Topic: The benefits of omega-3 supplementation on cognitive function in healthy children.
I. Introduction Macronutrients are a group of compounds that humans consume in the largest quantities and thus provide the bulk of energy that they consume and use for everyday functioning. The three types of macronutrients are protein, carbohydrate, and fat. Fatty acids are separated into three categories: saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. The unsaturated fatty acids are known to play a role in cognitive function, learning, and behavior.1, 2 Omega-3 fatty acid is one of the polyunsaturated fatty acids and it can be created from alpha-linolenic acid or obtained directly from maternal milk or fish oil. High amounts of omega-3 fatty acids
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observed the effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on aggression in children living in Japan. A total of 166 children aged 9–12 years old were given either omega-3 fortified foods providing 514 mg/day of DHA and 120 mg/day of EPA or the same unfortified foods for 3 months. The HAQ-C and the Picture Frustration (PF) Study was used to assess aggression in both groups at baseline and endpoint. In addition, attention deficit, hyperactivity, and impulsivity were assessed by parents and guardians using the same diagnostic questionnaires that are used for ADHD. After 3 months, the omega-3 fortified foods was associated with reduced impulsivity and aggression in females (p=0.008) but no significant change was observed in …show more content…
In most cases, students who are not proficient in reading or spelling during the early school years often have difficulty in other subject matters throughout their education. All factors of education including nutrition, should be considered when evaluating ways to improve learning capabilities in children. In terms of nutrition, omega-3 is vitally important during gestation and infancy for early brain development. However, omega-3 fatty acids are present in a limited number of foods and the predicted intake by American children worldwide is commonly low. Omega-3 fatty acids have been highlighted in research to better understand the association between nutritional deficiencies and learning difficulties. In the event that a child has an omega-3 deficiency related to poor intake or absorption, it is likely that their learning and/or behavior would see benefits from improving their omega-3 status. There is clearly an interest and a number of research studies that are investigating the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on cognition, learning and behavior in healthy children. Overall, the studies included in this review generally agree that making improvements in a child’s fatty acid intake may initiate brain activity changes that are observable in regards to learning and behavior. The results of neurophysiologic tests showed a measureable change in the brains activity as a result of omega-3
Carbohydrates, proteins and lipids are known as macronutrients as the body needs masses of these nutrient components in order to carry out the bodies’ essential functions.
My daily diet should contain a balance of proteins, carbohydrates (carbs), and lipids (collectively called macronutrients). According to Kirby (2011), micronutrients are substances such as vitamins, and minerals that are essential for healthy growth and developments. The body only requires small quantities of micronutrients and without them serious problems can arise. The role of each micronutrient makes proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids equally important in my diet. Proteins are important for repair and tissue growth, helps the body to make enzymes and hormones, as well as preserve lean muscle mass and is a source of energy. Carbohydrates are the body main source of energy and are easily broken down into glucose
Two friends of yours, Janine and Mitchell, join you at lunch. During your conversation, Janine comments on Mitchell’s choice of food: a small bowl of cottage cheese, a chicken salad with vinegar and oil dressing, and a glass of ice water.
Children and young people’s health and development is closely linked to their dietary choice as they need the right amount of nutrients necessary to keep their energy and to maintain the body for growth, tissue repair, healthy skin, hair and teeth, red blood cells and strong immune system.
My chosen superfood snack is a mixed berry dark chocolate smoothie that includes many superfoods like dark chocolate, mixed berries, bananas, greek yogurt, chia seeds, and kale. The four macromolecules are the building blocks of life, which explains why superfoods are called “super”. Each superfood targets at least one of the 4 macromoles whether it's lipids, protein, carbohydrates, or nucleic acid. Each macromole has their own designated form and function, for example, lipids contain the atoms C, H, and O and one of their functions is to store energy. There are two types of fatty acids which are unsaturated fats which are healthy and saturated fat which aren’t as health. Protein’s form is C, H, O, and N and their functions include structural proteins, metabolic processes, growth and
In The Crucible, Arthur Miller depicts many themes of early puritan life set in Salam Massachusetts in the late 1600s. One such theme represented in this play is the bibliocentric nature of many who lived during this period. The character who most reflects a bibliocentric nature, that of placing great or central importance on printed texts, is reverend Hale. Hale’s bibliocentric characteristics transform over the course the Crucible. Initially, Hale relies heavily on his books and scholarly texts to develop his views and judgments. However, as Hale is exposed to the true nature of the witch trials occurring in Salem he comes to realize that he needed to rely on his own judgment and instincts instead of the writings of others.
