different food choices.
Your child's brain needs the right fats to develop optimally Your child's brain is no different - in fact, your child's brain is still developing, so it makes perfect sense to provide the right building blocks for optimal development right from the start.
The right fats and oils can make an enormous difference in terms of how their brain develops, and how it functions.
Fats and oils also influence behaviour positively.
But you must know what the right kinds are.
Humans have very fatty brains As 60% of the brain is made up fat, and 20 - 30% of that fat should be made up of a very specific type of fat, called Essential Fatty Acids, or EFA's, your child's brain will develop optimally if you supply these essential fats in their diet.
Essential fats for a smart brain These special fats are called essential because they cannot be made by the body - they have to be supplied by the diet.
If they are not, your child will be deficient in them.
At this point in time, it is estimated that 95% of people are deficient in these essential fats, as we don't get them in our diet anymore, due to a number of different reasons.
It's necessary to discuss some of the important parts of the brain, so that you can see where these essential fats are used: 1.
Neurons are specialised nerve cells, and the brain uses them to move information from the environment and the body, into and around the brain, which allows thinking, learning and action.
2.
Myelin is the substance that surrounds many nerve fibres.
The basic function of myelin is to speed the transmission of nerve impulses - thereby making nerve transmission more rapid and efficient.
3.
Myelin is made up of various fats, fatty acids, phospholipids, protein and cholesterol - 75% of myelin comes from fat.
The formulation of myelin is highly dependent on what you eat, because, as discussed, certain fatty acids cannot be manufactured by the body.
Myelin is integral to the speed and efficiency of nerve transmission and consequently when myelin is damaged, the speed of nerve conduction slows down.
4.
The formulation of myelin is also critical to the development of the brain in children.
Critical windows of development occur when these nerve fibres must be myelinated.
These connections allow the complexity of your child's brain to unfold and set the stage for future intelligence.
If fatty acids are not supplied to ensure efficient myelination of these critical fibres, the efficiency of brain connections may be impaired.
5.
Fatty acids also make up a large percentage of the membrane of the neuron itself, and any time a nerve cell makes a new branch - which is how the brain grows and uses information - new raw materials are required.
If these fatty acids are not present in the proper amounts, this process may be hindered, leading to developmental delays.
6.
Synapses are where the real communication between neurons takes place - this is where nerve cells connect to each other.
The number of synapses made by a nerve has more bearing on intelligence and brain performance than the number of neurons.
Once again, fatty acids are critical.
7.
The delicate membrane of the synapse has a very high concentration of long chain fatty acids.
If these nutrient requirements are not met, neurons cannot transmit - or fire - with normal or optimal efficiency.
Don't deprive your child's brain of the right fats When children are deprived of these essential fats, their ability to concentrate, focus and learn, as well as develop in other areas, is hampered.
This is because, not only the brain, but every cell in the body also requires these special essential fats, because of their unique structure and function.
Overall health and well being depends on getting enough of these unique fats.
There is a vast amount of mis-information in the press about fats and oils because the subject is very complex and it takes time and effort to understand it in depth.
However, you are now in possession of the basic facts and know that your child and their developing brain needs the right fats to grow optimally.
Your child's brain needs the right fats to develop optimally Your child's brain is no different - in fact, your child's brain is still developing, so it makes perfect sense to provide the right building blocks for optimal development right from the start.
The right fats and oils can make an enormous difference in terms of how their brain develops, and how it functions.
Fats and oils also influence behaviour positively.
But you must know what the right kinds are.
Humans have very fatty brains As 60% of the brain is made up fat, and 20 - 30% of that fat should be made up of a very specific type of fat, called Essential Fatty Acids, or EFA's, your child's brain will develop optimally if you supply these essential fats in their diet.
Essential fats for a smart brain These special fats are called essential because they cannot be made by the body - they have to be supplied by the diet.
If they are not, your child will be deficient in them.
At this point in time, it is estimated that 95% of people are deficient in these essential fats, as we don't get them in our diet anymore, due to a number of different reasons.
It's necessary to discuss some of the important parts of the brain, so that you can see where these essential fats are used: 1.
Neurons are specialised nerve cells, and the brain uses them to move information from the environment and the body, into and around the brain, which allows thinking, learning and action.
2.
Myelin is the substance that surrounds many nerve fibres.
The basic function of myelin is to speed the transmission of nerve impulses - thereby making nerve transmission more rapid and efficient.
3.
Myelin is made up of various fats, fatty acids, phospholipids, protein and cholesterol - 75% of myelin comes from fat.
The formulation of myelin is highly dependent on what you eat, because, as discussed, certain fatty acids cannot be manufactured by the body.
Myelin is integral to the speed and efficiency of nerve transmission and consequently when myelin is damaged, the speed of nerve conduction slows down.
4.
The formulation of myelin is also critical to the development of the brain in children.
Critical windows of development occur when these nerve fibres must be myelinated.
These connections allow the complexity of your child's brain to unfold and set the stage for future intelligence.
If fatty acids are not supplied to ensure efficient myelination of these critical fibres, the efficiency of brain connections may be impaired.
5.
Fatty acids also make up a large percentage of the membrane of the neuron itself, and any time a nerve cell makes a new branch - which is how the brain grows and uses information - new raw materials are required.
If these fatty acids are not present in the proper amounts, this process may be hindered, leading to developmental delays.
6.
Synapses are where the real communication between neurons takes place - this is where nerve cells connect to each other.
The number of synapses made by a nerve has more bearing on intelligence and brain performance than the number of neurons.
Once again, fatty acids are critical.
7.
The delicate membrane of the synapse has a very high concentration of long chain fatty acids.
If these nutrient requirements are not met, neurons cannot transmit - or fire - with normal or optimal efficiency.
Don't deprive your child's brain of the right fats When children are deprived of these essential fats, their ability to concentrate, focus and learn, as well as develop in other areas, is hampered.
This is because, not only the brain, but every cell in the body also requires these special essential fats, because of their unique structure and function.
Overall health and well being depends on getting enough of these unique fats.
There is a vast amount of mis-information in the press about fats and oils because the subject is very complex and it takes time and effort to understand it in depth.
However, you are now in possession of the basic facts and know that your child and their developing brain needs the right fats to grow optimally.
