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Food
for Thought: A growing base of research
supports the intuitions and claims that poor nutrition affects the functioning
of the brain. What is the most efficient way to raise pupil’s achievement,
asks the New York Times (August 1, 2001). Is it ending social promotion,
increasing accountability or adding more testing? It could be none of
these, states Richard Rothstein, New York Times journalist, Improving
nutrition might bring a bigger test-score gain. Research in this field
is hotly contested with claims and counter claims. Products are being
marketed that make astonishing claims. My recommendation is to become
an educated consumer of the research. Look for valid clinical tests, triangulation
of results and links to human trials. This article is written for your
information only. It is not intended as advice. The author is not a nutritionalist
and even if he was, there is widespread opinion within the field. Read
on…...and enjoy. |
The human brain is energy inefficient. Weighing in at about 2% of the body's total adult weight it typically consumes up to 20% of its energy, with effortful learning tasks extending this demand to nearer 30% (Carper, 2000). During the ages 2 - 12 this ratio of energy usage to weight is greater than for the adult brain. In fact, the brain of a child consumes up to 225% of the glucose of an adult's brain (Diamond and Hopson, 1998). Fed with a constant supply of oxygen, water, glucose, protein and trace elements the brain of a child will treble in size until it reaches the adult weight of about 1300 - 1500grams. Growth takes place during our sleeping hours fed by a flow of blood that reaches between 32 and 35 litres per hour - that's about 800+ litres per day! | Proper nutrition helps protect the brain against toxins, improves mental alertness and assists in the formation of memory. The brain’s most crucial need is for oxygen. Beyond that, amino acids provide the raw materials for the brain to synthesise its chemical modulators. In order for these raw materials (small nutritional molecules) to make it into the pristine environment of the brain, the body’s blood supply must break through the Blood-Brain Barrier (a tight seal of cells that lines the blood vessels in the brain). The Barrier acts as a blocking system against various toxins but can also prevent the administration of many beneficial agents such as medicines from reaching the brain through the bloodstream. |