"Now I have told you shortly, in a clause,/ The rank, the array, the number and the cause/ Of our assembly in this company" (lines 711-14). Geoffrey Chaucer explains to his readers that he has given a full description of each of his fellow pilgrims in his General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales. Along with naming each character, he provides their profession which classifies each pilgrim into one of three social classes: the religious class, the merchant class, or feudal order. Chaucer provides a social commentary of the major social classes of his day, and though he criticizes characters from each class, he most heavily criticizes the religious class more than any other.
“Most writers,” as James L. W. West, III illustrates in “The Perfect Hour: The Romance of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ginevra King, His First Love,” find inspiration for their fictional characters from influences in their own lives, thus creating “composite characters” (West 113). Having a personal relationship with the inspirations for their characters, writers can successfully characterize these imaginative personas. F. Scott Fitzgerald, one of the most notable American writers of the early twentieth-century, is no exception; a number of his short stories, including “Babylon Revisited,” “The Diamond as Big as the Ritz,” and “Winter Dreams,” can be seen as self-reflective or even autobiographical. Fitzgerald’s recurring tendency to model characters
Macronutrients are an important part of your daily intake since they provide the body with calories and energy. These nutrients are needed for metabolism and growth of the body. The three macronutrients are carbohydrates, protein, and fat (McKinley Health Center, 2008). It is important to that macronutrient intake be within the recommended intake range. Having a diet that consists of too much or too little of a macronutrient could be harmful to the body. If you eat too many macronutrients, you could gain fat and if you eat too little macronutrients you could lose healthy fat, which would cause the body to break down. If you consistently eat too little protein, carbohydrates, or lipids, the body would be malnourished, which could have devastating effects on your health.
More and more research studies are finding that getting enough Omega-3 fatty acids is critical to our health in many ways. Omega-3 fats are essential for the survival of the human body, but our bodies can't manufacture them on their own, so we need to get them from the foods we eat. Good dietary sources of Omega-3 fatty acids are fish and seafood, like salmon, tuna, sardines, halibut, herring, algae and krill, plus some plants and nut oils such as flaxseeds and flaxseed oil, canola oil, soybeans and soybean oil, pumpkin seeds and pumpkin seed oil, purslane, perilla seed oil, and walnuts and walnut oil.
These nutrient classes can be categorized as either macronutrients (needed in relatively large amounts) or micronutrients (needed in smaller quantities). The macronutrients are carbohydrates, fats, fiber, proteins, and water. The micronutrients are minerals and vitamins.
Nutrition is important to understand because it is a significant contributor to the health and wellness of a human being. Nutrition can determine the weight of a person, the performance of organs and the body’s ability to prevent or accelerate certain diseases. Health and nutrition can be influenced by several factors such as family, friends, peers as well as physical and mental stress. As a young child, the immediate family is the biggest influence on nutrition because they are the first role models and establish the initial habits that the individual will develop. Through daily meal plans given to children, they can develop a standard of care in regard to nutrition and then incorporate key food groups into their daily diet. A child’s
Carbohydrates are the body’s primary source of energy. Without adequate carbohydrates, a person may feel fatigued and weak, as the body looks elsewhere for sources of energy. A severe lack of carbohydrates can deprive critical bodily organs the necessary energy to properly function. Lipids are naturally occurring organic compounds that include fats and oils. An excess of some lipids can increase the chances of certain health problems, lipids are vital nutrients to a healthy body. Lipids are necessary for the absorption of fat soluble vitamins. A diet too low on lipids lowers the level of good cholesterol, decreases the body’s energy level and can disturb the body’s formation of cells and cell functions.
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
In the modern era of medicine, doctors have been making discoveries about how nutrition affects our mental health. They are making connections between the diet of an adolescent and how it affects their moods. An example that has been sweeping the nation, is ‘Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder’ (ADHD) is a ‘brain diseases.’ Commonly found in children in their adolescent stages.