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Home › Articles › Nutrition and Health › Brain Nutrients

Brain Nutrients

An Excerpt from Brain Food for Kids

By Nicola Graimes

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Selenium is a powerful antioxidant that can protect the brain from heavy metals such as lead, used in pipes, and mercury, part of the amalgam used in dental fillings. Even small amounts of heavy metals can accumulate in the tissues and interfere with brain chemistry. Chromium helps in the control of blood glucose levels.

Fiber
Although essential to keep a mature digestive system working correctly, too many unrefined whole grains and cereals should not be given to children aged under 5. Babies and young children can find fiber difficult to digest in large quantities. They may become full before they have eaten the variety of foods needed for a balanced diet. Instead, offer a balance of refined and unrefined starchy foods.

Multivitamin and Mineral Supplements
There are numerous studies to show that intelligence, especially nonverbal, improves when children are given a multivitamin and mineral supplement. However, the general view is that supplements are most effective when a child's diet is poor. If a child follows a healthy and balanced diet, the effects are not so apparent.

Supplements should never be viewed as a replacement for a good diet, but the chances are fairly likely that a typical child eating a typical diet will experience subtle deficiencies in key nutrients at some stage in his or her life. Many manufacturers have come up with multivitamin and mineral supplements specifically for children, and these are the safest bet for parents, since the nutrients are carefully balanced and in the recommended daily amounts. It also is possible to buy essential fatty acid blends (containing omega-3 and -6) for children either in oil or capsule form if you feel your child could be lacking in these.


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