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Brain Nutrients
An Excerpt from Brain Food for Kids
By Nicola Graimes
Protein is made up of 25 amino acids. Eight of these are known as essential amino acids because they have to be provided by diet and are not made in the body. Among their many roles, amino acids are crucial for making neurotransmitters, the brain's messengers, and so are vital to brain chemistry and emotions. The amino acid tyrosine, found in fish, dairy products, eggs, oats and turkey, can lift mood and increase alertness, while another amino acid, phenylalanine, is used to regulate blood sugar through insulin.
Proteins are said to satisfy the appetite for longer periods than carbohydrates, yet the latter are believed to provide long-term energy. Many foods are a combination of the two.
The most useful group of fats for brain and eye function are the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, including omega-3 fats EPA and DHA, but these are also the ones children (and adults) are least likely to get from their diets. A deficiency in omega-3 is said to be one of the major causes of degenerative disease and of a corresponding decline in brain function. There also appears to be a correlation between fatty acid levels in infants and their intellectual and behavioral performance as children.
You will find the richest amounts of omega-3 in oily fish. It also is found in eggs and some plant foods; however, these omega-3s are not as potent as those found in fish oils.
