Brain foods for kids
Brain foods for kids
School is back into the swing of things with term 1 well under way. Demands for school increase each year and a 2018 survey found that 82% of primary school leaders noticed an increase in mental health issues among primary school children during exam seasons (1). With a variety of pressure on children in the classroom and beyond, there is no better time to look at how we can best support our next generations brain health in the home with nutrition and food.
The growing brain
The brain grows at an exceptional rate for our young ones. By the age of 5 the brain is 90% fully grown and at birth the brain has almost all the neurons that it will ever have. It is the connection between these neurons which are responsible for functions such as moving, thinking, and communication (2). In early childhood, over 1 million new neural connections are made every second. Nutrition at this time is imperative to be able to give our children the best ‘building blocks’ and have an impact on their brain health.
Best Brain Foods
Fats
Good healthy fats are an important part of any child’s diet but are especially required for brain health. Each brain cell is protected by a fatty layer, the myelin sheath. A range of saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated are the best types for health as opposed to trans fats, which should be avoided as they cause damage in the body (3).
- Oily fish such as salmon, sardines, trout, and mackerel
- Eggs, ghee, organic cheese, avocado
- Linseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, soybeans, sunflower seeds, sunflower seeds
- Nut butters such as almond, ABC, brazil nut, chia seed and macadamia nut.
- Oils such as extra virgin olive oil, flaxseed oil and avocado oil
Magnesium rich foods
Magnesium is involved in over 300 functions in the body and a large percentage of our dietary intake is used up by the nervous system for communication and transmission (4). Magnesium also plays a protective role against excessive excitation in the brain, which makes it a great option to help kids focus.
- Pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews, peanuts, edamame, black beans
- Spinach, avocado, potato, brown rice, broccoli, apple, carrots
- Cocoa and dark chocolate
- Salmon, chicken, beef, halibut
- Milk, plain yoghurt, soy milk
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are key for brain function. Antioxidants play a huge role in the brains waste clearance system named the Glymphatic System. They help to reduce cellular damage, eliminate waste, and protect cells against stress and environmental toxins (5). It is easy to pick foods with high antioxidants as they often give foods their bright and rich colours! Foods high in antioxidants include:
- Berries such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, bilberries, goji berries
- Beetroot, tomatoes, red onion, red cabbage, plums
- Kale, spinach, broccoli, avocados, kiwi fruit, green beans
- Pineapple, carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, bananas, apricots, paw paw, lemons
- Nuts including walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews.
Nootropic Herbs
Some medicinal herbs have a nootropic effect on the body, which means they enhance cognition!
Bacopa –Bacopa is used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine as a nervous system tonic for children and adults. It has been trialled in children for its cognition enhancing properties, with results showing improvements in memory, sustained attention, and improved executive function after 4 months (6).
Gotu Kola – Gotu Kola is safe brain boosting herb for children used for over 2000 years in Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine. It is an adaptogen so it may work by improving children’s stress adaptation. It is often prescribed in ADHD and has been shown to enhance cognitive function in clinical trials.
Ashwagandha – Ashwagandha (Withania), has been traditionally been used in Ayurvedic medicine to help children thrive. It is thought to work by stimulating growth of brain cells (7). Clinical trials show Ashwagandha can improve nutritional status, as well as improve cognition in children.
Hydration
Technically not a food, however hydration is key for kid’s brain function. Water accounts for up to 80% of our body weight and every biochemical reaction in the body takes place in water. Whilst kids get 20% of their water from solid foods, they still require significant liquid intake throughout the day (8). Recommendations are as follows:
- 1 – 3 yr = 1.0 L/day (about 4 cups)
- 4 – 8 yr = 1.2 L/Day (about 5 cups)
- 9 – 13 yr = 1.4 – 1.6 L/Day (5-6 cups)
- 14 – 18 yr = 1.6 – 1.9 L/Day (6 – 8 cups)
If you are interested in boosting your kids brain health with food or herbal supplementation, come and have a chat to one of our friendly naturopaths in store.
Written by: Mandy Astrop, Naturopath
References:
- Weale, S., 2017. More primary school children suffering stress from Sats, survey finds. [online] The Guardian. Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/may/01/sats-primary-school-children-suffering-stress-exam-time> [Accessed 18 February 2021].
- Ackerman S. Discovering the Brain. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1992. 6, The Development and Shaping of the Brain. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK234146/
- NHMRC (2014) Fats. Available at: https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/fats-total-fat-fatty-acids
- Kirkland, A. E., Sarlo, G. L., & Holton, K. F. (2018). The Role of Magnesium in Neurological Disorders. Nutrients, 10(6), 730. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10060730
- Whitney, E., & Rolfes, S. (2014). Understanding nutrition (2nd ed.). Melbourne: Cengage Learning.
- Mitra-Ganguli, T., Kalita, S., Bhushan, S., Stough, C., Kean, J., Wang, N., Sethi, V., & Khadilkar, A. (2017). A Randomized, Double-Blind Study Assessing Changes in Cognitive Function in Indian School Children Receiving a Combination of Bacopa monnieri and Micronutrient Supplementation vs. Placebo. Frontiers in pharmacology, 8, 678. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2017.00678
- Katz, M., Levine, A. A., Kol-Degani, H., & Kav-Venaki, L. (2010). A compound herbal preparation (CHP) in the treatment of children with ADHD: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of attention disorders, 14(3), 281–291. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054709356388
- NHMRC (2014) Water. Available at: https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/water