The Influence Of DHA On The Brain

In an article titled, “Feeding the Brain for Academic Success: How Nutrition and Hydration Boost Learning,” by Philippa Norman M.D. 2015, the author argues the importance of a healthy, well balanced diet for a student to function properly in a school setting. In this article, Dr. Norman talks about how the brain is composed of 100 billion neurons which drive our thinking, learning, feeling and states of being. She explains how important it is for neurons to have good fats, proteins, complex carbohydrates, micronutrients – vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients – and water. Norman walks the reader through the importance of these specific nutrients in order to drive the learning functions of neurons. She explains how neurons connect in the brain,

This is because they too contain large quantities of tryptophan, as well as a number of essential omega 3 fatty acids. You see, more than 60% of the human brain is comprised of healthy fats, also known as structural fats, meaning that essential fatty acids are vital for the function and development of healthy brain nerve cells. Not only will flaxseeds enhance your mood, they will also help provide healthy fats, they will boost immunity, they will enhance metabolic function, and they will promote general health and

In addition to the cardiovascular system, ɳ-3 fatty acids are important for brain development and function. The brain, one of the most vascular organs of the body, is composed sixty percent of fat. It requires ɳ-3 fatty acids to make flexible and fluid multitasking responses (Sears 62). Research indicates that people with the highest blood levels of ɳ-3 DHA had best brain performances and higher brain test scores (Bauer). Brain analysis indicated that people with various nerve diseases, including multiple sclerosis and macular degeneration, consumed high amounts of ɳ-6 fats, but low amounts of ɳ-3 fats. Consuming sufficient amounts of ɳ-3 fatty acids make the three important brain structures healthier: brain cells (neurons), nerves extending from neurons (axons), and connections at the end of neurons (synapses) (Sears 64).

The natural process of breastfeeding is the most beneficial for the baby and many studies have concluded that breastfeeding boosts chances of success. In Brazil, a group of doctors took on a project to see if there was a difference from a breastfed child and a formula fed one. These doctors randomly picked out more than 3,000 babies and studied them from the time they were born until they turned thirty years old (Breast-Feeding). Once these babies reach thirty, they were given an IQ test that concluded, “the subjects who were breast-fed for 12 months or more had a higher IQ than those who were breast-fed for less than one month. The difference in IQ was 3.76 points” (Horta). Not only does breastfeeding have an affect on a child, but it has an affect on a mother as well. For example, an “Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality surveyed 400 studies on the effects of breastfeeding on maternal and infant health and found that breastfeeding had positive effects on both children's health and maternal health” (Doak).

Scientists have conducted numerous studies that show little or no benefit to an infant’s development from adding DHA to infant formula. Overall, research results are inconsistent and inconclusive. Meanwhile, the formula companies have advertised aggressively in an attempt to convince parents that their DHA formula provides the same nutrients, and therefore the same benefits, as breast milk. There is no proof that DHA containing formulas are any better than other infant formulas, let alone similar to human milk. Infants who are not breastfed are at increased risk of numerous infectious diseases including bacterial meningitis, bacteremia, diarrhea, and respiratory tract infections to name a few. They are also at increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome in the first year of life and are more likely to develop Type I and Type II diabetes mellitus. As adults,

The American Heart Association published an article on October 7th, 2015. About polyunsaturated fats also known as PUFAs. PUFAs are consisted of one unsaturated carbon bond in the molecule called a double bond Omega 3 and Omega 6, and they are easily found in oils.

4. Walnuts: Literally and figuratively speaking, walnuts are mind food. In physical form, the walnut seems a lot like the human brain. The thin, external green layer that is taken out prior to the walnuts are traded is similar to the scalp. The hard shell of the walnut is compared to a skull. The small sheet within, which consists of paper-like partitions between the two halves of the walnut, is much like the membrane. The contour of the walnut itself symbolizes the 2 hemispheres of your brain.

In her study, Lily Hong explains that “infant formula is not an equivalent substitution for breast milk” (Hong et al. 279). Formula is not the same as breast milk because formula is “static” as described by Hong, whereas breast milk is constantly changing throughout the day as well as changing as the child’s needs change (Hong et al. 279). Hong also explains that formulas made for preemies contain more vitamins than recommended for infants born at term. She calls these formulas “super-fortified” and that these formulas can have significant negative effects on an infant’s neural system and on the absorption of other essential nutrients. On the other hand, Hong disagrees with Padhye’s hypothesis because she believes that breast feeding may be the cause of the recent rise of ASDs. Hong explains that environmental pollutants have been found in the breast milk of women who live in developed countries, such as the United States. The persistent organic pollutants or POPs, are stored in adipose tissue because the body doesn’t have a use for them. The POPs can then travel through the lymph of a breast feeding woman and can be passed into the mammary glands and then to the breast feeding child. These POPs can cause severe developmental delays such as those seen in children diagnosed with ASDs.

As previously mentioned the brain is enriched with polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularily DHA and the omega-6 AA. While the brain can synthesize saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, it must rely on uptake of either the preformed DHA and AA or their dietary precursors, which can be converted to DHA and ARA within the brain. While the brain does have the capacity to synthsize DHA its rate of synthesis relative to uptake from the plasma is relatively low suggesting that uptake from plasma and not synthesis within the brain is the major source. Furthermore, while the liver can upregulate its ability to synthesize DHA especially under conditions of low dietary omega-3 intake, the brain does not upregulate DHA synthesis under these conditions.

In 2015, approximately 5.3 million Americans were living with Alzheimer’s disease. As the baby boom generation ages, that number is expected to increase by 10 million by the year 2050.1 Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease that causes brain cells to eventually die.2 The early and middle stages are characterized by short-term memory loss, confusion, and difficulty completing familiar tasks.2 Researchers are not only struggling to find a cure, but to discover ways to slow the disease’s progression. One prevalent area of current study especially relevant to nutritional professionals involves omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in individuals with

Neuroprotective properties— THCA may also have protective effects on brain cells suggest an Austrian study. THCA was found to display antioxidant effects on the brain cells of mice when exposed to a neurotoxin. Researchers suggest that THCA may protect against cell death.

Formula or breast milk is given to infants until they are six months of age, unless the parent wishes it to continue. Breast milk has many nutritional values because babies digest it more easily than formula, it advances the brain, vision and growth, produces antibiotics and good bacteria for the baby to avoid illnesses, helps the mom and infant bond and it creates less risk of cancers for the mother. Moreover, breast milk protects natural resources and keeps the Earth clean. Breast milk has its many advantages, but there are disadvantages too. Not every child care center supports breast-feeding by offering a place where the mother can breastfeed the child, and breast milk lacks sufficient Vitamin D and B, Zinc and Iron. Consequently for these

Fatty acids, give you a low rate of coronary heart disease fatty acid have cardiovascular protective effect, in high consumption of fatty acid. Omega 3 is an integral part of cell membranes that affect the function of the cell receptors in these membranes. They provide the making hormones that regulates blood clotting, contraction and relaxation of artery walls, and anti-inflammatory, and also bind to receptors in cells that regulate DNA function. due to these effects, omega-3 have been known to help prevent heart disease and strokes, may help control lupus, and may play protective roles in cancer and other conditions. (2007)

Also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), Omega-3s play a critical role in brain function and in normal growth and development.

The green tea catechins have also shown dramatic neuro-protective results in several experiments involving those with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. In mammals, EGCG is best known in reducing cognitive impairment as well as with neuro-degeneration. Not just that, it can also eliminate oxygen-free radicals and lessen inflammation that's often caused by a number of age-related