How Is Nutrition Connected To The Brain

Food is an essential part of our life, to stay alive. Food is necessary for our bodies to develop, replace, and repair cells and tissues; produce energy to keep warm, move, and work; carry out chemical processes such as digestion of food; and protect against resist, fight infection, and recover from sickness. Food is made up of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein, and fat. The body cannot function properly if one or more of the nutrients are missing. It has been common today to dismiss that, the earlier a person starts to eat healthy foods, the more he or she will stay healthy.

The effects of nutrition can begin before birth, with the nutrition of the mother. Under nutrition can result in negative effects of the development of the brain that can become permanent and irreversible. One example is the lack of iron, which is a necessary part of the brain’s tissue. When iron deficiency is present nerve impulses tend to move slower. “Iron deficiency…is associated with behavior changes and delayed psychomotor development” (Nutrition and Cognitive Development, 2001), as well as decrease attention span, irritability, fatigue, and difficultly with concentration. “ Anemia is one of the most prevalent nutritional disorders in the world, affecting nearly one

I didn’t know much about the brain actually until I read the two article that was provided. But it is helpful because it's good to know which part of the brain causes different problems. For example, in the Brain article it states that the hypothalamus controls hormone and the "hormones govern growth and instinctual behavior such as eating, drinking, anger and reproduction" (National Geographic, n.d.). Also, it's good to know what each part of the brain is and what it does like the cerebrum is the largest part of the brain and it "has two halves that divides into four region or lobes in each half. The frontal lobes are involved with speech, thought, learning, emotion, and movement. The parietal lobes, which process sensory information like touch, temperature and pain. The occipital lobes deal with the vision and the temporal lobes are involved with hearing and memory" (National Geographic, n.d.). Each of these lobes could be the effect of memory loss or any kind of brain

According to the World Health Organization, “Nutrition is the intake of food, considered in relation to the body’s dietary needs. Good nutrition – an adequate, well balanced diet combined with regular physical activity – is a cornerstone of good health. Poor nutrition can lead to reduced immunity, increased susceptibility to disease, impaired physical and mental development, and reduced productivity. (World Health Organization, 2012) ”

Imagine the sweet delicacy of caramel slowly melting in your tongue. Do you taste the thrill? In stone age, our ancestors may have hunted food for living; however, now we not only buy food for living, but also buy it for a form of leisure. Due to the abundant nature of the food now, we tend to forget that food is an essential resource for humans to not only develop physically, but also to develop mentally. But are all food helping to develop the human brain. No. Unhealthy foods has adverse affect on the brain whereas healthy food proves to aid the brain more than one can realize.

hment has countless effects on the arrangement and functions of the brain. Vitamins and minerals are vital nutrients, also known as brain foods that help the brain function. It is recommended that vitamins and minerals are consumed daily because of the heavy-duty impact they have on the brain and its performance. For a while it was not fully recognized that food influences the functions and arrangement of the brain. It is essential that the brain collect nutrients to uphold its structure, function agreeably, and avoid premature aging. The brain get its enhancement from ingredients present in minerals, vitamins, necessary amino-acids and necessary fatty acids, including omega- 3 polyunsaturated fatty acid. Every cell in the brain has a particular way of functioning and in order for each cell to play its role each

Equally important to the characteristics of a mentally healthy individual, in today’s fast-paced world, is the psychological health of the brain, the genetic, biological and environmental factors that play an integral role in general wellness.

As with any of the internal organs, the brain has certain nutritional requirements for optimal health. To keep the brain functioning a diet that is well balanced and varying in nutrients is necessary. The brain is made up of two-thirds fats and requires a steady supply of high-quality fatty acids to keep cell membranes intact and insulate nerves. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish, flax and walnut oils, are the best fats for brain health. Diets high in these fats may help prevent degenerative brain conditions such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases and decrease the risk for depression, according to The Franklin Institute for Science. Phosphatidyl serine, a lipid molecule the body makes by combining fatty acids with phosphate, is an important component of cell membranes and is found in particularly high concentrations in the brain. Phosphatidyl serine keeps cell membranes flexible and helps speed the transmission of nerve impulses. Antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, protect delicate brain structures from free-radical damage, particularly to the fats that insulate nerve cells and comprise a large portion of the brain, according to Dr. Shari Lieberman, co-author of the book "User's Guide to Brain-Boosting Supplements: Learn about the Vitamins and Other Nutrients That Can Boost Your Memory and End Mental

Inversely, if there are foods to improve the brain's function it suggests that there are foods that will negatively affect the brain. Foods, that when parents feed them to their children will make their brain sluggish, incoherent, slow to reasoning or learning.

The brain serves as the command center of humans' nervous system. Its structures and the many connections within it are constantly maturing since birth; Nutrition can be said to be an imperative to babies both in the womb and during infancy , and remains an essential part of our lives . While getting a proper nutrition is vital to brain development, just like the many aspects of our lives, the brain also affects the food and food related signals to which we are responsive.

Brain is highly metabolic and important organ of the body. Even though it weighs only 2% body weight, however, requires disproportionate amount (~20 %) of the total blood flow. Unprecedented fall in cerebral blood flow (CBF) would quickly lead to unconsciousness and, if sustained for longer period of time would result in brain damage and death. Therefore, CBF is tightly regulated in the brain, as it facilitates the delivery of essential substrates required for metabolism and removal of metabolic by products.

The brain is amazingly soft, composed primarily of fat and water. It is grayish and pudding-like - composed of 100 billion brain cells - called neurons that drive our thinking, learning, feeling and states of being. Neurons need good fats, protein, complex carbohydrates, micronutrients - vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients - and water. Most of these nutrients are essential nutrients that the body cannot synthesize on its own -- or not to an adequate amount -- and must be provided by the diet. These nutrients are used to drive the learning and protective functions of neurons.

Proper nutrition is one of the most essential elements to being healthy and living a long life. People deal with food every day, and food has been a part of life since the beginning of civilization. What we eat becomes our diet, and our diet plays a major role in deciding how healthy we are and how well our body functions. Without proper diet, our body cannot carry out the functions it needs to perform. Most people have some common knowledge on what is good and what is bad for the human body to consume. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains are some common items people think of when they think of healthy foods. However, it is not enough just to know what foods are good for your body, it is also important to understand why certain foods are

Nutrients also enhance our nervous system, helps improve our skin and muscle tone, as well as regulate our metabolism

“Disease preys on a weak and malnourished mind.” Bernard Jensen. As we grow and develop throughout life, nutrition plays a crucial role in how we develop. During each stage of life, we require different nutrition. Proper nutrition decreases the chances of getting many diseases, physical stressors and mental issues. Many factors attribute to the overall development of a human. Nutritional health affects human growth, cognitive development, reproduction, physical health and mental health.